WILBUR WRIGHT'S ACCIDENT.

Bush Advocate, Volume XXI, Issue 96, 21 October 1908, Page 2

WILBUR WRIGHT'S ACCIDENT.

» ■ i A CARELESS WORKMAN. LONDON, September-^. Mr Wilbur Wright has suffered another mishap with the aeroplane that he proposes to drive over thirty miles at the military camp * at -Auvours shortly. Departing from his customary meticulous care, the aeronaut decided to ascend on Monday morning without repairing the damage which had been caused to the steering gear by the carelessness of a- workman. Tll6 man, running from the shed in the j . excitement of the preparations for ] flight, caught his foot in the wires connecting the rear rudder to the lever on the right of the operator! A ago Mr Wright would have taken his coat off, whistled a cakewalk, and spent an hour or two straightening the wire, but a week's inaction through bad weather has had its effect on Mr Wright's nerves, so that he snapped his fingers and said, "I'll go up, anyhow," and went. The great white bird shot up, but when the man-bird tried to turn itto the left it swerved obliquely to -the right. In unscientific language the aeroplane wobbled. As all efforts to right it failed, at the end of fifty-six seconds the aeronaut came down. Unfortunately at the moment of touching ground the aeroplane canted up in front and lurched over sideways behind, throwing all the strain on the right-hand runner, which broke. Tho accident was not so serious as that which happened two weeks ago, and the repairs, according to Mr Wright; Mould only take a. few hours.