AMERICAN MAIL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13866, 28 September 1908, Page 7

AMERICAN MAIL NEWS.

NAVIGATING THE AIR.

SOME RECENT FLIGHTS.

Some interesting news appears in the American files regarding recent aerial flights carried out by the,Wright Bros, and Mr. Baldwin. Speaking of the latter's dirigible balloon the New York Herald says:—"No bird of the air over sailed a truer course from point to point than did the Baldwin dirigible, this,afternoon. At 22 minutes after six o'clock the great bag rose gently into the air, made one, wide circle and headed for the setting sun. Mr. Baldwin said before the start: 'To-night I am' really going to fly a little, if those additions to the planes are all I think they arc.' And ho kept his word.' Straight as an arrow from the bow the airship sped across the country at a height .which gradually increased to 500 ft, easily judged from the length of the drag rope—2ooft, and the distance it was oft the ground. This westerly course wus held for eight minutes, during which lime, with tho propeller ■ spinning at but 350 revolutions per minute, the navigators and their ship travelled two miles, to .Ballston, Va. Hero they swung to tho north in another wide circle and sped back to the parade ground, still at the same speed. But turning south when; the parade ground was reached and catching the breczo at the same time, tho power was turned on a little, and the rate rose to fully 20 miles an hour. ; It was most noticeable to all who had seen the previous flights that the dirigible stayed all the" time upon an even keel, and did not indulge in any of the spectacular dips and rises which have marked previous ascensions. It was the longest flight yet made, lasting altogether 17 minutes, and finishing exactly at the. starting point, much as a man' would walk over a field and return to the place he started from, and with as much apparent ease."

An accident to Mr: Wright's aeroplane— not the serious accident recently cabled—is thus described in the same journal by its special correspondent at Lo Mans, France: —" Mr. Wilbur Wright's aeroplane experiments were brought to a close to-day, for at least a week, by reason of a slight accident to the left wing of the machine. This morning at half-past six o'clock the apparatus was taken from its shed, and by seven had been placed on the starting rail. A few minutes later the 'flight commenced, and_ it proved to bo Mr. Wright's most striking effort, The wind was fresh, and as the machine rose well above the treetops it was easy to see how, 1 by the use of a simple yet effective mechanism,' the influence, of wind gusts is counteracted and rendered unimportant.. Round and round the field be flew, sometimes at 10, sometimes at 20, metres from tlfe ground. He played with his machine as a skilful chauffeur can sometimes play with an automobile. For nearly nine minutes he continued' to circle in the air. Then, evidently thinking he had done enough for the moment, he stopped 1 ■ the : motor and the aeroplane glided softly to the ground. A few minutes later ho was again in the air, flying higher than ever- At one moment he rose well abovo 25 metres, double the height of the trees. Twice he circled round the field. On the second lap it was obvious the motor was not running at its best, for there was repeated misfiring. This did not appear to have any ill effect <on the progress; of the machine ..through the. air, but, Mr. Wright likes to have everything at its best, so he decided to descend. At a height of 15 metres he cut the ignition and began to plane down gently. The first part of this descent was the most perfect exhibition of gliding wo have been privileged to see in France. .Just as he was neaping the ground he curved toward the starting point. -Unfortunately he pulled the lever, controlling the wings the Wrong way, arid this made the left wing : tip still closer to" '(lie ground,'" and in.a flash it struck against a mound and was' splintered.!'....; - ■ ... -.'-, _ v ',<■ JAPAN'S FINANCIAL STRAITS. .' Japan, sorely pressed in financial matters," with internal strikes and an added cost "of living changing the entire economies of that country, will not go to war with any nation for 10 years at least, according to General Adolpijus "\Y..(Jrec ; ]y, U.S.A. (retired). - He.said in an interviewer "There have been within a. year not, Jess than 140 strikes, so I.was told by a prominent official, and I 'do not believe that the world in general knows thai they have' ended successfully'• for the .strikers. ■.■■';■ This makes for entirely different economic conditions in that country, and Japan has enough with its financial problems to settle, with, the fact added that wages must go up." BROKERAGE FIRM'S • FAILURE. The papers record the failure of. the big brokerage firm of A. 0. Brown and Co.. of New York, for a sum well over a. million dollars. A. 0. Brown and Co.. were members of the New York Stock Exchange, New York Cotton Exchange, Chicago Stock Exchange, IjivS Chicago-Board •of Trade, : and the Cleveland Stock Exchange. They had branch u-wies in Chicago, Cleveland, Buffalo, Erie (Pa.), 'Toronto. Coming as a. climax to the ; bewildering trading on August 22, the suspension created an. extraordinary, degree, of public interest, but was, looked upon .high ..Stock Exchange" interests- as offering in- early solution, ■ of; the tangle growing out of the most remarkable two hours' session the New York Stock Exchange has known for many years. .'"''..v.