Wilbur Wright at Pau.

Progress, Volume IV, Issue 7, 1 May 1909, Page 236

Wilbur Wright at Pau.

Early in the winter it was announced that Mr. Wilbur Wright, finding the cold too great in Northern France for comfortable aero work, had decided to go to Pau, in the South. The cable informed us that he had duly carried out his intentions and mentioned the presence and enthusiasm of the King of Spain It appears now that the youthful monarch was very anxious to take to the air in company with the American aeronaut. But he was prevented by

State reasons. A promise was exacted from him by his responsible advisers that he would restrain his sporting ardour. It was "touch and go" with his Majesty. The sight of the fascinating aero sailing and manoeuvring about was so strong a temptation that he had to leave in a hurry. Otherwise he would have been away for a sail with "Wilbur Wright. "Mr. Wright," says one of the correspondents present, "proceeded some little distance, and then, by a sudden evolution, came back and flew over the heads of the King and the spectators. After further evolutions he disappeared in the distance and was lost to view for fourteen minutes. ' ' The spectators became anxious, but Orville Wright, who was present recovering from his accident on the American parade ground, and Miss Wright, a sister of the brothers, who was also present, laughed at the idea of danger. It eventually appeared that Mr. Wilbur Wright had made a wide sweep over the surrounding country, returning from a totally different direction to that in which

he had disappeared, aud that too quickly to be seen before he was almost over the heads of the spectators. This is described as a dramatic manoeuvre, for the reason that it showed Mr. Wrights confidence in his machine, and, what is more, demonstrated the ease with which the machine can, owing to its speed, make a surprise approach. This flight of the aeronaut across country X evidently a reply to the feat of Farman. w T ho got such glory by his flight to Rheims, and M. Bleriot, who made a nine mile circuit of the country on the same day. Mr. Wright has now demonstrated that his machine will do anything of that kind. His demonstration will not. however, alter the fact that Farman was the first man to fly across country. Farman "\\ ill go down to posterity as the man who first broke off on a free course.