Thomas Balch Library

ALT After the greatest of [corrected from “od”] all air ship flights this afternoon the machine of [“Wr” crossed out] Wilbur and Orville Wright was smashed into an unrecognizable [“heap” crossed out] mass. The navigator of the machine, Wilbur Wright, escaped from the accident practically unhurt, [“xThax” crossed out] having received nothing more than a mere scratch on his face [“as a result of the accident” crossed out]. The [“mexbyne” crossed out] machine had already flown eight miles in seven [“second” crossed out] s minutes and [“seven” crossed out] forty seconds under beautiful control. The wrecking of [“the machine” crossed out] it was due to an error on the part of the navigator. Proceeding [“slights” crossed out] slightly in a downward course, it was the [“Wilbur” crossed out] designed by the navigator to elevate its course, but instead of working the lever to accomplish that result, [full transcription at link]

ALT and which was working to their satisfaction, was hard to manipulate instantaneously, without considerable practice . The Wrights had not had time to practice its manipulation to perfection. The flight of the machine was [word truly is inked out] a marvelous one, [breaking all is inked out] far out distancing other successful ones that have been recently made at Kill Devil Hill. The machine [inked out had] flew upward of eight miles in seven minutes and forty seconds. Making the ascent from a point near the house in which it is sheltered, one mile from the Kill Devil Hill Life Saving Station, it was steered in a northerly direction, parallel with the coast for a mile and a half. It was then directed westward, over a [inked out "sand hill fifty feet"] small sand hill and between two larger. Then completely circling another sand hill, the course of the machine was turned towards the starting point. [full transcription at link]

ALT The Wrights state that they will immediately pack up the wreckage of their machine and ship it back to their home in Dayton, Ohio "[several sentences are inked out and illegible]" Orville Wright had intended leaving here Monday to prepare for a trip to Europe, having engagements there with representatives of foreign Governments who have [2 words inked out] been attracted by the possibilities of their machine. Not since the Wrights have been here did their machine appear so complete an instrument as it did today, due no doubt to its wonderful performance in the hands of its makers who were daily displaying more skill in [inked in "operating it] The fatal mistake was the result of [inked in importance [?]] with the operation of the new steering gear which the brothers had perfected and installed on the machine. Its working was very satisfactory, but required practice [inked in "for instantaneous manipulation[?]] [full transcription at link]

ALT a mile beyond. "[two inked out illegible words]" Owing to the refusal of the Wrights to [2 illegible words are inked out] operate their machine when [3 words inked out "witnessed by strangers"] they were possessed of the knowledge that others besides themselves and the life-savers at the Kill Devil Hill Station [3 illegible penciled in words] and the isolation of their location, but few have seen the machine fly. Those who witnessed the flights today and many of the previous, besides [penciled in words "[The Wrights and Life-saving?]"the following newspaper Correspondents: Newton, of the New York Herald; Hoster, of the New York American Macgowan, of the [inked out 2 words] London Daily Mail and Salley. [the word Salley is inked out]