830 SAMUEL PIERPONT LANGLEY. 



When the idea of flying possessed him he went ahead without 

 regard to the universal ridicule which greeted those who belicAed that 

 flying was possible — a ridicule fully expressed hy the poem, " Darius 

 Green and his flying machine," and was constantly showing his friends 

 little devices, modifications of boomerangs, arrangements of wings 

 and screws which showed marvellous capabilities of flight. Finally 

 in 1896 he constructed a machine which was driven by a small steam 

 engine and which flew down the Potomac a distance of over a mile. 

 The machine was set oft' on a car which ran forward on ways, and 

 which fell down at the extremity of the car's motion, releasing the 

 aeroplane for its flight. 



In 1898 a board consisting of army and nav^- officers was appointed 

 to investigate Langley's experiments. Their report was favorable 

 and the board allotted !$oO,000 for the development and construction 

 of a large aeroplane. A difficulty was met in obtaining a suitable light 

 engine and suitable materials for the guys and wings. In 1901 a 

 gasoline engine was secured and work proceeded. The first machine 

 weighed 830 pounds and had a surface of 1,040 square feet. The 

 entire power plant weighed less than 5 pounds to the horse power. 

 The successful small mechanical model which made the flight of a mile, 

 weighed 58 pounds, had a surface of 66 square feet and an engine 

 which developed 2| to 3 horse power. The same launching apparatus 

 which had worked successfully in the case of the small model was 

 prepared for the large machine. The weather conditions on the 

 Potomac were most baffling. It seemed as if the winds followed the 

 course of the river and Langley, with hope deferred must have suft'ered 

 great perturbation of spirit in studying the weather conditions. There 

 seemed to be a malevolence in nature; Avhich we feel in war times. 

 A small house had been erected on the banks of the Potomac and the 

 launching ways carefully tested. On October 7, 1903, in the presence 

 of a curious throng of spectators the conditions of the atmosphere 

 seemed propitious. The engineer took his seat and the car with the 

 aeroplane sped down the ways. Just as it left the track, with the 50 

 horse power engine whirling the propellor, one of the guys was caught 

 by the falling ways, a front guy post was also caught. The front of 

 the machine was dragged downwards and the machine plunged into 

 the water about 50 yards in front of the boathouse. 



After some repairs a second attempt was made on December 8, 

 1903, with a resulting disaster. The rear guy post seemed to drag, 

 bringing the rutlder down on the launching ways with a crashing 

 rending sound and a collapse of the rear wings. The machine was 



