i SMlTHSOxNlAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 8l 



would be desirable to make the test, in order to demonstrate that the 

 Langley machine was competent to fly and might have put our gov- 

 ernment in possession of a type of flying machine, which, although 

 inferior to that of the Wrights, might have been evolved into an 

 efl^ective scouting instrument. 



Yours truly, 



O. Chanute." 



" November 27, 1908. 

 " Dear Sir : 



" I wish to thank you for your letter of November 21. in relation 

 to the Langley machine. I will talk the matter over with Air. Manly 

 the next time I see him. 



Very truly yours. 



Chas. D. Walcott." 

 " Doctor Octave Chanute, 

 61 Cedar Street. 

 Chicago, Illinois." 



9. In 1910, the Smithsonian Institution made an effort to secure 

 the original Wright machine of 1903, or a model thereof for ex- 

 hibition in the National Museum. This is evidenced by the follow- 

 ing correspondence between Dr. Walcott and Mr. Wilbur Wright : 



" Smithsonian Institution, 

 Washington, U. S. A., 



March 7, 1910. 

 " My dear Mr. Wright : 



" The National Museum is endeavoring to enlarge its collections 

 illustrating the progress of aviation and, in this connection, it has 

 been suggested that you might be willing to deposit one of your 

 machines, or a model thereof, for exhibition purposes. 



" The great public interest manifested in this science and the 

 numerous inquiries from visitors for the W^right machine make it 

 manifest that if one were placed on exhibition here it would form 

 one of the most interesting specimens in the national collections. 

 It is sincerely hoped that you may find it possible to accede to this 

 request. 



" With kindest regards, I am 



V^ery truly yours, 



Charles D. Walcott, 

 " Mr. Wilbur Wright. Secretary." 



Dayton, Ohio." 



