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SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXXI. No. 792 



It made a beautiful flight of about 3,000 

 feet, considerably ovei- half a mile. It was 

 indeed a most inspiring spectacle to see a 

 steam engine in the air flying with wings 

 like a bird. The equilibrium seemed to be 

 perfect, although no man was on board to 

 control and guide the machine. 



I witnessed two flights of this aerodrome 

 on the same day, and came to the conclu- 

 sion that the possibility of aerial flight by 

 heavier-than-air machines had been fully 

 demonstrated. The world took the same 

 view; and the progress of practical aero- 

 dromies was immensely stimulated by the 

 experiments. 



Langley afterwards constructed a num- 

 ber of other aerodrome models which were 

 flown with equal success, and he then felt 

 that he had brought his researches to a 

 conclusion, and desired to leave to others 

 the task of bringing the experiments to the 

 man-carrying stage. 



Later, however, encouraged by the ap- 

 preciation of the War Department, which 

 recognized in the Langley aerodrome a 

 possible new engine of war, and stimulated 

 by an appropriation of $50,000, he con- 

 structed a full-sized aerodrome to carry a 

 man. 



Two attempts were made, with Mr. 

 Charles Manley on board as aviator, to 

 shoot the machine into the air from the 

 top of a house-boat; but on each occasion 

 the machine caught on the launching ways, 

 and was precipitated into the water. The 

 public, not knowing the nature of the 

 defect which prevented the aerodrome from 

 taking the air, received the impression that 

 the machine itself was a failure and could 

 not fly. 



This conclusion was not warranted by 

 the facts; and to me, and to others who 

 have examined the apparatus, it seems to 

 be a perfectly good flying machine— excel- 

 lently constructed, and the fruit of years 



of labor. It was simply never launched 

 into the air, and so has never had the op- 

 portunity of showing what it could do. 

 AVho can say what a third trial might have 

 demonstrated. The general ridicule, how- 

 ever, with which the first two failures were 

 received prevented any further appropria- 

 tion of money to give it another trial. 



CONCLUSION 



Langley never recovered from his disap- 

 pointment. He was humiliated by the 

 ridicule with which his efforts had been 

 received; and had, shortly afterwards, a 

 stroke of paralysis. Within a few months 

 a second stroke came, and deprived him of 

 life. 



He had some consolation, however, at the 

 end. Upon his death-bed he received the 

 resolution of the newly formed "Aero Club 

 of America," conveying the sympathy of 

 the members, and their high appreciation 

 of his work. 



Langley 's faith never wavered, but he 

 never saw a man-carrying aerodrome in 

 the air. 



His greatest achievements in practical 

 aerodromies consisted in the successful con- 

 struction of power-driven models which 

 actually flew. With their construction he 

 thought that he had finished his work ; and, 

 in 1901, in announcing the supposed con- 

 elusion of his labors he said: 



I have brought to a close the portion of the 

 work which seemed to be specially mine — the 

 demonstration of the practicability of mechanical 

 flight— and for the next stage, which is the com- 

 mercial and practical development of the idea, it 

 is probable that the world may look to others. 



He was right, and the others have ap- 

 peared. The aerodrome has reached the 

 commercial and practical stage; and chief 

 among those who are developing this field 

 are the brothers Wilbur and Orville 

 Wright. They are eminently deserving of 



