Chapter 6

Their first interest in the art of flying, they date back to about the year 1879, when I brought home to them a Heliocoptere, a toy which could fly. Later on they began to watch Lilienthal, and followed him to his death, in the art of gliding. Their first active work began in the year 1900, when as a vacation, they built a gliding machine on the coast of North Carolina, and each year in the fall of the year, spent a few weeks there till in 1903, they attached a gasoline motor to it and flew, December 17th, four short flights. They flew against the wind and made at the longest only about a half mile, counting the velocity of the wind. In actual measurment considerably less than a half mile. The place of flight was on the sandy plain near Kill Devil Mills, in Dare County, four miles from Kitty Hawk in Cerrituck County. The following two summers and falls, they experimented at Simson's(?) Station (a mere stopping place, on the Dayton and Springfield traction railroad, a perfectly level meadow ground) where they made a few miles flight, but in 1905, September, they flew as much as twenty-four miles, at one flight. They flew no more for part of two years, but began negotiations for the sale of their invention. In 1908, they engaged to a Company in France, to sell their rights, and sold to the United states government a single machine at twenty-five thousand dollars, they in each case, to perform certain exploits with the machine. Time crowding on them to meet engagements, they separated in June 1908, Wilbur going to France, and Orville remaining to complete at Ft. Myer (near Washington) the United States contract. Of Wilbur's scalding his arm in regulating his machine, and his successful trial, before his arm was well, all have read. But Orville having his machine ready at Ft. Myer, went far ahead of Wilbur, but an easily avoided defect in his machine, having under strain caused friction between the propeller of his machine and a wire, and--far worst of all broke the management of the _tail_ of his machine, a most important part--he was on a machine in the air over one hundred feet high, with his control of the machine rendered useless, and after sinking to about seventy-five feet, his machine descended vertically, to the death of Lieutenant Selfridge, two hours later, and a tremendous jolt to himself and the breaking of a thigh bone (left leg, one third way down toward the knee) which confined him in the hospital for several weeks, and from which he will entirely recover. But Wilbur learning of Orvilles disaster, and reproached as far behind him, rose to the situation, and in a few days, was ahead of anything Orville had done, to the great joy of his brother. The rest you know. Wilbur in France and Rome earned his conracts, and came home with Orville and their Sister Katharine, and they were hailed at the depot of his city, with the ringing of bells, the firing of cannon, and by over a thousand people, and the same at home, at the noon hour, and at night more than ten thousand people came out as old friends and neighbors to see them, the most splendid illumination of the street, and decoration of the buildings for three squares, being the order of the occasion. The city brought them on their arrival, home in a train of coaches, thier carriage being drawn with four white horses, in which rode with them their father and two favorite grandchildren, Leontine and Horace Wright.

The boys were natural workmen in wood or metal. Their father's family, their mother's family (and the mother herself) were inventive and ingenius. The father at eighteen years invented a type-writer, having never heard. It is useless to develop inheritance in their invention.

The city (Dayton) has decreed them two days (Jne 17 and 18), on which, besides innumerable ceremonies, they will be given three gold medals; One voted by the nation, one by the State, and another by the City.

Yours truly,

[Signature: Milton Wright]

A. Hildebrandt Hauptmann a.D. Berlin W. 30 Martin-Luther-Straße 10.

Berlin W. 30, den 28. Huni 1909.

Bishop Milton Wright, Esquire, Dayton (Ohio).

Dear Sir,

For the two letters, you had the kindness to send me in last time, be thanked very much. With great interess I am awaiting the pictures, which you advised me of. I shall try now, to discover the native place of Mr. John G. Koerner, the father of the late Madame Wright.

Now still once more many thanks for the pains, you have had!

I am with great estime ever Yours very truly

[Signature: A. Hildebrandt.]

Berliner Lokal-Anzeiger Redaktion. Berlin SW 68, Zimmerstrasse 37-41.

9. Juli 1909

Dear Sir,

I wired to you: "Bishop Wright, Dayton. Book must be stamped. Please send photographs."

The biography of your sons shall be published of possible as book already in 14 days. Therefore I should lik to recives instantly the photographs requested from you. If it were not possible to you to send me all photographs by retourn of mail, please send later the rest, for. I should use the other pictures for german papers.

I thank you for your endeavaurs and hope, shortly to see in Berlin your souns and Mis Katherine.

With best regards yours

[Signature: gez. Captain Hildebrandt]

A. Hildebrandt Hauptmann a.D. Berlin W. 30 Martin-Luther-Straße 10.

Berlin W. 30, den 18. Juli 1909.

Bishop Milton Wright, Esquire, Dayton (Ohio).

Dear Sir!

With many thanks I confirm you the receipt of the two pictures and your letter of the 3rd inst., by which you have made me great pleasure. I shall make use of the pictures as soon as possible.

Thanking you once more for your kindness and being always at your service, I remain, Dear Sir

ever Yours truly

[Signature: A. Hildebrandt.] he receipt of the two pictures and your letter of the 3rd inst., by which you have made me great pleasure. I shall make use of the pictures as soon as possible.

Thanking you once more for your kindness and being always at your service, I remain, Dear Sir

ever Yours truly

[Signature: A. Hildebrandt.]