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Orville
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In
Their Own Words
 rville Wright made
this entry in his diary after the events of December 17, 1903:
When we got up a wind of between 20 and 25 miles
was blowing from the north. We got the machine out early and put out the signal for the
men at the station. Before we were quite ready, John T. Daniels, W. S. Dough, A. D.
Etheridge, W. C. Brinkley of Manteo, and Johnny Moore of Nags Head arrived. After running
the engine and propellers a few minutes to get them in working order, I got on the machine
at 10:35 for the first trial. The wind, according to our anemometers at this time, was
blowing a little over 20 miles (corrected) 27 miles according to the Government anemometer
at Kitty Hawk. On slipping the rope the machine started off increasing in speed to
probably 7 or 8 miles. The machine lifted from the truck just as it was entering on the
fourth rail. Mr. Daniels took a picture just as it left the tracks. I found the control of
the front rudder quite difficult on account of its being balanced too near the center and
thus had a tendency to turn itself when started so that the rudder was turned too far on
one side and then too far on the other. As a result the machine would rise suddenly to
about 10 ft. and then as suddenly, on turning the rudder, dart for the ground. A sudden
dart when out about 100 feet from the end of the tracks ended the flight. Time about 12
seconds (not known exactly as watch was not promptly stopped). The lever for throwing off
the engine was broken, and the skid under the rudder cracked. After repairs, at 20 min.
after 11 o'clock Will made the second trial. The course was about like mine, up and down
but a little longer over the ground though about the same in time. Dist. not measured but
about 175 ft. Wind speed not quite so strong. With the aid of the station men present, we
picked the machine up and carried it back to the starting ways. At about 20 minutes till
12 o'clock I made the third trial. When out about the same distance as Will's, I met with
a strong gust from the left which raised the left wing and sidled the machine off to the
right in a lively manner. I immediately turned the rudder to bring the machine down and
then worked the end control. Much to our surprise, on reaching the ground the left wing
struck first, showing the lateral control of this machine much more effective than on any
of our former ones. At the time of its sidling it had raised to a height of probably 12 to
14 feet. At just 12 o'clock Will started on the fourth and last trip. The machine started
off with its ups and downs as it had before, but by the time he had gone over three or
four hundred feet he had it under much better control, and was traveling on a fairly even
course. It proceeded in this manner till it reached a small hummock out about 800 feet
from the starting ways, when it began its pitching again and suddenly darted into the
ground." The front rudder frame was badly broken up, but the main frame suffered none
at all. The distance over the ground was 852 feet in 59 seconds. The engine turns was
1071, but this included several seconds while on the starting ways and probably about a
half second after landing. The jar of landing had set the watch on machine back so that we
have no exact record for the 1071 turns. Will took a picture of my third flight just
before the gust struck the machine. The machine left the ways successfully at every trial,
and the tail was never caught by the truck as we had feared.
After removing the front rudder, we carried the
machine back to camp. We set the machine down a few feet west of the building, and while
standing about discussing the last flight, a sudden gust of wind struck the machine and
started to turn it over. All rushed to stop it. Will who was near one end ran to the
front, but too late to do any good. Mr. Daniels and myself seized spars at the rear, but
to no purpose. The machine gradually turned over on us. Mr. Daniels, having had no
experience in handling a machine of this kind, hung on to it from the inside, and as a
result was knocked down and turned over and over with it as it went. His escape was
miraculous, as he was in with the engine and chains. The engine legs were all broken off,
the chain guides badly bent, a number of uprights, and nearly all the rear ends of the
ribs were broken. One spar only was broken.
After dinner we went to Kitty Hawk to send off
telegram to M.W. )Milton Wright) While there we called on Capt. and Mrs. Hobbs, Dr. Cogswell and the
station men.
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The original entries in Orville's journal for December
17, 1903.
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