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M .... 1,.. .1.11 THE SUNDAY STAR, Washington, D. C. SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1053 * A-7 Four Langley Aides Live Here; ¦; ' • One, 84, Won't Ride in Plane There are four men remain- hardly work with them.” Mr. ing in Washington, including Kramer recalled last week.” Dr. Charles G. Abbot, of the “Feel about airplanes then?” Smithsonion Institution, who he echoed. “I didn’t feel any- worked with Prof. Samuel P. thing. It was altogether new.” Langley in his early experiments, “Feel about airplanes now?” three of them who had direct he repeated the question. "I contact with construction of the have no desire to fly. My sister “Langley Aerodrome.” wants me to fly to Texas for the One is 84-year-old Andrew 60th wedding anniversary, but . MnamiJßT I /• Kramer of 305 Longfellow not me. street N.W., who had over 60 “If I die and fly to Heaven, years’ service with the Smith- I’llbe satisfied.” sonian before his retirement as The second man of the Langley an instrument maker only last era is Harry W. Dorsey of 4107 July. Jefferson street, Hyattsville, who Prof. Langley was so intent on retired in 1948 as administrative keeping the weight of his ma- assistant to the secretary. “No- chine down that “some of the body had any notion that the materials were so light you could machine wouldn’t be a success,” 111& \ v.‘ v: '*--. a* he said, “because of his excellent previous experiments.” Another associate was the chief carpenter, Frank H. Cole, an accomplished craftsman of the old school who proudly re- calls working on the hollow ribs which were part of the wings. PLANE AND LAUNCHER—This National Air Museum picture shows the Langley “aero- LANGLEY PLANE CRACKUP—This photograph was taken by a Star photographer as Prof. nj drome” as he called his plane, perched atop the launching gear. The inventor always claimed Langley’s airplane broke up on launching and plunged into the Potomac near the Anacostia W It the launching which failed—not the airplane. This was gear view also is on the Poto- River in December of 1903. It was an exclusive photo then—and is rephotographed here I uri\ mac near what is now Hains Point. from H The Star’s files of the day. ¦..•v.ts ¦. A. .Sk Samuel Langley Was Positive Dewey Orders Fay His Fly ¦t / aK Invention Would Moved to 'Siberia' Em ¦ By Charles J. Yarbrough , “There have, then, been no Dr. Charles G. Abbot. An Intense, bearded man, failures as far as the actual test By th» Associated Press shoulders hunched against a bit- of the flying capacity of the NEW YORK, Oct. 3—Gov. machine it ing November gale, stood on the is concerned, for has Thomas E. Dewey today moved inß Washington Aqueduct Bridge ; never been free in the air at old Joseph Fay in the late 1880s, watching a all.’’ Bitterness, if such it was, labor extortionist common turkey buzzard flaunt is understandable. Prophetic from Sing Sing, where he re- Its lazy aerobatics. was another, more tempered ceived visits by political and To him, the action of a soar- statement: union notables, to Dannemora—- ing bird was mystery, “The world, indeed, would be still a the “Siberia” of the penal but “a subject of continual sur- supine if it does not realise that State’s SI prise that it has attracted so a new possibility has oome to system. little attention from physicists.’' it and that the great universal Clinton Prison In Dannemora In later years, he wrote, “The highway overhead is now soon is 200 miles from New York City writer became so chilled he opened.” and less accessible than Sing moved away, leaving the bird Prof. Langley was one of the Sing, which is just up the Hud- still floating.’’ Nation’s most distinguished men son River from New York, The move took him back to of science when Orville and Wil- Gov. Dewey further opera- directed his office in the Smithsonian bur Wright were obscure that the names of any visitors Institution; to experiments with tors of a Dayton, Ohio, bicycle Fay might have in the Danne- flying machines and to a now- shop. mora prison be transmitted each undeniable role of one of avia- Wrights Sought Advice. week to the Governor’s office. Prof. Langley, sec- tion's early benefactors. To as third The Governor acted Langley’s Legacy. retary of the Smithsonian, came after dis- closure that State Ar- • *• ¦ v*: BB The chilled bird-watcher was requests from the Wright broth- Senator thur H. Wicks, of Kingston, Harry W. Dorsey. Andrew Kramer. Samuel Pierpont Langley. ers for information and advice the acting Lieutenant Governor, and About him, or about his legacy on human mechanical flight. T1 e other top AIDED LANGLEY—AII these men were involved in the con- pioneering, Wrights, long after Republicans including to aviation swirled their success- a former struction of the “Langley Aerodrome” which made history controversy ful flight at Kitty Hawk, cred- State Supreme Court a only reconciled Justice among 50 years ago. ited Prof. Langley for some of were those who called Fay Sing Sing. 4 their early knowledge. At least on at they profited by his errors. Senator Wicks said he visited Safety Talks ing District schools this weekt Yet the controversy which Fay to enlist his aid to prevent Tomorrow—Perry, 9:30 a m. labor strife in Wicks home dis- IT j never should have been, Involved Star School Program Tuesday— Anthony Bowen, ¦ the Wrights. trict, where highway and water 9:30 am. supply projects ; The successful Kitty Hawk were under con- In District Schools Wednesday—Giddings, 10:45 > #lll ' struction. W flight came only nine days after Inspector Dick Mansfield, di- a.m. the last Langley failure. The Fay entered prison in Febru- Thursday Anthony Bowen, ary. rector of The Star’s School Smithsonian head, undoubtedly 1948, to serve a 7 /*1 to 15 9:30 a.m., 10:45 a.m. sickened by his lack of success MUSEUM PIECE—Here is the restored Langley plane as it hangs in the Smithsonian’s Na- year term. He was refused parole Safety Program, will give his Friday—Syphax, 9:30 a.m„ and by ridicule, was unable to j tional Air Museum. With modifications, including a larger engine, it was flown in 1914; last February. safety chalk talks in the follow- 10:45 a.m. make further attempts and to j then returned to its original condition. the Dayton bicycle makers went the rightful honor of being the ' own, carried the that time the ! first to produce and fly a man- Smithsonian's controversy was at aviation, perhaps, is best told in word to Orville Wright, still its height and Orville Wright Your carrying, heavier-than-air ma- another part of the Ames-Tay- Child Can Paint! grieving over the death of his ; was not satisfied. chine. and he protested lor report: The passing years brother, in advanced the Kitty Hawk flight. Sent Plane to Britain. Langley’s 1903 the Wright fame. view of “When machine Dr. Charles D. Walcott, who He sent the famed Kitty Hawk was wrecked in launching, he, Sued Glenn Curtiss. had caused the label change, flyer of 1903 to the British South too, after years of effort, follow- Wrights Some time later the would not retreat. He referred Kensington Museum because of ing a different road, was in sued Glenn H. Curtiss, holder dispute the “hostile and unfair attitude sight of goal. was Samuel P. Langley. the to Dr. Joseph F. the same He of the Nation’s first pilot license, Ames and Admiral David W. | shown toward us by the officials like the prophet of old, who, after for patent infringement. ’ of the Smithsonian.” years in within easy memory of today’s Taylor, former members of the 40 of wandering the The controversy, born of legal National It fell to the lot able, diplo- wilderness, was permitted to youngest adult. Advisory Committee of battles, personal pride, misunder- for matic Dr. Charles G. Abbot, now view the promised land unon There need never have been a sharp Aeronautics. standings and statements, retired, to settle the dispute which he never set foot.” sontroversy. beginning to appear. Report Backs Label. was when he became secretary of the Os the Langley final Fifty years ago this Wednes- The Wright brothers won the In their detailed It was test, The report, they institution. settled—by Star, in its news columns, day, from a flat-topped house- infringement action and Glenn said, “We believe that Lang- the expedient apologizing said the of for was "a complete boat on the Potomac River, Prof. Curtiss appealed the case. In; ley machine of was capable statements by former it failure.” But 1903 officers of editorially, the newspaper said: Langley attempted to put a the meantime what now appears of flight had it been successfully the institution, accepting as man-carrying plane into the air •to be the first mistake leading launched, and it is naturally fact Orville Wright's account of “The public will not be dis- under its own power. Large to the Wright-Smithsonian con- fitting that the Smithsonian changes which in Mr. Wright’s posed to analyze the failure of models—without the man—had troversy, was made. should perpetuate with pride by opinion enabled the Langley the aeroplane very keenly. It flown three-fourths of a mile off The -Smithsonian gave Mr. exhibiting his models and flying plane to fly in 1914, and prom- will regard the general results.” Quantico.