Page:NYT - Fatal fall of Wright airship - transcription.djvu/6

 Sent for His Mechanician. Shortly after being removed to the hospital Wright recovered consciousness and sent for Taylor, his mechanician. He was as much at a loss as any one to account for the accident, for he instructed Taylor to examine the chains that transmitted the power from the engine to the propeller shafts. The surgeons would not let him talk to any one but Taylor, and then only a few words were exchanged. Before Taylor arrived, however, Wright smiled up at Major Squier through his bandages. “I'm afraid we won't make dinner with Gen. Crozier to-night, Major,” he said. The two were to have been guests of the officer, who is Chief of Ordnance. Among the witnesses was Charles R. Flint of New York, international representative of the Wright brothers. Mr. Flint came over from New York to-day to see the flight, and was accompanied to Fort Myer by Admiral and Mrs. Brownson. Mr. Flint said to-night that the mishap would not cause the Fort Myer flights to be abandoned. They will be resumed, he said, as soon as Mr. Wright has recovered and the machine is repaired. Several days ago an admirer of the Wright brothers made application to a Washington insurance agent for a life policy in favor of Orville Wright. The agency applied in the regalarregular [sic] way to the home office. To-day the agent received a letter from the officials of the company saying that “we cannot issue a policy in favor of Mr. Wright or any one else in his line of work. We consider the hazard too great at this time, but it is possible that in the future aerial navigation will reach a development which may change this view.”