Rio de Janeiro workmen last week were hanging bunting and raising flags; an official reception committee was hiring bands, inviting speakers, preparing lands; the three aviation companies of the city were garnishing their planesall to welcome home this week Alberto Santos-Dumont, whom all good Brazilians claim invented the first flying machine.
Of course, they err. Señor Santos-Dumont was flying dirigibles when Otto Lilienthal in Germany, Percy Pilcher in England, Samuel Pierpont Langley, the Wrights and Octave Chanute in the U. S. were perfecting airplane wings and gliding with them, when the Langley motored plane tried to fly in 1903 and the Wright...
To continue reading:
or
Log-In
