Louis Christman drawings of the 1903 and 1905 Wright Flyers

Updates August 10, 2025 

The following discussion on Louis Christman and the drawings he produced of the 1903 and 1905 Wright Flyers was originally a section within my post "Buyer Beware When Collecting Wright Brother Items". Because the topic was extensive, I've separated this portion into its own post, and will eventually provide additional content. 

Louis Christman sketches of 1903 and 1905 Wright Flyers with Orville Wright notes in red-

While working on the restoration of the 1905 Wright Flyer III in 1947/48, and then following with preparing drawings of the 1903 Kitty Hawk Flyer, Louis Christman made many sketches and hand calculations on the dimensions of the various components of the Flyers. His descendants offered Christman's personal archive of his sketches and notes at auction in 2013 and 2015. These sketches were sold in groups through a reputable auction house. A group of the sketches were then resold individually on E-bay by one of the purchasers. The historical account as provided by the auction house was simply repeated by the E-bay seller. The auction house had the collection examined by an expert,  and the history of the items was as provided to them from the original owner. I believe intentions of all involved was honorable, but this doesn't change the fact that the history was Wrong! (1)

Absolutely, these sketches are genuine sketches by Louis Christman. But are the marks in red on some of these sketches by Orville Wright as claimed in the original auctions and then the reselling of individual sketches? That is the question. Buyers have spent hundreds of dollars believing that they are. The sketches are still of interest and value, but that value should not be based on the belief that notes in red are by Orville Wright.
Consider the following:

• Historical account as stated by seller- 

"You are bidding on an original component drawing of the Wright Flyer made by Louis P. Christman, mathematical notes in red ink by Orville Wright. The mathematical data shown was done when Christman returned to Dayton and conferred with Colonel Edward Deeds and Orville Wright. The original owner relates that these working drawings and notes/calculations were done before final drawings of the reconstruction were produced. As an employee of National Cash Register, with his experience in aircraft and machine design, Louis P. Christman was called upon by prominent engineer and inventor, Colonel Edward Deeds, to undertake the restoration of the 1905 Wright Flyer, which resides at Carillon Park, Dayton, Ohio. Christman was given the opportunity to work closely with Orville Wright in order to produce an accurate set of drawings for the 1903, 1904, and 1905 Wright Flyers. Since no complete drawings were ever produced by Orville and Wilbur during the building and flying of the planes, it was required that Christman travel to Washington, D.C. to the Smithsonian Institution to take measurements and make drawings from the original 1903 Flyer that is displayed there and to discuss these drawings with Orville Wright. Christman worked closely with Orville Wright to produce an accurate set of drawings. In creating plans for the 1903 Flyer, Christman traveled to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. to take measurements and make drawings from the original 1903 Flyer displayed there and later the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia to study, and trace, informal drawings the Wright brothers had done. Back in Dayton, he would discuss these notes with Orville Wright. Continued meetings and conversations between Orville Wright and Christman resulted in a refined set of drawings of the numerous gliders and planes. Christman, under the direction of Deeds, then began the restoration of the 1905 Flyer in 1947, on the grounds of the National Cash Register Co. Final construction and assembly was completed at Carillon Historical Park, where the plane was reassembled and fabric was stretched. The plane in on display there today."

• Conflicts of the above account to the actual historical time line of events-  

Orville Wright died January 30th, 1948.
The Smithsonian Institution did not obtain the 1903 Wright Flyer until October of 1948.
The Franklin Institute Wright Brothers collection was obtained through Orville Wright's will- "Dr. Orville Wright deeded to the Franklin Institute in his will and through the Executor's of his Estate all of his and his brother's, Wilbur Wright's, original wind tunnel apparatus, model airfoils, test data and drawings of their early airplanes..."
Obviously, Christman could not have discussed anything with Orville Wright related to his trips to the Smithsonian or the Franklin Institute, because Orville was no longer living!

• Examination of the calculations and notes in red claimed to be by Orville Wright-

Who performed the analysis of the handwriting to confirm it is in the hand of Orville Wright? I doubt anyone performed this analysis, as the evidence is pretty clear that the same hand  is responsible for both the notes and calculations in pencil, and the notes and calculations in red!

Calculations in red are attributed to Orville Wright, and calculations in pencil are attributed to Louis Christman. But is the handwriting different? Compare the 186.266/360 in pencil above to the 186.2/360 in red below. Do these appear to be written in different hands? Additionally, notice how the 4's in pencil and the 4's in red are closed 4's. Occasionally in pencil and in red there is an open 4. Orville Wright always made his 4's open. Yet, these Christman drawings are covered with closed 4's in red. So how are these mathematical notes in the hand of Orville Wright?

Are we to believe that Louis Christman's (in pencil) and Orville Wright's  numbering (in red) above, is this similar? Do these appear to be written by different hands?

Genuine example of Orville Wright's handwriting. Note the open style 4. All his 4's are open style, even back to his diary from the 1900's at Kitty Hawk. Yet, on the Christman drawings, most of the 4's in red are closed style.

Compare "Left Side" in pencil to "Left Side" in red in two examples above.

Are we to believe that Louis Christman's and Orville Wright's handwriting is this similar?

• Comparison of handwriting in red claimed to be by Orville Wright to actual examples of Orville Wright's handwriting-

What known examples exist of Orville Wright's handwriting that look anything like these marks in red claimed to be by Orville Wright? 
Orville's handwriting remained amazingly consistent throughout his lifetime.  Below is an example from a letter written by Orville in 1909. Take note of the R in Russian, and how the I is written as two examples. Compare these to the I and R in envelopes written by Orville in 1929, 1942, and 1946, and note how consistent his writing style is.

Genuine Orville Wright letter from 1909.

Note the way the "R" appears in Russian, and the "I" in I am. Then compare to the 1929, 1942, and 1946 script below.

Genuine Orville Wright handwriting from 1929 envelope.

Genuine Orville Wright handwriting from 1942 envelope.

Genuine Orville Wright handwriting in 1946. Note the "R" in Rev, and the "I" in Indiana. Very characteristic of Orville's life long handwriting. These characteristics should appear somewhere in the writing in red ink on the Louis Christman drawings, shouldn't they? Compare Orville's R of 1909, 1929, 1942, and 1946 to the R on the Christman sketches below.

"R" from the Christman drawings claimed to be by Orville, has large loop not seen in Orville's handwriting.

Letters in red claimed to be written by Orville Wright on Christman sketches.

Two more examples from Christman drawings, the "R" has large loop in front not characteristic of Orville Wright's handwriting style. Note how the "F" is written in "First". See below for how Orville writes an "F". Do they match?

Genuine Orville Wright handwriting, note the style of the "F" in France and February. Nothing like the backward "F" above in "First" in the Christman drawing example.

    

• In the words of Louis Christman, his own account of the process-   

From transcript provided by University of Dayton, Wright Brothers- Charles F. Kettering Oral History Project, Louis Christman interviewed by Susan Bennet April or May of 1967- (notes in italics are mine)

Susan Bennent (SB)- How long did it take? (reconstruction of 1905 Flyer)
Louis Christman (LC)- Well, it took me about a year and a half.
SB- A year and a half. Why was it, why did it take that long?
LC- Oh, it was a lot of work. You had to do on that. You see, for three months prior to when I went to work there in, I think it was November, last part of October, November, I spent afternoons with Orville Wright talking about the airplane.
SB- What did he say?
LC- Well, he was telling me different things, you see. And what I had read up or when I questioned him, and the odd part of it was that if I was to sit down with a pencil and paper, and take notes, he would clam up.
SB- He wouldn't talk.
LC- So, my job was to pay attention to what he said, and the minute he left, I'd get busy. Now I was working then...
SB- Now, did he have, did he have any blueprints or drawings, or anything?
LC- No.
SB- Well, now when you talk with Mr. Wright, in the afternoon, what would he talk about? I mean what would he say, this plane is going to be, was this long or was....
LC- Just what he said there.
SB- or use what curve or what? I don't. Did he give you any pictures to work from?
LC- No. I got these pictures from NCR.
SB- When, where did you all talk? At his home? Or his laboratory? Or where?
LC- No, at the NCR.
SB- At the NCR; he would come down there.
LC- In an office up there in Mr. Smith's department. Sat back in the back office of Mr. Smith's. And later on, when he came out, to as I was working over there in that frame building he'd come over there in that frame building. Maybe two, three days a week. And I know one time I talked to Colonel Deeds. I said, Colonel, I have an idea and I want your approval. I would like to get a tape recorder concealed and conceal the microphone so that when I talk to Mr. Wright, I get this data. Because I said that I've got an awful job trying to memorize each day as we go along because the minute he gets out of here, I sit down and try to put notes down, and then start working on my drawing. And I said I won't do it. (Perhaps transcript incorrect here- Likely should read "And he said don't do it.") Mr. Wright would never forgive you for going (doing) a trick like that and he'd never forgive me, because I knew Orville. So please don't do it. I didn't.
SB- Well, he would, would he tell the angle fuse or things like that, or what would he talk about?
LC- Oh, different flights...
SB- Oh.
LC- How, how he'd shape. Orville Wright had, he'd had the habit of little notebooks. They were books about that long, about that wide see, carry it in the vest pocket, and that was full of all kinds of notes what they did. And as they went along, they made changes in their plane. If it broke something, smashed up, they had notes in there. Those are now in the Library of Congress in Washington D.C. Now I had permission to go through those papers, through the administrator of Wright Estate, Mr. Buzz Miller.(This was after Orville's death) And I was allowed to go to Washington and under supervision of a guard there....
SB- When, when did you go?
LC- That was in 1948.
SB-Oh, oh, when you, when you were working on this plane, they let you do that.
LC- Late '48.
LC- I had the overall figure from the very tip of that. And Orville Wright looked in a book. He says, no sir, that was three quarters of an inch longer than our figure. I sat there for quite a while, and tried to figure out what he meant......(no mention that Orville marked it in red on a drawing)
Oh, I worked on the (wing curve). I had my drawing too. And I had one of the ribs, ribs downstairs see, and I had it laid out and I made a model and the next time that Orville Wright came out, I showed it to him. He looked it over and he checked my drawings. He asked about one difference. I'll show you how we fixed the end of the wire. And he showed me what it was, where you had to, uppercut strip of the bottom cut strip come in and put a saw slot in there, and that trailing edge wire of the fabric laid in there, see. So I made the thing, he made another one, and showed it to him. He told me, he said, "Oh Louis", he said, "You're going too fast on this job. You got time, you're doing fine here and all this stuff is working out, you just go ahead." And, in fact, just before he died, I had three drawings, and he was out there at the plant with Mr. Hoist (?) (Likely Mr. Beust), Colonel Deeds, and in this room where I was working, at that train building, I told Mr. Wright, I said I'm going to put these out in your car. So next week if you have a chance, just look them over and let me know if I'm on the right track, or words to that effect. I never got those drawings, because Orville Wright died, see, he had that stroke and died. And Miss Beck, his private secretary would not let me have those drawings.
(Many pages later in the interview Christman talks about making sketches of the 1903 Flyer)
LC-.....Now when that plane came back here in 19....., 1949, I think it was when it came back here. (the 1903 flyer was returned in 1948) I went to Washington to get my batter, to make these drawings, in fact, Mr. Geyer and myself were scheduled to go to England to make these drawings of the Kitty Hawk, because so many people wanted to build a model or replica of the airplane, but they got their information from this magazine, or that magazine, everybody seemed to be an authority on it, but nothing was authentic. But then Orville Wright had decided that the plane was to come back here when the United States government gave them the recognition, and so the plane was brought back here, and I made, well just before they set it up. And then when it was set up over there, and I almost killed myself on one visit over there, by getting up on a high ladder and the plane is suspended by four cables and I was leaning against that edge, see? And here I was pushing that plane, and it started swaying.
SB- Oh, Oh.
LC- But I finally, I finally got down, and when I got down I wasn't worth a darn for the rest of the day.
(laughter)
LC- But I got a pair of field glasses, so I could get up in distances, in different elevations, and I'd studied things from that plane, on that plane from I don't know, used my imagination a little, that's just so far, see? And I come back and check my drawings that I had. I had to make a complete set of those drawings.......

Available through the University of Dayton Archival and Special Collections, "Guide to the Wright Brothers- Charles F. Kettering Oral History Project" (Jennifer Brancato, UD, 6-2015), Box 2, Folder 3, Louis Christman.

• Conclusion-

From the above statements of Louis Christman, there is no mention of Orville Wright adding redmarks to drawings or sketches. In lieu of this, Louis describes how he would have to memorize whatever Orville had to share, and write it down after Orville left. Even suggesting to Colonel Deeds that a tape recorder be hidden to record what Orville had to say. Are we really to believe that Orville Wright made many calculations and notes in red ink on Christman's drawings, in a handwriting style identical to Christman's, on sketches made after Orville's death?
A simple comparison of the handwriting in pencil compared to that in red on these documents strongly indicates both are in the same hand in most cases, and are not in the style of Orville Wright.
It is unfortunate that these drawings are now in the hands of many collectors who have been told otherwise.  

Some examples of the Louis Christman sketches from the Author's collection-

 

Of the 250 or so sketches within the archive originally sold, I've obtained a number of the sketches.

 

 

Notes in Louis Christman's hand. He wrote, "Science Museum drawing data to be checked against actual Kitty Hawk Plane in Washington D.C."  Original notes are in graphite, and corrections are made in red. Red graphite or ink was simply used to differentiate between original notes, and later corrections, all in Christman's hand. Orville Wright died prior to the Kitty Hawk plane's return to the United States. 

The Louis Christman sketches, notes, and transmittal's are all really interesting. As these sold individually or in small collections, I followed many of the sales, and digitally saved jpegs of each document. Much that can be gleaned from this archive is lost with the division of all the pieces; but by saving a digital record of much of the archive, perhaps there is still hope. The documents I was able to obtain for my personal collection are related to the restoration of the 1905 Wright Flyer III. I hope to write a post in the future and share what I can. I obtained Christman's correspondence with The Diamond Chain Company, which documents the provision of chains for the 1905 Flyer restoration. I've shared these in my post:

 

The Diamond Chain Company and The Wright Brothers 

The Louis Christman 1903 Kitty Hawk Aeroplane drawings-

After the restoration of the 1905 Wright Flyer III was completed, Louis Christman was tasked to prepare a set of drawings for the Smithsonian of the 1903 Kitty Hawk Aeroplane. With any preparation of manually drafted drawings, there would be a series of mark-ups (working drawings), as each sheet of the set is developed. Prints would be made at various completion stages of each drawing, with those prints then used to back-check work, to add notes and marks to then be drafted as that sheet continues its development. A number of these mark-ups remained with Christman, and eventually became a portion of his estate to then be sold through Cowen's Auctions in 2013 and 2015. Wright State University won the bid for 23 "working drawings" of Christman's 1903 prints for $550 in the Cowen's July 2013 auction, a nice buy at $23.91 a sheet.

Another "working drawing" was included in the sale of a larger archive of Christman sketches sold through Cowen's in 2015. This specific sheet contained half the printed content that eventually became sheet C-2 of the 1950 Smithsonian set. This sheet was sold by the purchaser on E-bay in 2016 for $46. This same sheet is now being offered at auction (August 2025) with a minimum required bid of $5000, and an estimated value given at $10,000 to $20,000. Again, the account is repeated that the hand calculations on the sheet may possibly be by Orville Wright; the same incorrect history repeated from previous sales. The description states, "Christman worked closely with Orville Wright to produce an accurate set of drawings for the 1903 flyer (they even traveled to the Smithsonian to take measurements, and later to the Franklin Institute to view the informal drawings done by the Wrights)."  

 

Orville died January 30, 1948. 

The 1903 Flyer did not return to the United States until November 11, 1948. 

It was formally received by the Smithsonian December 17, 1948. 

Orville Wright did not  travel to the Smithsonian with Louis Christman to view the 1903 Flyer!

 

Copyright 2025-Getting the Story Wright

Related Posts-

Gleaning the History from Wright Brother Checks- Their styles and values.

Value of Historical Items Associated with the Wright Brothers

The 1903 Wright Flyer Fabric and Wood Remnants 

Collecting Historical Items Associated with the Wright Brothers

Collecting Letters of Orville Wright- Their Historical Content and Values

Collecting Letters of Wilbur Wright- Their Historical Content and Values 

 

Collecting First Flight Photos Signed by Orville Wright

 

Collecting Pilot Licenses Signed by Orville Wright   

The Wright Brother 1903 Western Union and Postal Telegraph Telegrams

 

Collecting Orville Wright Estate Magazines, Pamphlets, and Bulletins 

 
Index of Topics 

Notes-

1. The Louis Christman sketches and prints continued to be offered for resale on E-bay by various dealers and collectors, all repeating the same "history" as originally published by the highly respected Auction firm. Major lesson to be learned here- Misinformation does not become truth based on the number of times it is repeated by multiple sources. It remains misinformation.
Wright State University obtained 23 Louis Christman prints in 2013 from the same Auction firm, and unknowingly repeated the incorrect history in their documentation of the collection MS-477. Within MS-477 the paragraph was repeated " Christman, (1893-1972), an employee of National Cash Register, worked closely with Orville Wright to produce an accurate set of drawings. In creating plans for the 1903 Flyer, Christman traveled to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. to take measurements and make drawings from the original 1903 Flyer displayed there and later the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia to study, and trace informal drawings the Wright Brothers had done. Back in Dayton, he would discuss these notes with Orville Wright." 

MS-477 has yet to be corrected, as a search on-line continues to bring up the original wording. When I informed a seller of the incorrect history in his item description of a Louis Christman drawing indicating the incorrect history above, I was told by the seller that WSU indicates the same history on their website, so obviously I must be mistaken. How frustrating this all is!
Just an interesting example of how misinformation can snowball- similar to today's "fake news" events.
By the way, I have had conversations with both the Auction firm and WSU, and both agree that the history as worded was incorrect. Of course Orville Wright could not have been involved in any discussions with Louis Christman in Christman's work associated with the Smithsonian or Franklin Institute archives, as Orville Wright was no longer living at this time.  I assume WSU hasn't made the corrections in the archives simply because it is lost in a long list of items to take care of. And the Auction firm lists thousands of items for sale month by month, and can't possibly follow up on every previous sale and provide corrections. So, we as collectors (and historians), need to do our due diligence.

Katharine Wright, Orville Wright, and the Vilhjalmur Stefansson Wrangel Island Expedition

Katharine Wright to Vilhjalmur Stefansson, March 8, 1924 (1)

"I've always been a dreamer. It is a survival of a part of my childhood. I was always dreaming of what wonderful things Will and Orv would do. That isn't an after-thought, Stef. All my college friends remember how my interest was in Will and Orv, always. When I was home for vacations I was down with them half the days and at night we all staid home together. They fascinated me and I never enjoyed any one else so much. It has always been so, really." (1)

 

Orville Wright, Katharine Wright, and Vilhjalmur Stefansson at Orville's cottage on Lambert Island, 1920. "Stef" age of 40 in this picture. Image courtesy of WSU Special Collections and Archives.

 

Vilhjalmur Stefansson, May, 1928. Image courtesy of Boston Public Library, Digital Commonwealth Massachusetts Collections Online.

 

Orville and Katharine Wright's friendship with the arctic explorer Vilhjalmur Stefansson was put to the test in 1924 related to his involvement with an attempt to claim Wrangel,  a remote island north of Siberia for the British Empire. To lay claim, Stefansson's plan left a landing party of four men and one woman on the island in 1921 with provisions for a year, with the intention then to bring additional provisions in 1922. 

First, a summary of the Wrangel island adventure will be presented in the words of Stefansson, followed then by some letters written by Katharine, first to her friend Harry Haskell, and then to "Stef" himself. Stef had met with Katharine and Orville in February of 1924 to explain his side of the account, and likely did a poor job of it. Perhaps if Katharine and Orville had had the benefit of reading his account in his book "The Adventure of Wrangel Island", (the book not published till 1925), they may have had more confidence and trust in his actions.

Wrangle Island northwest of Alaska, north of Siberia. Image courtesy of Google Earth.

From his book "The Adventure of Wrangel Island" by Vilhjalmur Stefansson, 1925, the explorer tells his side of the story. The following is in Stefansson's words, drawn from chapters 8 & 9 of his book, condensing the account as follows:

The Difficulties of 1922

When pleading with the Canadian Government the spring of 1922 for help (since my money and borrowing power were exhausted) so that a supply ship could be sent to Wrangel, I had made the alternative proposals that they should send in a ship themselves, give us money to send in a ship, or give us a lease of the island which we could sell or otherwise use to raise money for a ship.

While negotiating with the Government I had been negotiating by cable with Nome and found available the schooner Teddy Bear, whose captain, Joe Bernard, I had known since 1910....I made a bargain with Captain Bernard that he would try his best to reach Wrangel Island, receiving a certain sum if he failed, but double that amount if he succeeded. 

One thing I seemed to be unable to make impressive enough at Ottawa was how rapidly the summer was passing and that it was now or never.......I finally appealed for money to a personal friend and secured it on the plea of life and death. I said to him in substance that, while we could assume the safety and comfort of everyone on Wrangel Island on the basis of continued good health and absence of any accident, there were dangers of sickness and accident sufficient to warrant my saying that there was a possibility if not probability that lives might be sacrificed if nothing were done that year. I had not appealed to this friend earlier partly because he was an American citizen and, although I thought of him sympathetic to my plans in every way, I did suppose he would have the feeling that there ought to be enough wealth and public spirit in the British Empire to finance so small and altruistic a British enterprise. This same feeling had prevented me from appealing to any of my other American friends. 

 

Check for $3000 written by the American citizen and friend, to Vilhjalmur Stefansson, August 15, 1922. With these funds, Captain Bernard could set sail August 20, 1922. $3000 in 1922 would be the equivalent of $53,193 in 2024, adjusted for inflation.

 

With American money at last available for carrying supplies to a party of British pioneers, I cabled to Nome, closing the bargain with Captain Bernard. The season was already at its most favorable stage. Knowing this, the Captain made the hastiest preparations and set sail on August 20, 1922. 

A vote of three thousand dollars was given me by the Canadian Government before the Teddy Bear actually sailed, but not in time to affect the sailing date, which had been determined by the help of my American friend. 

The vote was made on the basis of the following....

Statement regarding men now in danger on Wrangel Island- 

"The facts with regard to the Expedition now on Wrangel Island are in the hands of the Prime Minister of the Interior. The men went to Wrangel Island to hold it for the Empire and Canada, and I had no other motive in sending them there. I have spent on this enterprise all my own money and all I can borrow. Our claims to the island are clear and we should hold it. But the four men there have now been isolated for one year; they may be ill for all we know. They were confident, as I was that I could get support to send a ship to them. We could have borrowed the money had we received a lease at the time, but this in now probably too late. A ship can be chartered in Nome to take supplies to Wrangel and to bring out such of the men as want to come out- total cost of charter and supplies about $5000.00. Can the Government advance this money in some way- details of repayment, etc., to be settled later?....."

The season of 1922 proved to be particularly icy in the region north and northwest of Bering Straits....Captain Bernard made a faithful attempt. He followed the edge of the ice westward. Sometimes he ventured a little way out into it and was nearly caught, an event to be carefully guarded against here, although not serious in the arctic north and northwest of Europe.

If you get your ship fast in the ice of the European arctic you drift south into open water and freedom. If you get fast in the ice to the north of Alaska or eastern Siberia you drift with it to the northwest, being inevitably frozen in and carried across the polar ocean unless the ship is broken and sunk.....Had the Teddy Bear been frozen in, it would have meant not only the loss of the ship, but also that she would have been powerless to help the men on Wrangel Island. No one could be better aware of this than Captain Bernard, and so he was wise in running no risk of being caught. He retreated again and again barely in time and followed along westward until he came to where further progress was impossible because the ice touched the Siberian coast. He climbed high headlands in one or more places and saw the ice lying heavily packed twenty or thirty miles out to sea....

On September 23, 1922, Captain Bernard returned to Nome and the Lomen Brothers reported to me by wireless his failure to reach the island....

The Summer of 1923 And The Tragic News

No man in England was in such close touch with what I was trying to do as an old friend, Mr. Griffith Brewer. I had not been saying much to him about my worries lately, for I knew his kindness of heart and feared it would hurt him to have to remind me that he did not have the money needed for sending the necessary relief ship. But the last week of July he came to me and asked outright whether I did not think that the season was getting dangerously late and that it was becoming a matter of life and death to send a ship within a week or so. When I agreed and stated further my doubt that I could get any help from the Government quickly enough, Mr. Brewer said he would pledge his property at a bank and get the necessary money to cable to Alaska immediately as an advance against subscriptions, which he felt sure he could secure if I would authorize him to make a public appeal for funds through the Times. I at once consulted the Editor of the Times, Mr. Geoffrey Dawson. When I found him willing to carry the appeal, Mr. Brewer arranged for borrowing the money, assuming the risk of getting it returned to him if and when the subscriptions came in. The amount he eventually advanced was more than $10,000....

I found that there was available the schooner Donaldson, owned by an old friend, Alexander Allan....Like Captain Bernard the year before, Captain Allan was willing to go for a very reasonable minimum fee in case of failure, with the amount doubled for success. 

September 1st (1923) brought unbelievable news from Wrangel Island. The Donaldson had returned to Nome and reported that Crawford, Galle and Maurer had died on the ice between Wrangel and Siberia and that Knight had died on the island, leaving the Eskimo woman as the only survivor.

 

In 1926, the Soviet Union claimed Wrangel Island, and the island remains under the control of Russia to this day.

 

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Katharine Wright to Harry J. Haskell, February 25, 1924 ( partial of 4 page letter from WSU Special Collections and Archives)

Dear Harry:

....I do not see that anything is a bit different from what it was before Stef came except that there is always a little relief from strain when you talk a thing over. The not pushing relief harder in 1922 seems a little more excusable to me but it leaves me with a deep distrust of Stef's ideas of his obligations. Orv told him that he thought if the families of the young men knew he had six thousand dollars at his disposal and only used twelve hundred of it to try to get a boat up to Wrangell, they would be astonished, to say the least. When Stef told me that he was "glad in a way", when he heard the boat had not got through the ice, because the Canadian government had not yet taken the responsibility of the occupation, I reminded him that he had said to Orv in his letter asking for the money that lives might be at stake. That embarrassed him for the first and only time I have ever seen him embarrassed. 

As for the argument that the boys tried to get to Siberia for other reasons than the necessity of relieving the demand upon the supplies on the island, that is a fanciful argument. It is true that they had planned to go months before but they finally went because they saw there was not food for all if they staid. I think it is true they might have gone anyway and all that but the fact remains they THOUGHT they had to go when they did go. 

I cannot worry over this business any longer. Stef defends everything he has done. From his point of view, which is that his schemes are very important both for his own ambition and for the advance of "science", he is justified in getting his plans through by any method that will get then (sic) through. I do not think his superiority in intellect gives him the right to everything he can get by the strength of his determination and the charm of his personality. His intellect is superior but his judgement and other faculties are not. He evidently honestly thinks he is a special pet of the gods and has some special privileges. Stef is not all bad, by a long way. But as I think over the whole thing, it is not a natural friendship for me. Stef can't possibly enjoy companionship with me. I think he could enjoy Orv thoroughly. When there is nothing to disturb us we three could have a good time together. I could come in on the edge. But Stef's whole life is his ambition and that is absorbing him so completely that it gives the direction to all he does..... All this has finally given me a deep distrust of Stef and I can't reason it away though I have tried. I may be doing him some injustice but I can't see now how Stef can have any reason for being a friend of mine. I am sure he must find me insufferably stupid and we haven't other things in common to make up for that. It is a very great loss to me for, as he expressed it once himself, I had given him an "idealized friendship". I had thought he was something altogether different from what he was. I never in my life so misread anyone. I haven't "got it in" for Stef now. I just see that there is no substance to one of my dreams.

I hope I am through with trying to see my way out of this tangle. There is no way out except to cut the ties and they are very hard to cut. But I am done now with bothering you with it! ..........

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Two days later, Katharine writes the following letter to Stef:

Katharine Wright to Vilhjalmur Stefansson, February 26, 1924 (8 page letter) sent in care of the Athletic Club in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (1)

 

Dear Stef:

I have no addresses- except the one for next Saturday Minneapolis which you gave me in the letter of February 24th from Chicago. I have had none since February 8th except those of last week. 

I do not know what to say. If I acted on what I have learned from experience and observation, to be the best for me, I would be too "busy" to say anything. But because I have talked too much in the past, you will misunderstand me more if I am silent than you can possibly misunderstand what I say. You are always too busy to explain much to me and I don't blame you for that. 

You haven't very much patience with me or with my ideas about anything. I feel that very strongly though it no longer hurts me as it did. I shall not apologize again for what I think. While we may have some views that are extreme, I believe that most people would not consider them more extreme than some of yours.

It was really too bad that by the time I had any chance to talk to you, I was so tired that I said little that I wanted to say and almost nothing as I wanted to say it. I do not feel critical of you- but so eager to believe the best! Some way we got off on the wrong tack and most of what we talked about was of little concern to me. For instance, I do not consider the actual outcome of the Wrangell expedition the main thing. So, as far as you are concerned, it doesn't matter to me whether the boys started for Siberia because they were short of food or because they just wanted to do it. They couldn't make it just as the others couldn't but I don't know why. I could take your view of that as well as any other. What does concern me is whether you fulfilled all your obligations and did your best for them regardless of your own interests. I do not think any one but yourself knows whether you let your ambition to succeed in your undertaking overshadow your concern about anything else. That is the point with me- not the questions of judgement on this or that. I do not undertake to judge you- but that the thoughts ever had to come into my mind is one of the two or three worse things of all.

Then, either you did think that the boys were in some danger if you did not get a ship to them, or you didn't. We both understand from your letter asking for the money to provide the ship that you did think there was some danger. You said you didn't have complete confidence in their judgement. We had very little, if Knight was the main reliance, as we understood he was. After reading your letter, telling what your situation was, in a financial way, we both thought that when you were lecturing as much as you were that year- all spring and summer- if you hadn't saved enough for this emergency which you knew was coming- it wasn't likely that you would ever manage your affairs so you could pay what you said you were owing other people- much less pay us. But we were concerned about those boys and their feelings and we know you would be bitterly criticized, especially by the "gang" that wanted to down you, and we never discussed whether we could or couldn't give the money. It was hard to hear you say in N.Y. that you were rather glad the ship didn't get through! Orv had it written on his books as a loss and we cut off some unnecessary but very pleasant expenses to put the money back into our capital again. But we never regretted any of it as long as we thought it had been spent to try to get a ship to Wrangell. I could do without any thing, almost, gladly, to save you from trouble. I don't mind being thought "stingy"- as people are thought to be sometimes when they like to spend money as much as any one but like even more to have the money for things not known to those who are criticizing. 

But to find out over a year later, in an unexpected way- not from you at all- that our money hadn't gone for what we thought and that what the Canadian government gave was more than enough for the ship- and Griff had thrown over a thousand more of ours into the mess of unmanaged affairs! The latter was exasperating but the former gave a blow to my supreme confidence in you that I can't get over no matter how hard I try to see the affair from your point of view.

And your "point of view" is what I do try to get. You don't know and I can't tell you how much I would give if I could see some things as you do and if you could see some things as I do. Won't you please think back over our five years of friendship and see if you can recall ever having said you might be wrong about anything. I have been foolish to take the attitude of always being wrong. I never do quite-as well on anything as I ought and I can see it so clearly that I am always quick to think I am to blame for everything. But I haven't done one thing to bring in all this trouble and I have tried so hard to be loyal. I don't know whether you care much about my part. I doesn't matter, really. I have done only what I wanted to do. But now I must quit worrying about it, and get it out of my mind. I spend hours over what probably gets only a moment's thought from you now and then. I must stop it. 

I wanted you to have a good time when you were here and I did my best- which was poor enough. (But oh- Stef- what an awful thing to find my "shining palace" built upon the sand! It was an impossible thing and you aren't to blame for all my vagaries.) I was sorry that the tears got so near the surface for I did not want to make you uncomfortable. Some day I shall sit down and cry! But that will be only when I can't do anything else. Orv's distress was harder to bear than my own- much. He is very very dear to me and I know what every look means. Will both be all right in no time!

I shall appreciate and like any book that comes from Rikes. Many thanks for the kind thoughts. - I didn't, after all, think to ask you about the price of the specially bound "Friendly Arctic" when you were here. You must tell me, please. It was awfully nice of you to take so much trouble for me. For every lovely thing you have ever done for me, I am so grateful- the new interests and new friends Mr. Akeley's elephants- all the books- the gentle consideration when I did not deserve it- the dear letter that was the best comfort in the world just when I needed comfort- the lovely day in New York when we went to the Museum and you gave me the Ingoldsby Legends and we had dinner with Ridgely Torrence and Mr. Spinden and wound up with that awful evening at the Engineer's Club when Orv got the John Fritz Medal. And I have appreciated more than I could ever tell any body everything you have done for Orv. I have only begun to name over the things that are in my memory- memories that really "bless and heal". I have been incredibly stupid and clumsy. Stef- and I know it- so well. Please remember the little bit of "best" in me. I wanted to be something quite- different for what I have been. Good bye-

Katharine

There are lots of things I would love to talk to you about but I am not presumptuous enough to imagine I could contribute- any thing in the way of ideas and so I am in the dark and can't see ahead.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Not receiving a response to her letter sent February 26, Katharine writes another letter to Stef, finding that those ties, (as shared with Harry Haskell- "I hope I am through with trying to see my way out of this tangle. There is no way out except to cut the ties and they are very hard to cut.")- are indeed hard to cut.

Katharine Wright to Vilhjalmur Stefansson, March 8, 1924 (partial of 10 page letter) (1)

Dear Stef:

I have not heard from you since I sent a letter to the Athletic Club, Minneapolis but I want to write to you. 

Please, Stef, remember that I have idealized you and idolized you- and do still. Please remember also that I have been attached to you in an unusual way- for me- and am yet.

I shall be able to keep my "idealized friendship" with you and without making too much demand upon you. Do you remember that you and Harry were speaking for a few moments about plays and that you talked about Jane Cowl in Romeo and Juliet? For one second, it gave me a little stab that you didn't recall seeing that with me but only for a moment. When I had time to think about it I realized how I have been learning to make a little pile of the things I want but can't have- and still can't not want!- and I have really been trying to use my "cheerfullest" philosophy on doing without them. We all have these things I suppose. And I have really made a gain on that. I see so clearly, Stef- why you can't possibly remember any particular thing you have ever done with me. That doesn't keep me from wishing you would sometimes think of me in connection with this or that. I believe that is just "human nature". At least it is my human nature, with my particular friends! But there isn't going to be any more feeling hurt over what I can't possibly have, ever. I'll just cheerfully put that wish away- and not feel the least bit "abused" either. I don't want to get over wishing for some of these things I can't have. Isn't that just the contradiction of human nature? Some of the very best and most precious things I've got are those I can't have, "if you can see what I mean" as Ray Roberts, the Washington correspondent of the K. C. Star is always saying....

I've always been a dreamer. It is a survival of a part of my childhood. I was always dreaming of what wonderful things Will and Orv would do. That isn't an after-thought, Stef. All my college friends remember how my interest was in Will and Orv, always. When I was home for vacations I was down with them half the days and at night we all staid home together. They fascinated me and I never enjoyed any one else so much. It has always been so, really. 

You are the only other person in the world that ever appealed to me in that way, Stef. Some way I began fitting you right into all my interests in a good deal the same way that I did with my brothers. I don't know now why I couldn't see that it couldn't be done- that there were two sides to it, yours as well as mine. At first I imagined that you felt as I did about it, when I saw you and Orv together especially...... 

 

Copyright 2024- Getting The Story Wright 

Notes-

1. Letter from Author's collection.

 

The 1913 Dayton, Ohio Flood- As told by Bishop Milton Wright

This post supplements my earlier post "The 1913 Dayton Flood, and the Wright Family". I've utilized two articles written by Milton Wright in April of 1913 as published in The Christian Conservator, and have also included some outtakes from an April 1913 letter Milton wrote to his Grand Niece Grace Frazier concerning the flood. 

Orville and his sister Katharine had returned to the Wright Hawthorn home March 19th, having been in Europe and specifically Germany since February 12th on business. Orville would later write "Katharine and I reached home just in time to enjoy the flood! (1)

Their father Milton recorded the following in his diary entries:

Wednesday, March 19, 1913 "A nice, bright morning, and nice all day. Orville and Katharine return home from Europe at 12:15. Lorin and Netta & Horace dine with us. Mr. Crane after dinner took Katharine and me out to see the new house in Oakwood."

Thursday, March 20, 1913 "It is a very nice day, but somewhat windy. I walked by Lorin's old house in forenoon, and around his first Residence in the afternoon. Horace dined with us...."

Saturday, March 22, 1913 "Fair, cold morning. Ther. 26 degrees above. Fair day warms up. I go to Oakwood. The second story of the new house is two-thirds up."

  

Sunday, March 23, 1913 "It rains this forenoon. Horace came in afternoon; and they go to look at the new House. He writes a letter."

Monday, March 24, 1913 "I apprehended a flood. Felt the danger of it."

Milton Wright account- April 1, 1913 (2)

"On Tuesday, March 25, Dayton, Ohio experienced the greatest flood ever known since its first settlement one hundred and seventeen years ago. It had rained several days before, and had left some apprehension of an unusual rise in the waters. But, on the morning of the 25th, the waters began to pour upon places, hitherto never covered by the waters. It swept over a large part of the business and residential part of the city."

Panoramic formed by author by joining two postcard views, West 2nd Street looking east toward Main Street, during the March 1913 flood. 25/23 West 2nd, the building with the 2nd floor railing, sandwiched between The European Inn to the west, and Rike-Kumler to the east, was the location of the Wright Cycle Shop on 1895. Frank Beh "Artistic Picture Frame Maker and Gilder" can be seen located at 25 West 2nd. The Wright Cycle Shop was at 23 West 2nd. These buildings no longer stand, now location of the Benjamin & Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center. Click on image for larger view.

1913 view of West 2nd Street looking east toward Main street, Rike-Kumler and former 1895 Wright Cycle Shop location to west- After the waters receded, and cleanup began.

"It invaded thousands of homes, and interrupted and destroyed the business of nearly the whole city. There was considerable loss of life, but small compared with the estimate of many imaginative persons. Many estimated a loss of several thousand people out of a population of more than one hundred and twenty thousand. There were a few hundred drowned, perhaps not exceeding two or three hundred. The business loss will be many millions of dollars."

 

March 1913 flood view of Main Street, Dayton, Ohio, looking north to the United Brethren Publishing House (furthest north), former office location of Milton Wright when editor of The Religious Telescope during the years 1869-1877. Note the business with "Forced to Vacate" sign, who apparently was not having a good year even prior to the flood. (3)

Basement level of UB building as arranged in 1893 floor plan. As with all buildings in downtown Dayton, the entire level would have been under water in March 1913 flood. (4)

 

 

First floor level of UB building as arranged in 1893 floor plan. Entire floor level would have also been under water, destroying books and other inventory at this level. (4)

"After the rapid rise of the waters began, no one had time to save anything valuable- even valuable papers in the first story of the houses, and, in some cases, in the second stories. Jeweler's rich outfits were heaped on the floors of their shops; the richest goods were soaked on the shelves of the stores. Pianos and pianolas were ruined. Household furniture was soaked for over three days; and glued furniture crumbled to pieces. Many Bibles, and other records and books were soaked to ruin. But little escaped injury. A sediment of perhaps two inches was left on the floors and on the ground. It is very hard to remove it. Walls of dwellings need to be cleansed and papered anew. There is some danger that pestilence may follow."

 

West Dayton, Bank Street (close to the Great Miami River), a number of blocks east of the Hawthorn Street home of the Wright Brothers. Note the woman holding the shovel to remove the mud from the residence, apparently oblivious to the danger of the likely structural damage to the home due to all the overhead flood debris.

"The city was declared under martial law, and companies of militia and regular soldiers patrolled the streets. A curfew was established and all required to leave the streets before six o'clock in the evening, nor to be on it till five o'clock in the morning. These have prevented much looting."

 

Fire damage in downtown Dayton Ohio, martial law declared. Courtesy of Library of Congress. Photo was published front page of April 19, 1913 Dayton Daily News, stating "Third Street looking west from a point just east of St. Clair, showing the ruin wrought by the fire that for a time threatened the complete destruction of the central portion of Dayton."

"The railroads, the telegraph and telephone companies were stopped. Nearly everything came to a standstill. The post office was rendered inoperative. Natural and artificial gas was shut off. 

Many horses were drowned, and dogs and cats and chickens were largely destroyed. "

 

 

Horse swimming for its life at right center in front of J. M Jackson Dry Cleaning. The father of Edwin and Beatrice Sines' nephew John Jackson, James M. Jackson, founded J. M. Jackson, Chemical Dry Cleaning and Dyeing business in 1911. The new business was located across from the Beckel Hotel at 24 North Jefferson Street. Ed Sines was a life long friend of the Wright Family.

"The waters arose from six to ten feet higher than ever before. The waters flowed in a swift current down streets which had never been flooded before. Where I was we had no communication with our neighbors for two days. The corpse of a little girl floated down to the dooryard of our nearest neighbor to our north, and he (Daniel Snyder) waded and brought it into his house. The next morning after the flood, while I was at his house looking at it, it's father came in and sorrowing bore it away. While there a neighbor came by, saw me, and immediately reported me to my son Orville, who came after me at once. The children had seen me go away in a canoe, they knew not where, before they escaped. They advertised for me but could not find me for two days. I was at William Hartzell's, not more than three squares from my home, treated with the greatest kindness and Christian consideration by Mr. Hartzell and his family. They were Evangelical Lutherans. They divided their scanty fare with Mrs. Wagner and myself, like true Christians, (in the flood all fare was scanty). I never knew a nobler Christian man. His son Russel had the canoe which brought me to the safest place possible."

1897 Sanborn maps combined by author (click on image for larger view). Milton Wright's home at 7 Hawthorn at yellow star, upper left. Hartzell home at 259 South Williams where Milton was taken by boat during the flood is indicated with yellow star, lower left (shown as empty lot as the home had not been built prior to 1897). Yellow star to the right marks 144 South Sprague, home of 3 year old Catherine Washburn, the little girl drowned in the flood and washed toward South Williams. Catherine's father Thomas, was a salesman for a milk company, 34 years old; his wife Emma 33. The couple had just celebrated their daughter's third birthday earlier that month.

 

"Released from the flood, I dined with Orville and Katharine, and was taken to my son's Lorin's, in Dayton View. He had just before removed from his former home in the flooded district, to a beautiful home, above high-water mark. Here I am resting in his beautiful home and with his delightful family."

Shaded area represents flood extent. Lorin Wright and family had moved from their home at 1243 West Second Street to 331 Grafton Avenue just one week prior to the March 1913 Dayton flood. The map above indicates the location of Lorin's home at Second Street by the 1243 arrow. His home at 331 Grafton (north center) was well out of the flood zone. The blue star (C) marks the location of the Wright Cycle Shop. The black star (7) marks the location of the Wright home on Hawthorn. The black star (259) marks the location of the Hartzell home where Milton Wright was taken by boat as the area flooded.

 

"The flood is a rebuke to a proud city and proud people. They hardly know that there is a God. Even good people here are largely swallowed up with the lying spirit of the times. Some now will think."

Milton Wright account- April 14, 1913 (5)

"Imagine a city of 125,000 people with two thirds of it covered by a swift flowing river for two days and nights, and you have Dayton, in the flood......"

Portion of four page letter written by Milton Wright to his grand niece Grace Frazier, April 14, 1913, from Author's collection.

 

Hawthorn Street during the March 1913 flood, looking south from 4th street. To the left is 4 Hawthorn, home of Newton Haywood, and the roof and porch of 6 Hawthorn can be seen beyond. To the right, 1 Hawthorn, then the Wright's home of 7 Hawthorn with porch, then 11 Hawthorn. The side of 15 Hawthorn is visible, and 19 and 23 Hawthorn blend in with the trees and six feet of water. Photo courtesy of Special Collections and Archives, Wright State University.

 

"Orville's loss was about 1000 dollars about our house, a thousand in his new business house and its business, and a thousand on his automobile which was water soaked and injured, but is repaired and in use again. He was a light loser in proportion......"

 

Orville's "business house", The Boyd Building, as it appeared in 1915 as pictured in The Journal Herald, May 18, 1915 issue, NW corner of West Third Street and North Broadway. Orville's Lab had yet to be constructed. The Mecca Theater can be seen immediately west of the Boyd Building, constructed in 1914.

 

"We had three fires during the flood. The largest was on E. Third Street. It burned a Presbyterian Church. Another was just west of Orville's office, with his valuable papers, which escaped the fire......"

 

Flood and fire damage at West Third and Broadway, just west and opposite side of street from location of 1127 Wright Cycle Shop. Orville's Boyd building was at the northwest corner of West Third and Broadway, completed just months before the 1913 flood.

 

Milton Wright account- April 18, 1913 (6)

"Two-thirds of Dayton, at least, passed under the flood. It was the greatest flood in the history of the city. In my former article I understated its intensity. The depth of water was greater than I stated, and the sediment much greater. To say that the sediment was four inches deep is to state the situation lightly."

 

 

"Over three weeks have passed and yet the many thousands of homes and shops and business houses are not nearly restored to their former condition."

 

"The military government has slackened but is still continued."

 

 

"Some of the public utilities of the city have partially resumed operation. This is true of the telegraphic and telephonic operations. There is yet but one line of electric cars that has fully resumed its former activities. Many of our people were till to-day shut off from natural gas, upon which they had hitherto depended for heating and culinary purposes. The post office and railroad communications were restricted rather than suppressed. A month will hardly restore complete operation of our public utilities.

Nearly all our public operations were either restricted or suppressed. Our public library lost many books and came to a stand-still. Most of our churches lost largely and await repairs. Our schools were all stopped and only some have resumed operation. The dry goods and groceries and drug stores were great losers, and are only gradually resuming their business. 

It is useless to estimate the damage of this great flood. An estimate of from fifty to one hundred millions of dollars is not an extravagant amount for the damage done. The loss of life had probably been less than two hundred. There are not over a hundred persons now known to have drowned. 

By dredging deeper and making wider channels for our rivers, a flood as great as that just experienced could be rendered harmless. To form some more reservoirs up our rivers, if practicable, would greatly limit a flood. The bulkheads should be opened in those reservoirs, except in very high waters. Not any of our reservoirs did actually break, as has been reported that they did break. A system of reservoirs, wisely managed, would be a great relief in time of such a flood. They could also be made of great utility in dry times for water power and for irrigation."

From front page of April 10, 1913 issue of The Dayton Daily News, Author's copy.

 

"I lost but a trifle by the flood. My children did not lose heavily in proportion. One entirely escaped loss. Already we had planned to be above high water mark. The Wright company factory is above the flood. Our home had been heretofore above the high waters, but I had been for months apprehensive of a greater flood. It came six months before our removal to higher grounds. All things are providential. But people especially term that unexpected and peculiarly remarkable, as providential. According to this last definition my escape from the flood was providential, and the acquiring of a place to go, was not less providential. This is written April 18 and I have to-day gone back to my home."

 

Milton Wright- "I regard every thing as Providential. There is a providence that rules in the world and the universe, sets up what He will, and tears down all He will. It is in every thing. This includes human effort. This effort is free under His guidance. He rewards and punishes at His pleasure, with the most exact justice and grace. We could not run His kingdom and dispense His grace. I have been from childhood convinced of His wisdom power and benevolence. Generally punishment is of His benevolence and mercy. If we could sit beside Him we should see all of His benevolence, and therefore His glory. There is no benevolence and grace any where but in Him and His doings. It is in God the Father, Jesus His Son and through His Spirit......" (7)

 

Copyright 2024- Getting the Story Wright

Related post- The 1913 Dayton Flood, and the Wright Family

Notes:

1. Letter from Orville Wright to Mr. J. M. Erwin, Paris, France, July 31, 1913.

2. The Dayton Flood, Bishop Milton Wright D. D. Written April 1, 1913 and published in the April 16, 1913 issue of The Christian Conservator, Vol XXVIII, No. 38.

3. Cabinet photo of UB Publishing House from Author's collection.

4. Floor plan as published in Manual of the United Brethren Publishing House Historical and Descriptive, author's copy.

5. Milton Wright to Grand Niece Grace Frazier, April 14, 1913, Author's collection.

6. After the Dayton Flood, Bishop Milton Wright, D. D. Written April 18, 1913 and published in the April 30, 1913 issue of The Christian Conservator, Vol. XXVIII, No. 39.

7. From portion of letter from Milton Wright to Grand Niece Grace Frazier, June 9, 1910, Author's collection.