Wilbur Wright to Octave Chanute

Dayton, August 22, 1901

We left Kitty Hawk at daybreak Tuesday morning and reached home this (Thurs.) morning. It rained four days in succession after you left and then blew straight from the south till our departure. We saw it was a waste of time to attempt to do anything at this season of the year. We may, though this is very doubtful, return for a couple of weeks in October. The last week was without very great results though we proved that our machine does not turn (i.e., circle) toward the lowest wing under all circumstances, a very unlooked for result and one which completely upsets our theories as to the causes which produce the turning to right or left. We made several slow glides, one of 7 seconds with a drop of only 13 ft. in a wind of 12.2 meters per second.

Wilbur Wright's letter to Octave Chanute, August 22, 1901

Chanute's response, August 23, 1901