The History: Today was warmer and the winds changed direction.

Today the Wrights tested an instrument they designed and built which determines engine and wind speed at the same time. It is an anemometer, stop watch and engine rotation counter which operate simultaneously. They spent this morning calculating the engine's speed, which averaged 1000 revolutions per minute. At that engine speed the propellers would make about 350 revolutions.

They ran the engine six or seven times for 2-3 minutes and realized something was wrong - the propeller shaft had cracked. This was the second time this had happened to the propeller shafts.

The brothers decided not to waste any more time trying to repair these shafts. New shafts out of sturdier materials were needed.

Orville headed to the Kill Devil Life Saving Station and made arrangements for passage to Manteo on Roanoke Island. He would head home to Dayton and oversee the construction of the new propeller shafts.