Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-10-07
THE BIGGEST KITE.
Four Men and a Boy Try to Make it Fly
and Fail.
From The Yeto York SUI.


The United Kite Raising Association Of
Yorkville includes In its membership the
kite enthusiasts ofNew York. They studied
the architectural structure of kites, the
relative strength Of various kinds of
tGine, the stickiness OF different Clues,
and the proper ballast for a tail, until they
became chock full OF kite lore and built
what they assert is the biggest kite In the
world. 1t was so big that there wasn't a
room In 1orkvllle, except perhaps q
church, where it could conveniently be
constructed.
Last week on Wednesday Alexander
Lincoln Brudi, of 216 East Eighty.
street, and Watkins Jones, who lives
three doors nearer Third avenue, got six
teen ards of cloth a yard wide. Part OF
II was red, part was blue. and the rest
was white. II weighed fourteen pounds,
Then they got two long sticks Of yellow
pine an inch and quarter square for
cross sticks, and center stick an inch
aud half square of white pine. These
materials and some tRcks, hammer, fur
longs of Irvine, and pots OF
glue they carted to q vacant lot in
Eighty-seventh street, and began their
work. In two days the mammoth kite
was finished. IL was a beautiful object
with It's broad band Of white down the
middle and pieces OF flaming red and
blue on each side. 1t was 10 feet inches
long and Il feet wide. The wives of the
members of the United Kite Raising AS
ISOLATION tore up their old dresses and
made 400 feet of beautiful rag tail for the
kite. AthOueand feet OF cord as thick as
a small clOthesline. and stout enough to
bear the weight Of all the thin members
or the club, was wound over a broom
haudle bobbin, and was to take the place
Of the cord that boys use when they fly
kites only a yard or so long.
1t takes five men to fly the mammoth
kite, and when it was ready for trial Sun
day all the United Kite Raisers, their
wives and their children went 10 Harry
HIPS place near Flushing to see the kite
soar and to have a good time. The Kite
was taken apart and packed in an express
wagon and Alexander Lincoln Brudi
drove out the precious parcel over the AS
torla road. 1t was deposited in the ball
grounds and Augustus John Hine and
George Schiller helped glue together the
pieces. By noon it was all ready. Au-
gustus John Hine and George Schiller
walked up the side of hill carrying the
kite, and John Reck shouldered the bob
Din OF small clOthesline ready to run
down with it, while Alexander Lincoln
Brudi and Watkins Jones ran along with
him and paid out the rope.
Everybody else perched out of the road,
and John Reck started. AS he ran the
majestic kite began to soar. 1t scared 175
feet high enough TO look across the island
and see the ocean, but 400 feet Of tail was
too much for it, aud, notwithstanding
vigorous coaXing by the female mem bers,
it wavered and then fell. A few score
feet of tail were cut off, and again it tried
to get to the sky. 1t went away up this
time, until the 800 feet of Variegated tail
cleared the ground, but again it failed,
and left John Reck red in the face from
violent exeTtiOn.
Twice 1t was taken out in the road and
tried. Once 1t went fairly well. and
pulled so hard that it lifted Alexander
Lincoln Brudi of his feet. and made him
think how easy it would be to fly. But
the wind wouldn't hold, and it wriggled,
quivered, and fell to the ground. By this
time il was O'Clock, and the biggest kite
in the world was hung up until next
Sunday, and the United Kite Raising
Association of IOrkvilie went home, sure
they had had good time even il the
mammoth kite didn't fly lust right.