The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-11-23
AN AERIAL VOYAGE.
A Daring Englishman Who Was Car
ried Away by a Kite.


About forty years ago mania set in
among aeronauts. who believed that car
riages drawn by kites would supersede rail-
ways to a considerable extent. Among
those who followed this fascinating study
was DR.. Pocock, an uncle OF w. G. Grace
the champion cricketer of England. Dr.
Pocock made many journeys from Bristol to
London in a little carriage drawn by a
couple of large kites flying quarter of a
mile or so in the air, and he often attained
a speed of fully twenty miles an hour. Ii
was thought, too. that kites would SUPER
sede sails for ships, and, in fact for some
time scientific England went kite mad. In
order TO thoroughly understand the action
of these gigantic kites some of them were
as large as a ships mainsaiD certain
intrepid John FahreIheit-no reIa ton to
the famous chemist of that name-made
several voyages in basket, an ordinary
wickerwork affair, such as is used by laun-
dresses, tied 10 kite. On one occasion the~
kite was started at Romford, in Essex 1t
was attached 10 pony chaise, which was so
constructed as to be easily steered by means
Of handles, such Is those on 0ld-fashioned
trlcycles. In the chaise sat two men, one
brother of the kite traveller, the other gem
tleman who spent considerable fortune in
experiments of this description. The party
waited until suitable day came and at
length they arose one morning at O'Clock
gale was blowing from the west Every
thing had been in readiness for some time
and, after hasty breakfast, the kite was
unrolled, stretched on its gigantic bamboo
frame and held In the roadway by a couple
OF laborers.
Fahrenheit seated himself in the basket.
The three stout lines with which the kite
was held and controlled wers carefully ex-
amined, and after considerable maneuYring
the enormous spread OF canvas was waited
upward, with its human cargo seated calmly
anu nonchalantly in the basket. For a long
time II looked as though the kite would not
ascend properly, and the lines frequently
hung slack, but at $50 the wind had in
creased to such an extent that il was thought
eXpedient to pay OUT more line, and the
three travellers seated themselves in the
chaisP, which began TO move along the
main road al a brisk pace. Once in motion
the speed increased, and the difficulty of
steering the chalSe and looking after the
guide ropes was so great that it was thought
exDedlentt0 bring the experiment to a hasty
conclusion. This. however, was easier said
tnan done. As they passed a milestone
thew determined TO time their spe ed, and
found to their surprise that they had COW
cred mile in $50.
Three miles out of Chelms tord rain began
TO fall IN torrents and violent tugs were
felt at the. guide ropes. IL had been pre-
vlOnsly arranged that they should form
the signal for al immediate descent, and
taking advantage OF a somewhat steep in-
cline, when the rate of progression would
naturally be diminished, the brakes were
applied. Fahrenheit was observed max
ing violent signals with his hands, and
the kite was found to be falling with alarm
ing rapidlty. So great, indeed, had the
speed become that ii was evident that
FahIenheit's doom was sealed unless some
immediate effort could be made to stop the
kite Mr.. McLennan and his two assistants
thereupOn promptly determined to take
the only possible step which could save him.
By pulling in the ropes violently the kite
would slightly ascend, and so, throwing off
their coats, they tugEed with NJ ght and main.
In five minutes Fahrenheit was on terra
hrma- Ii appeared that the rain had thor
oughly soaked the canvas and added pounds
70 the weight of the kite, causing it to fall.
Had not prompt measures been taken there
can be but little doubt that the ponderous
machine would have caused the violent
death of the occupant of the basket.