The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-05-18
UNCLE SANS AlR-SHIP.
A Description OF the Larges. Kite in Il
World.


A Description OF the Larges. Kite in the
World.
Dudley Hill, Mass, is just the place
for kite-1ying: and it was here, Au-
gust 81, 1891, that ''The Uncle Sam"
was planned and built. 1t was the
result of much studying and calcu-
lation by certain Uncle Sam and his
nephew, and its great size, together
with its beauty, makes it deserving of
more than local reputation.
Uncle Sam, in whose honor it was
named, is an experienced bite-hyer. and
has made kites for two generations of
nephews. Some forty years ago he,
with his two brothers, successfully flew,
at Portland, Me, kite seventeen feet
high; and it had been his, and his Dud-
ley nephew's, ambition to surpass all
previous records of all kites: and after
two jolly weeks of planning and build
ing, their cherished hopes were real
lied.
The frame was made of six ash sticks,
split back about four feet from the CEN
ter and bolted to "a hub six inches thick
and eight inches in diameter. The
sticks were about two and half by
two inches, tapering to one inch by
three-quarters. The whole frame
weighed thirty-four pounds, was TWEEN
ty-two feet high, sixteen feet wide and
about seventy feet in circumference.
With its wire and coarse Irvine to keep
the cover from bagging and to strength
en- II, it looked like an immense spider
web. When not in use it was strapped
uuder the ewes of a large barn. as no
barn door was big enough to admit the
huge frame.
The cover was made of unbleached
cotton cloth, strengthened in the q
corners with canvas: and it took forty
yards of material. A quarterback ma
Mia rope was bound into the edge. and
the corners were provided with small
snaps which fastened into rings on the
ends of the sticks.
The cover alone. when completed
weighed thirteen pounds.
Coarse burlap from cotton bales made
the tail, which was one hundred feet
long and weighed eleven pounds The
burlap was cut in strips twelve inches
wide, sewn together end to end. then
knotted with StreamerS four feet apart.
The kite line was wound on a sxiv-
eled reel. strongly built. and so mount
ed as TO turn in any direction, accord
ing to the wind.
The fying-rigging was constructed
upon certain plans of Uncle Sans
The upper part of the kite was
strengthened by two additional staying
cords. These cords We're hooked into
rings on the frame halfway from the.
top to the hub: then the hying-cor'ds of
proper length were fixed. like the
cover. with snaps and rings. and We're
snapped together in d common iron
ring about one and one-half inches in
diameter, TO which the fying-cord was
attached. The fying-cord and the fiv-
ing-rigging were of one-quarter inch
manila rope, stout enough to bear a
strain of five hundred pounds
on Monday morning. August 81. we
found a strong. steady wind blowing
and. amid much excitement. the cover ,
was laid face downward in one OF the
largest of Dudley pastures. the frame
put upon it and snapped into place
The excitement increased a. the six
men who handled il took their places IN
launch the great a.rShip; for had there
not been plenty of ScofferS who doubted
the ability Of The wind TO use q dfev- .
eight poWd kite
The Z ncle sam was lifted from ir~
face bv two men at the top walking .