The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1893-05-10
THE UNCLE SAM.
Description of the Largest Kite in the
World,


World.
Dudley Hill, Mass, is just the place
for kite-hying; 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 kite-fyer, 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 a half by
two inches tapering to one inch by
three-quarters. The whole frame
weighed thirty 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- it, it looked like an immense spider
web. When not in use it was strapped
under the ewes Of 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 six
corners with canvas; and it took forty
yards of material. A quarter-inch ma
Mia rope was bound into the edge, and
the corners We're 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. hundre.lN 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 swiv-
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 were hooked into
rings on the frame halfway from the
/ top to the hub; then the fiying-cords of
proper length We're fixed, like the
cover, with snaps and rings, and were
snapped together in common iron
ring about one and one-half inches in
diameter, to which the fying-cord was
attached. The fying-cord and the fly
I 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 as the six
men who handled it took their places to
launch the great airship; for had there
not been plenty of scoffers, who doubted
the ability of the wind to raise a fifty.
eight pound kite?
1.-The Uncle Sam" was lifted from its
face by two men at the top walking
down by its edge and seizing the two
lower corners; third man about fiji
teen feet from the face of the kite held
the fying-line. Three other men were
at the reel.
When the word was given, "The
Uncle Sam" rose steadily of its own
accord, and after lowering on the wind
for few seconds, as if in doubt. final
ly took the line as it was paid out and
rose to height of one thousand feet
followed by cheers from the enthusiasts
tic SPECTATORS, old and young.
1t remained in the air for about two
hours. Four men were just able t.
hold it. A large pair of ice-scales were
attached to the line, and it was est
mated that the pulling capacity varied
from one hundred and seventy-five t.
two hundred and fifty pounds.
Another reason for the carrying out
of Uncle Sans ideas for a huge kite
was given by an account in the 'Bos
ton Journal" of a monster kite, clever
feet high, that had been raised al
Salem, Mass. Dudley Hill never haC
witches, but it has kite not surpassed
as yet by Salem. We all knew oul
Uncle Sans could beat the world-ant
they did.-N. Ferguson Conant, in st
Nicholas.
THE COUGH MEDICINE.