Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1893-06-15
THE UNCLE SAM.
A Description of the Largest Kite in the
World.

A Description of the Largest Kite in the
World.
Dudley Hill, Mass, is just the place
for kite-hying; and II 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 nephews 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 10 one inch by
three-quarters The whole frame
weighed thirty-four pounds. was tween.
tv-two feet high, sixteen feet wide and
about seventy feet in circumference.
With its wire and coarse Irvine 20 keep
the cover from bagging and To- strength.
en- il, il looked like an immense spider
web When not ia use il was strapped
under the ewes Of q large barn as nc
barn door was big enough to admit the
huge frame
The cover was made Of uuhleaehed
cotton cloth strengthened IFS the SIX
corners with canvass and it tool, forty
wards of material quarterback ma
nila rope was bound into the edge and
the corners wore provided with small
snaps which fastened into rings on the
ends " the sticks.
The cover alone. when completed,
weighed thirteen pounds.
Coarse hur.ap 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 fonr feet apart
The kite line was wound on a swiv.
eled reel, strongly built and 50 mount.
ed as To turn in any direction, accord
ing 10 the wind
The tlying-riggiug 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 10 tie hub; then the Hying-cords 81
proper cugth were fixed like the
cover with snaps and rings and were
snapped together i'm common iron
ring about one aud one-haf inches in
diameter, To which the fving-vord was
attached The hyiug-cord and the hy.
ing-rigging were of one-quarter inch
manila rope, stout enough to bear a
strain of tive hundred pounds.
on Monday morning, August 81. we
found 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 il and snapped into place.
The excitement increased As the six
men who handled il took their places SC
launch the great airship; for had there
not been plenty Of scotfers. who doubted
the ability Of the wind to raise fifty
eight pound kite?
The Uncle sam" was lifted from f.
face by two men al the top walking
down 10y its edge and Selling the tive
lower corners; a third man about IF.
teen feet from the face OF the kite held
the flying-line. Three other men were
at the reel
When the word was given, The
Uncle sam" rose steadily of lis own
accord. and after lowering on The wind
for few seconds, as il in doubt final.
IL took the line rs i was paid out and
rose to a height OF one thousand feet
followed by cheers from tbs euthusias
tic SPECTATORS, Ola and Young
II remained in the mir for about TIVE
hours Four men were just ablc 4
hold il \ large pair of scales We're
attached t. the line and il was c~ti
mated that the pulling capacity varied
from one hundred ap1 >yyeuty-aye Z
two hundred and hfu pounds
ANOTHER reason for the CARRYING out
q tngle sans ideas far huge kjts
was given 81 un account iu the Bos
Ion journal II a monster kstr. eleven
fegt nigh tlat had been raised n
>alvm Mass Dudley Hin never has
witches, hut Ii has q Kite NOT surpassed
a> vet by Salean We all knew QUA
Incle sans could beat the world ans
they did Ferguson Conant, in Il
Nicholas
THE COUGH MEDICINE.