The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-01-13
TRAVELLING BY RITE.
An English Aeroraut's Unpleasant
Adventure.
The Singular Accident Which Was an
Outcome of a Peculiar Mania
for AeFoaaatics Ia
England.

| 4 Don't forty years age malia set II
| among aeronauss. VINO believed that
carriacss drawn by kites would super
sede railways to a considerable extent
Among those who followed this fascin-
ating study, says Answers, was DR..
Pocock, an uncle of w G. Grace, the
champion cricheter Of England. DR..
Pocock mads many journeys from Bris-
toll TO London IN q little carriage drawn
! by couple Of large kites flying quar-
ter OF mile or 80 IN TIE air, and he
often attained speed Of twenty miles
an hour II was thought, too, that
kites would supersede sails for ships,
AID. in fact. for some time scientific
England went kite mad In order to
thoroughly understand the action OF
these gigantic kites (soEe Of them were
as large as g ships mainsail) a certain in
trepld John Fahrenheit-no relation to
the famous chemist II that nane-maCe
several voyages in a basket, an ordi-
nary wickerworA affair, such as is used
by laundresses, tied to & kite. On one
occasion the kite was started at Rom
ford, in Essex. II was attached TO
pony chaise, which was so constructed
as to be easily steered by means OF han
dies, such as those on old-fashioned tri-
cycles. IN the chaise sat two men, one
a brother of the kite traveller, the other
a gentleman who spent considerable
fortune in experiments of this descrip-
ton. The party waited until suita-
bic day came and at length they arose
one morning at four o'clock with the
pleasing intelligence that half gale
was blowing from the west Every
thing had been in readiness for some
time, and, after a hasty breakfast, the
kite was unrolled. stretched on its gil
gantic 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
were carefully examined, and after con-
siderable maneuvering the enormous
spread of canvas was waited upward,
with its human cargo seated calmly and
nonchalantly ia the BASKET For long
time it looked as though the lnte would
not ascend properly, and the lines fire.
quently hung slack, bat at6:3o the wind
had increased to such an extent that 1t
was thought expedient to pay out"
more line, and the three travellers seated
themselves in the chaise, which began
to move along the main road at brisk
pace. Once in motion the speed in
creased, and the difficulty of steering
the chaise and looking after the guide
ropes was so great that it was thought
expedient to bring the experiment to a
hasty conclusion. This, however, was
easier said than done. AS they passed
q milestone they determined to time
their speed, and found to their surprise
that they had covered mile in $50.
Three miles out of Chelmsford rain be
gan to fall in torrents and violent tugs
were felt at the guide ropes. 1t had
beer previously arranged that they
should form the signal for an imme-
date descent, and, taking advantage of
a somewhat steep incline, when the
rate of progression would naturally be
the brakes were applied.
Fahrenheit was observed making vio-
lent signals with his hands, and the
kite was found to be falling with alarm
ing rapidity. So great, indeed, had the
speed become that it was evident that
Fahrenheits doom was sealed unless |
some immediate effort could be made
to stop the fall Mr.. McLennan and
his two assistants thereupon promptly
determined to take the only possible
step which could save MIN. BY pulling
in the ropes violently the kite would
slightly ascend, and SO, throwing of
their coats, they tugged with might
and main. In five minutes Fahrenheit
was on terra frma. 1t appeared that
the rain had thoroughly soaked the /
canvas and added pounds to the weight /
Of the kite, causing it 10 fall. Had not
prompt measures been taken, there can
be but little doubt that the ponderous |
would have caused the violent
death of the occupant of the basket