Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-06-25
MALAY KITES Fly AMUCk.
esea TO Determine the Force of Cur.
rents I'm High Attitudes.

William A. Eddy of Bergen Point. n 4
mas been conducting some experiments with
Malay tandem tsilless kites recently. which
are iun or interest as showing the trend
OF the times, says the New York Herald
his experiments. he says. have been con-
Quoted under the auspices Of the Smith
sonian Institution. 49,,
That the object Of his observations IS In
obtain greater knowledge Of the directxe
ana force Of the currents of the air at n
high altitude is admitted by Mr.. EDDY. ara
II is not denied that the work is being done
IN the hope that 1t may result in the ac-
QUESTION OF valuable knowledge Of the pro-
generally
Anything la the line Of solving the prob
lem OF aerial navigation is Of great mo-
ment TO the whole civilized world. which
realizes the great possibilities of the futnra
in this direction and Mr. Eai,ss axner,-
ments at Bergen Point, while not elaborate
In themselves. have been watched with mora
man ordinary attention by those cognizant
OF the work In hand
Mr.. Eddy. in his experiments. has baen
using tailless kites. because experience has
shown that tandem kites. or several Kites
with tails attached TO the same line, cannot
be managed successfully as their tails are
sure TO become entangled.
Malay Kites Run Amuck.
bAEODne
OF being the only man in the city who can
fly a tailless Malay kite. Others have tried
IL and have only made themselves rtd,c,,-
lous. while the kites refused TO mount
higher than the top Of an ordinary lamp
pest.
The experiments being conducted by Mr.
Eddy had been eminently successful up 10
Saturday night when an accident occurred
which resulted in an array Of runaway
w hoo hA .,xS
has always been cal ful TO test the string by
which he flew his kites before trusting his
aerial messengers TO the tender mercies
OF the currents OF air prevailing in the upper
He has also been assisted in his expert.
ments by Mr.. Frank Lawton and Mr.. c b.
Daniels OF Bergen Point and a mechanical
engineer from New York. During his first
experiments he was able to attain an alti-
t9de by means OF his kites Of some four
thousand feet.
While pursuing his investigations on Sat-
urday evening about 9 clock he had releas-
ed line OF kites the topmost Of which had
attained an altitude OF some four thousand
feet. when the lowest kite caught in a
tree while the highest was flying with
great velocity across the XIII won Kull. q
quarter of a mile away.
The kite which caught In a tree was on
the New Jersey side Of the stretch OF
water, and its light branch string failed to
sustain the strain to which II was put
although tested to bear a weight of twenty
six pounds As a result the seven other kites
to which IL was attached broke away and
Island
In the course Of their flight one kite
dropped into the water OF the XIII Won
kull and the remaining six kept on un-
residence Of Mr.. Whitley. on Richmond
Terrace. s. l., about a quarter OF a mile
west Of Sailors Snug Harbor. and twa
miles from the point at which the kites
were originally held. The end Of the main
kite line became fastened by accident
whereupon the kites. which had been going
down. owing to their rapid flight before the
wind from the northwest, came up high In
the air again and new from their new hold
ing point as well ever.
Has Sixty Taflless Flyers.
BY means OF stone attached to a string
the main line leading up TO the six kites
was recovered. and the kites all hauled
down. They were carried back TO Bergen
Point ferry. across which the searching
party had gone with little hope OF recover
ing the kites. About fifteen thousand feet
OF line was also recovered. This accident
occurred during the preliminary expert.
ment leading to an attempt to reach 10 600
feet OF altitude by means OF silk cord. AZ
the suggestion of Prof. s. p. Langley
1t Is proposed to raise self-recording me-
neurological Instruments to a great height
by means Of thirty special kites, from two
to six feet In diameter. The kites which
were OF the dimensions mentioned. large
crowd witnessed the descent OF the kites
and the recovery OF the lines by which they
were attached.
Mr.. Eddy is not at all discouraged by his
misadventure OF Saturday evening, and
proposes to continue his experiments with
every hope Of solving the problem which
he has undertaken. and which he believes
Will have an important bearing on the
aerial navigation Of the future.
Henry Gains. colored. was lynched neay