Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1894-09-13
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 il was here, An
gust 81. 1891. that The Uncle Sam
was planned and built. II was the
result of much studying and caleu-
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 il was
named. is an experienced kite-hyer and
has made kites for two generations of
4 nephews Some forty years ago he.
| with his two brothers. successfully few.
at Portland Me. "A kite seventeen feet
| high: and il had been his. and his Dud-
ley nephew's, ambition 10 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 nv
two inches. tapering to 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 to keep
the cover from bagging and TO strength
en- il il looked like an immense spider
web. When not in use it was strapped
under the ewes Of a large barn, as no
barn door was big enough 70 admit the
huge frame.
The cover was made of unhlcached
cotton cloth strengthened in the six
corners with canvas; and il took forty
Yards OF material. 4 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 hundred feet
long aud weighed eleven pounds The
burlap was cut in strips twelve inches
wide sewn together end to end. then
anotted with streamers four feet apart.
The kite line was wound on a swiv-
eled reel. strongly built. and so mount
Cd as 70 turn in any direction, accord
ing To the wind
The hving-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 were fixed like the
cover. with snaps and rings and were
mapped together in common iron
ring about one and one-half inches in
liameter. to which the fying-cord was
attached. The flying-cord and the fly
lng-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 n strong. steady wind blowing.
and. amid much excitement. the cover
was laid face downward in one of the
largest Of Dudley pastures, the frame
nut upon it and snapped into place.
The excitement increased as the six
men who handled il took their places to
launch the great airship; for had there
not been plenty of scoifcrs, who doubted
the ability Of the wind to raise a fifty
eight pound lSite2
THE ncie sam was lifted from its
face by two men at the top walking
down 10y its edge and selling the two
lower corners: third man about fif-
teen feet from the face Of the kite held
the fiying-lne. 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 a few seconds as II in doubt final
lv took the linz a. it was paid ont and
rose to height of one thousand feet.
followed bv cheers from the enthusiast
tie spectators. old and young.
1t remained in the air for about two
hours. Four men were Just able to
hold it A large pair of ice-scales were
attached to the line and it was esti-
mated that the pulling capacity varied
from one hundred and seventy-fve 10
two hundred and fifty pounds
Another reason for the carrying out |
Of Uncle SANS ideas for huge kite |
was given by an account in the Dos |
ton journal" Of a monster kite. eleven |
feet high. that had been raised at /
Salem. Mass Dudley Hill never had |
witches. but it has a kite not surpassed |
as vet by salem. We all knew our
Uncle Sans could beat the woodland |
they did.-N. Ferguson Conant, in ST |
Nicholas