Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-09-05
CAMERAS IN THE SKY.
Wonders Worked with the Aid of
Kites

Wonders Worked with the Aid of
Kites
If the plans of Prot. William A.
Eddy of Bergen, n. J., prove success
fun, says a Boston letter, he will not
care whether amy one invents flying
machine or not. He will accomplish
his purpose satisfactorily by sending
his tools of trade up in the air by
means Of kites. The experiment i'm
scientific kite-f1ying conducted last
summer from the top Of Blue Hill
served to attract wide attention
throughout the country. At that time
Prof. Eddy sent up tailless Malay
kites in relays, the object being TO
prove scientific points as to wind and
electricity. He has for several years
followed these experiments for the
purpose of studying the laws of upper
atmospheric currents, tempera lures of
high altitude and other kindred mat
tiers. Last Saturday Mr.. Eddy ap-
peared at Blue Hill observatory more
thoroughly equipped than last year.
With apparatus for the prosecution of
his special studies. He brought with
him eighteen Malay kites, the major
ity of them from seven to mine feet
in height built exceedingly hight, but
strong. The frames are of the Eghtest
pine covered with thin but tough tbs
sue paper. AS last year, the expert
ments Will include the sending up Of
instruments for recording thermO-
metric and barometric conditions.
A novel idea this year is the use of
a camera, attached to the kite strings.
This lis not a new idea, for some ex-
periments of this sort were made by
E. Douglas Archibald, of the Royal
Meteorological society, in 1884. MIR.
Archibald did not, however, pursue
his experiments in this lime, perhaps
on account of the great difficulty found
in producing satisfactory results
From an altitude of $50 feet a photo
graph taken by Prof. Eddy with q
small camera showed with cOnsidera.
BILE distinctness the panorama of the
earth directly below. One taken at
an estimated altitude of 400 feet was
much better than the first, and prob
ably the most successful photograph
ever taken in the world from such al
altitude and under such conditions
Mr.. Eddy hopes Ito demonstrate the
, feasibility of taking such photogra phs
as a useful adjunct to the equipment
of an army. The line of vision from
the top of Blue Hill, at an altitud,
l of $40 feet, is limited to horizon %
about thirty-three miles. At an alti
| tude of 1900 feet above this level
: such as was reached today by Mr.
/ Eddy's kites, the line of horizon is, o
: course, greatly extended. A photo
, graph successfully taken at such 81
$ altitude, would, it is claimed, shoy
= at least the clouds of dust arisin
y from an advancing army, and thu
disclose its approach and it's where
!, abouts, greatly to the advantage o
its opponents.
q But these ideas in photography ar
secondary only to those i'm barometry
! to be followed i'm the experiments nov
= in progress at Blue Hill. Last Sa-
urday the first of these experiment
was made. A relay Of kites was ser
o up by Mr.. Eddy, assisted by Observer
5. Clayton and Ferguson. The prim
It object of ire experiment was ne a
s tainment of the greatest possible alt
I tudes for purposes of scientific obse
a walton. 1t is obvious that in ordinaI
IL kite flying the attitudes reached mU
be limited, On account of the weigh
1t of the string which the kite must I
ic necessity carry. Mr.. Eddy overcome
IS this difficulty by attaching fresh kit
if TO the main cord at frequent inte
walls, these secondary kites serving
lg pages to carry the weight of the COZ
s.. to which the first is attached.
VI A kite which will be especially ser
iceable in heavy winds, such os oft,
ce prevail upon the summit of Blue II
I'D during the winter season, was sent U
irl This kite is somewhat difficult to &