Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-09-06
New Developments in Kite-FIying.
(The Independent.


During two summers previous TO the
| present Messrs. Clayton and Ferguson,
Of the Blue Hill Meteorological Ooserva-
tory, assisted by Mr. William A. Eddy,
OF Bayonne. y. j., have made certain in
veStigations nj meteorology by means Of
kites. The scene Of operations was Blue
Hill, an eminence a few miles south Of
Boston, 635 feet in height
Numerous kites OF the Malay pattern,
IN sizes varying from five 10 over nine
feet In height, have been brought into SER
vice In these experiments. The larger
I kites require, Of course. a cord Of large
size; yet any great length Of this IS suffi-
Gent to pull them down If the breeze be
light; and often several OF the smaller
kites have to be sent up In advance TO
pull UP large one. On a few occasions
they have had up at once as many as a
dozen kites, all attached by branch
strings 70 the main line. In a fresh
breeze the combined pull from the usual
number IS about one hundred and twenty
pounds, and much greater in gusts. a
huge reel on trucks has been devised for
holding the string. the length run out be-
ing registered by a wheel and dial.
Nearly every day during this and tho
two previous seasons there have been
sent upon the line an aneroid barometer
and a self-reglstering thermometer, by
which the atmospheric pressure and the
temperature at the highest altitude
reached is ascertained, comparison being
made with similar records at the surface
OF the earth for the same time. a special
apparatus contained in a tin case has now
been constructed for these purposes-for
the humidity and for measuring the speed
OF the wind. Changes Of weather are in
dicated at the high attitudes many hours
earlier than on the hilltop. This appara-
tus has recently been sent to a height
OF about one mile. Last year experiments
were begun in bird s-eye photography, the
camera being suspended from the kites,
and operated by cords from the ground.
Most OF the views obtained were quite
clear, and very pleasing from their
uniqueness.
Several interesting phenomena have
been noted in these experiments. Early
one afternoon while 5-foot kite was
aloft in a breeze so light as barely 70
keep IT from falling, a large cumuluS
cloud approached the zenith. When di-
rectly above the kite the latter began TO
ascend rapidly and almost vertically. only
ceasng when the string was all out and
drawn taut 1t followed the course of
the cloud across the sky at short dis
lance, but when 1t was quite past rapidly
fell to its former position.
Another phenomenon in the Blue Hill
flying is the electrical manifestations on
the kite string at all attitudes, but in
greatest extent when the kites are high
est on account Of the pull on
the string by the wind our Blue Hill
flyers have adopted fine piano wire for
kite cord, as Il has the smallest surface
I'm proportion TO weight OF anything yet
found. With this. however, the electric
sparks often proved very annoying to
the person holding the kite, until relief
was found by thrusting the end Of
connecting wire into the ground. Even
with this the manipulation OF the kites
sometimes exhibited amusing jumps and
contortions when a mischievous boy hap
pcned 10 kick off the stone which held the
wire down.
Boston people will be interested TO learn
that It's celebrated east wind, at its be-
ginning, enters like a wedge between
the earth and the stratum OF atmosphere
next above IT, a notherly wind, on the
contrary, slides along above the lower
stratum and chills downward, also tend
ing downward In mass. a warm, upper
stratum does not affect the lower atmos-
phere SO quickly
Up TO the present time the greatest alti-
tude TO which kite has been flown Is
1888 feet--1,0Oo feet higher than Mount
Washington. This was accomplished at
Blue Fiji on August list. tho kites used
being a s-foot kite. led by a smaller one.