Evening star., 1896-11-28
KITE ERI M EN- T s
Conditions of Wind and Atmosphere Neces-
sary to Successful Operations.
Better Results Expected With the
Management of the Kite.

Prof Willis Moore, in his annual report
has an interesting chapter to the review
of kite experiments. He says: "On one oc-
casion an altitude of 1000 feet was attain
ed, and hut 9,OOO feet of wire was played
out from the reel. This is believed to be
the greatest height attained by any ex-
perimenter with kites. 1t was found that
both the form and the body of the kite and
the action of the forces that affected 1T de-
manded a much fuller analytical consider
alton than they had hitherto received.
From the results of the kite work thus
far it has been demonstrated that for
readily attaining elevations exceeding, say
LOCO feet, wind velocities exceeding ten to
fifteen miles per hour must Prevail. When
cor rditions of favorable winds prevali, II
has been shown that one or two kites OF
the improved forms, produced as a result OF
weather bureau Investigations, suffice for
reaching elevations of from 5000 to 1000
feet depending upon the force and steadi-
ness of the winds and the load carried.
TIE use of kites is always limited by the
condition of the wind, and experience mas
shown that at many of our stations 1t often
would be necessary to wait several days
for single occasion of favorable winds.
There appears to remain but one other
mems of exposing meteorological instru-
me1ts at approximately fixed points In free
air, namely. by the Use of devices sus-
tanned by the action of propellers, which
either lift the apparatus directly or give 1t
a spirally ascending or descending mo-
tion. Many devices of this character have
bean proposed by ingenious inventors and
several models of small size have proved
that the desired effects on a large scale
are within the range of possibilities.
The frequency with which kites may be
successfully employed for reaching very
high elevations will no doubt be greatly in
creased as the kite is brought to a more
perfect state of construction and the art
- voyNynf nfn1xy n
veloped. There must always be, however.
times when the upper air observations can
not be obtained by such means. Captive
balloons, which. have been 30 repeatedly
tried for military purposes. prove to be of
little value for reaching lofty elevations.
From the great amount of surface which
must necessarily be exposed 1T results that
the balloon is blown away far from the
zenith point over its anchorage by even
moderately strong winds. Combina tions of
the kite and balloon have also been tried.
This, in turn, possesses but little advantage
over the balloon alone. and in many re-
spects is inferior to the kite. Free balloons
may reach great elevations, but they drift
with the currents of air and their return is
uncertain.
Perfect appliances of this character will
prove of such value to meteoroioSy that
their development requires a share Of the
attention to be given to the greater prob
lem OF securing meteorological observations
in the free air. Such observations hre now
the means by which further and more COM
plete knowledge is to be gained of the me-
chanics of storms and the sequence of at
mospheric phenomena. The idea may seem
visionary now. perhaps, but it is a pos
sibility that important meteorological sta
tions of the future will be dual in charac-
ter. One portion will remain us at present,
at the surface of the earth; the other por-
tion will be poised at great height in mid
air, riding a anchor to the base of sta
tion. as II were. much In the same fashion
as light ships now ride at anchor at sea,
sustained, however. by the operation OF
other forces than the buoyant action of the
air. Simultaneous observations from
system of widely distributed stations of this
character would enable the future fore
cast official to map out the atmospheric
conditions, both horizontally and vertically,
and arrive at more exact knowledge of
the gradients of temperature. pressure, &C.,
than is possible at the present with
limited knowleSe of surface conditions
cnly."