The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-04-13
ABOUT KITE FLYING
How to Make Tailless Kites That Will
Ascend Many Thousand Feet.
FLYING TEN KITES IN TANDEM
More Than a Mile Above the Earth
Controlled by a Windlass-Life-
Saving kites-ScIentific Uses
Harvesting Lightning"

Who few the kite first?
The question is one that cannot be
answered. II may be that in the boy
hood of Confucius, thousands OF years
ago. that great Chinese sage amused
himself by trailing some bright-hued
dragon across the sky. Certainly kite
flying has been the national pastime in
China for many centuries. The kite
ngures In history, too. Every school
boy knows of Franklin's kite, with
which he ''snatched the lightning from
the Clouds" and of the lad whose kite
carried over the chasm the first line
used in building the great suspension
bridge at Niagara Falls. The kite, you
see, is something more than a toy; and
OF late there has been a great revival
of interest in kite flying. The scien-
lists. who are continually seeking for
new instruments with which to pry
into the secrets of nature, have taken
IT up as an aid in making important
discoveries. The boy whose experience
in kite flying has been limited to induc-
ing a pasteboard affair with a long tail
TO ride on a brisk wind some so or so
feet in the air, will be surprised to
learn OF the many interesting things
that he can do with kites of the latest
pattern.
There are at least two men in this
country who devote all their spare time
20 the flying of kites, and who have
carried the art to an almost incredible
degree Of perfection. They are Gilbert
I. Woglom of New York and William
A. Eddy of Bayonne. N. ]. Mr.. wog-
lom has done all his kite flying in one
of the public squares of the city, willis
Mr.. Eddy has carried on experiments
in different parts of the country; they
have both sent up kites to the height Of
thousands of feet
The first re0nfGffa for cofaptf6o liz
flying. according to Mr.. Eddy, is to
abandon the old-fashioned tailed. This
he learned by experience and he tells
of II as follows:
Il began my experiments with the
ordinary coffin shaped kite with a long
tail. Later / adopted the hexagonal
kite, which differs from the others only
In having its sides of equal length
When / began sending the kites up in
tandems, / found that the tails were |
apt to become entangled In the main |
string, causing the encountered kite to |
hang head downward, a dead weight |
on all the others. In 1891 a gentleman |
from Cape Town, Africa, told me that |
he had seen the natives flying square. |
tailless kites, but he could give me no |
idea OF their proportions. 1t then oc- |
CURED TO me that by doing away with |
the tails / could fly any number of |
kites together, and / began to work on |
the problem. The kite that / evolved |
has been named the Eddy kite: about |
the only thing II has in common with |
It's prototype. the Malay kite in the |
bullying crosspiece."
The advantage of the tailless kites
over the ordinary kind are that they
will sail in lighter breeze. will fly in
tendems and will rise to a much great
er height The Eddy kite may be re-
garded the most perfect form reached
the diagrams and the ACCOMPANYING
description, any bright boy can make
either the Eddy or the Malay kite. and
Will find in them a source of continual
amusement and instruction.
The superiority of the Eddy kite
comes from the lightness and it's pecu-
har shape. II may be made Of any size
so long as the proportions are kept the
same. For a kite for ordinary purposes
go inches is a fair height-represented
Dy the line b ID in the diagram. All
the parts of the framework. shown NV
tne lines In the diagram, should be OF
hght spruce about three-eighths nv
one-haf inch. II b ID is 60 Inches I'm
iength, A { should be an exactly SINH
Jar piece OF the same length and size,
and when in position IL is bent ahout
per cent OF its length IL should
cross ID at f, so that r shall be
Is per cent of b ID. With these two
pieces properly in position. It is easy
10 make the remainder of the frame
treat care should be used, however. 10
nave "A u exactly equal to d c. and
the kite will be unsteady. when The
frame is finished cover loosely with
manila paper, allowing some concav-
~ on the face of the Kite. on each
SIDE Just below the crosspiece. SO that
Mnen me Kite is rising on the wind n
VII oeliy out somewhat and act as
~. ne cages OF the manila paper
oe pouhu 10 the frame with fine
wire. as IL stretches less than strinn
ihen go out and fly your kite II viii
TOT De necessary to wait for a strong
eHnu' ior this kite will rise in a very
ight breeze. II it is properly mads
! VIII go up and up until Won wonder
! ~ VIII ever come back to earth
In large kite intended 70 naLo HI.
lscensions, an important mart g. ~
trlng. IL must be the stoutest ohtaine
.oIe' and OF the lightest weight T,
nouiu nave a breaking strength 30
loii % 10 20 pounds. according 10 the
~ oI the winds IL is used In. In
my Ease not more than one-third 81
-. Lsashs strength should be used !
being kept In reserve for :
IN emergency. Irish flag cordas.o
good material: but for very 49,
lylng' SIX cord is the best. as II nos - >,
esses the greatest strength for its u
6otn Mr.. Eddy and Mr.. woelom OF
: L,,as ,neir Kite stables" from so 10 HI
? kiles OF all styles and OF ali sizes as
Angling from a few inches I'M 70 S les y,
e ss, IN diameter. For attaining great a,
Ieisuues KITES OF various sizes ars c.
SEQ and they are flown in tandem .
na' rs; several kites are attached 70 y
Ie IA sending out a gang OF fr
ties small one is liberated A.. -.
When IL has taken as much string 81 pi
can carry in a line practIcaIIy =,
!. a,sn IT,, klte NO. is attached by a q,
mall leader. or string OF its own q o,
a a man Ine. This process is then re- ON
Gated; and as many as 10 kites ha,,o ~
cen sent up in one gang Tbe hais. IN
'ached by tandem Of kites seems 81 -.
ost incredible to one who has not y,
'en their marvellous flight THE s,raa, ~, ~,