The San Francisco call., 1897-10-03
WILL SAVE LIFE
WITH A KITE
DR.. Riehl's Invention Tested
on the Battle Ship
Oregon.
The Inventor Jumped Overheard
and the Kite in Midair
Kept Him Ahoat.
1t Will Come as Boon to Ship.
Wrecked Sailors, Says the
Doctors Friends.

DR.. F. w. Riehl gave most successful
demonstration of the utility of his life
saving kite from the deck of the battle
ship Oregon yesterday. A good breeze
was blowing and when the kite was at the
desired altitude the doctor jumped over
board seized the slack end of the cord
which held the kite, fastened it under his
arms and showed that his life-saver was
not only able to keep him afoat but also
able TO take him along at good rate of
speed.
Dr. Riehl went out TO the Oregon in one
OF the battle ships cutters. a slight delay
was caused by the desertion OF two of the
men. Directly the cutter touched the
float at the foot of Folsom street, Harris
and McGlockin, the two bow men, jumped
ashore and raced up Folsom street, as
though their lives depended upon their
speed, No one thought OF stopping them
as the boatmen and people around the
wharf thought they were crossing the
road to get a glass of beer. 1t was the
boldest desertion ever planned on the bat
tle-ship ana when the men are recaptured
they will be severely punished.
When DR.. RIehl reached The battle-ship
he was received by Lieutenant Harris, who
rendered him ali the assistance possible
in his test. 1.-The proposition is this"
said the doctor to the officers of the war
ship, Suppose a vessel is on lee shore
and gale is blowing. All her boats are
gone ana the liferafts smashed. The life
saving crews cannot approach the rock
bound coast or make their way through
the breakers. In that event the only hope
would be in the wreck holding together.
With my device, however, every man
would be saved, and he could also save his
clothing and valuabIes. Now will show
you how ii can be done"
DR.. Riehl then hoiS ted his kite and be-
Gan to let out the line. When 100 yards
bad been let out the stars and stripes ap-
peared, fastened TO the line. ''1n few
minutes" said Riehl, "OId Glory will be
higher from the decs of this warship than
il has ever been before" When all the
line was out DR.. Riehl was taken to one OF
tine officers rooms, where he disrobed and
donned his bathing suit
A few minutes later he appeared with
all his clothing in square of waterproof
cloth. He opened the parcel and showed
his belongings, and then with the aid of
sailor tied everything securely in the
waterproof cloth. The bundle he threw
overheard and it foated. Then he di-
rected the sailor who was holding the
kite to haul in a few yards of the line and
let the slack fall over the side of the veS-
sci. Then the doctor sprang erboard,
caught the SLACK OF the line, fastened II
around his body and sailed away after his
clothes, which aided by the tide were
making good headway for Alviso. After
testing his device for about twenty min
utes, the doctor and his clothes were
picked up by the battleship's cutter and
returned on board.
DR.. Rlehl was pleased with his success
and asserted that in a gale every hing
would work like cloCkwork. "My kite"
said he, would take rope ashore or man
and his belongings and through breakers in
which boat would not live" "Suppos-
ing a steamer ran ashore said one of the
officers, 'and the wind was offshore ?" "In
that event." was the answer, "the kite
would be of no use, but statistics go to
prove that in 80 cases out OF 100 in the
event OF shipwreck the wind has been
blowing on the shore"
The result of DIR. RiehPs experiment
are 10 be forwarded TO Washington and in
the meantime the doctor will keep on
practicing with aud improving his ma
chine.