Semi=weekly graphic., 1897-01-30
NEW USE F0R KITES.
TELEPHONE COMMUNICATION witt
Cur q gATTERY.


Emergency Telegraph System.
The feasibility Of establishing sele-
graph and telephone communication be-
tween two distant aud isolated points
without constructing an elaborate sys-
TEN of electric batteries, poles or CON
duits and wires or resorting to She
complex day heliograph or night fash
Light devices was successfully demon
strated on Saturday night at Bayonne,
Il. j., by William a. Eddy, the soien-
tiiic kite nier Of that city.
The equipment used by Aerologist
Eddy for his emergency telegraph and
telephone plant comprised several Of his
aeroplanes, a reel Of stout kite cord, a
reel of ordinary copper wire, number
of common lanterns, two simple tele-
phone transmitters and a telegraph
sounder. He utilized the ground and
atmospheric currents for his electric
power Mr.. Eddy and his assistants,
Henry L Allen of this city and DR..
William Il. Mitchell of Bayonne, con-
trived to send and receive perfectly in
telligible vocal telephone messages and
decipherabIe telegraph messages duri :
period eff several hours from points
fully 1, 600 feet distant and separated by
double that distance of wire.
The sccna Of MIR. Eddy's achievement
was the Bergen Point section Of Bay
onne. His aeroplanes and the wire
they carried were sent up from the
open lots in tho rear of his home, on
East Third street. The kites carried and
supported the wire over houses, streets,
telephone and telegraph poles and
wires TO Che point selected for the dis
tant connection with the earth. Be-
tween the two stations thus established
ridge of sufficient height to prevent
the experimentalists from even signal
ing to one another with lanterns also
interviewed This neoessitated one Of the
trio stationing himself at an inferno
diate point TO transmit signals before
the aerial circuit was completed.
Whom TIE pilot kite attained an alti-
tude Of /, 500 feet, the wire and It's low
ering device were connected with the
kite cord. an eight ounce red lantern
designating the place OF connection
and similar lightweight green Ian
tern being fastened to the plummet on
the end Of The wire. The lanterns were
allowed to ascend to height Of 500
feet before an attempt to lower the wire
was made The wire ran out q short
distance and then became jammed in
the pulley. Efforts TO disengage 81
wire resulted in the green lantern be
coming detached. 1t fell and was bro
ken to atoms.
The kite string and wire were reeied
IN, and white lantern was fastened to
the pIummat This lantern was also de-
stroyed in 8 Q same manner as the first.
Mr.. Eddy and his assistants again haul
Cd ia the cord and wire and attached a
red Lantern to the plummet. Limo ~
wire were extended until the twin Ian
terms attained an altitude OF 1, 900 feet
and then the lowering plummet and
signal lantern were allowed TO descend
safely to the earth. DE-. Mitchell next
carried the lowered end of the wire far
down Lexington avenue and grounded
it with q steel rod. MIR. Eddy did like
wiso with has end Of the wire, the tolo-
phone transmitters were attached, and
tho aerial circuit was established.
Satisfied that telephone eommunica-
zion was practicable, both experimen-
ters signaled Mr. Allen at his interme-
date station. 1t was half past o'clock
when Or. Mitchell sent the first vocal
message to Mr.. Eddy.
Hello, do you get me?" he queriod.
'Xoa, good, replied Mr Eddy
General conversation over the wire
ensued, Mrs. Eddy, Mr Allen, Fredez-
ick NJ Wilson and reporter partici-
pating. times watches were held
against tho telephone transmitters, and
their tickings were plainly heard at the
other end of the wire. Once or twice
the telegraph sounder was attached, and
the cliek.ug Of the Morse alphabet on
the instruments was carried clearly to the
telephone receiver as the other end Of
the circuit, The wind s fluctuations per-
mittaa the wire to sag so much at times
shat * crossed the upper wires Of the
long distance telephone lines stretched
along Lexington avenue, and scraps Of
conversation were transmitted to the
e8perimeuters. During the operations
che lantern ct TIE apex Of the wire arch
bu1ucd Out, leaving the point Of con.
nection ia absolute darkness.
The wire used in the experiment was
a thin copper hlamcl,t, about the siaa
Of patent throa1, aId entirely bare. b.
ing aa5peB0 Il fto1a tao kite string and
freed fom eonnec5loa with any surface
object except as the ends, it was per
feotly insulated from every clement save
the ground and atmosphelical electrical
currents. This fact made tho wire mo
potential in conducting the messages
transmitted.
The success achieved By Mr. Eddy IN
his experiment demonstrates the fur.
Their utility to which his aeroplanes can
be put by the army'a signal service de-
parment. Rivers and straits, forests,
towns, areas of country where trans
portation and telegraph facilities have
beer, discontinued can all be quickly
bzidgod in daylight or in darkness for
the establishment Of a temporary tele-
graph or telephone system. The use Of
insulated wire ana electric batteries
and complete telegraph and telephone
instruments ia connection with the
kites will i'd 70 the praeticability of
the novel idea The direction of the
wind is no hiadTanee 70 she use Of such
a system, as the aeroplanes can be flown
from either Of two objective points. Il
is even possible to thus erect a system
extending scores Of miles by merely