The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1897-01-14
Value OF KITES IN WAR
Now Used to Furnish Telephone Com
muniCatiOn Between Ships.
EXPERIMENTS PROVING SUCCESSFUL
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The kite has become a means for the
transmission of the human voice from
one warship to another while the fleet is
in active service 1t is the strangest adj
junct the telephone has yet enjoyed but
it is none the less valuable. Just what
can be done has been demonstrated by
Commander X. q. o. Upper, OF the Roy
al Navy, at Portsmouth, England.
The kite used in this experiment was
OF the regulation sort, except thst it was
minus tail. 1t was six feet long and
three feet wide at the broadcast point. In
place of the tail the kite carried two
lines one of which was retained on board
the Daring. the Institutional torpedo boat
destroyer, from which the experiments
were conducted. No little was expected
as the result of this experiment. but the
facts demonstrated were nevertheless
very much of a surprise. With the
wind between the two lines referred to it
was found that the kite was so easily
managed that it was no trick at all to
drop letters or even hawser into anoth-
er ship, and in this way establish con-
munication.
Following this experiment came one
with a wire. The end Of the wire which
the kite bore away from the ship was
dropped upon the deck OF Her Majesty's
steamer Dauntless, where it was secured
by the electrician of the ship and attach
ed to telephone apparatus in waiting.
The other end, which had remained
aboard the Daring, was also attached to
a telephone, and as soon AS this task was
completed the two ships were in perfect
communication. The kite remained sus-
pended secured by the two lines, for
more than four hours, during which time
communication between the Daring and
the Dauntless was uninterrupted.
This c,,.:ove:n1nt is only evidence OF
what electricians on the navy of both
England and the United STAT have long
held to be possible. They have dee $50,
that there was no reason why commune
cation of this sort should not be estab-
lished between ships few hundred feet
apart, il the weather were at all pleasant.
OF course, in a gale anything of this sort
would be impracticable.
The experiment had another valuable
result. 1t showed that it is possible to
arrange for new system Of signals from
one ship to another that would be greatly
superior to any flag system whi,h could
be conceived. II the telephone wire can
be arranged in this manner there is no
reason why Geographic communication
cannot be made in a similar fashion. In
this case an operator aboard the flag
ship could carry on a conversation with
his fellow operator aboard one OF the
fleet without any difficulty. The admir-
ais orders could be easily transmitted
from time to time and often avoid what
is now considered necessary boat service
1t might be thought that the flying of
kite under these circumstances would be
matter of extreme difficulty but kite
flying under the latest methods has be,
come a science. What used to be school
boys sport has now become subject of
study by professional men, and it seems
quite likely that before long even greater
results will be gained than has been the
case at Portsmouth
As means of signaling the kite is
firmly believed by not only naval officers,
but those of the army to be fraught with
great importance when the future is con.
sidered. 1t is, of course, very much
waited to considerable height than one
which may float at the top OF a mainmast
or be waved from the summit of hill,
Add to these facts this latest develop.
ment, the kite as telephone wire car
rier, and the indications OF a limitless
future are plain.
The recent experiments with kites at
Governors Island, in New York harbor,
have conclusively proven that it is posi-
Dic w bCuh liDlii illt
lines OF one army-the camera being at
tached to a kite-snd take an accurate
photograph OF the intrenchments or posi-
ton Of the enemy thereby, and to learn
in fairly accurate fashion of their num-
Der. On several occasions this year in
New York photographs have teen taken
of parades in this fashion, and with the
very best possible results. To suggest
that this could be done fifteen months
ago would have provoked derision. There
is Just as much reason for not regarding
the telephone kite flying experiment with
crelulity as there would have been for
not decrying the other.
The results Of the English experiment.
even though they have Just become
known, have already created no little
talk in naval circles. In fact, il is more
than probsble that the naval officers Of
the United States will see what they can
do in the matter. Secretary Herbert, Of
the navy department, believes strongly
in being thoroughly up to date. The