The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-10-15
PHOTOGRAPHY IN M|D-A|R
LATEST PRACTICAL USE OF THE
FLYING KITES.
Possibilities of Their Good Work
Uses in Exploration and War-The
Remarkable Eddy Kites.

When old Ben Franklin sent up a
kite in the air during a storm and dis
covered the subtle mud called cleo
tricity, but which the Chaldeans had
utilized centuries before the Christian
era, the tavorite playthings of the
small boys in the breezy days of au-
tumn suddenly achieved a new I'M
portance, and ever since that time
earnest efforts have been directed to-
ward utilizing kites for practical pur-
poses.
They have been made of various ma
terials and all sorts of shapes, but I'M
til within the last half dozen years
nothing really substantial has been
accomplished by their use.
Within this period however "A new
era has dawned in the possibilities of
kites. The cherished tail that has
caused grief to the heart of many a
small boy, when it got tangled up in
telegraph wire, or in the top sbran-
ches of tree. and held captive the
beautiful red, white and blue tissue
paper creation above it, has been es-
chewed. The kites that are now used
by the weather bureau to carry re-
cording meteorological instruments Il
mile or so in the air are nothing in
the world but an octagon framework
held together by narrow canvas bands
and braced open by small strips OF
wood
a series of kites made on this prin-
ciple recently lifted man about a
hundred feet in the air. There are 9TH
err kites made in conformity with the
old plan which are also as tailless as
shirt waist, and they like wise car
ry various things up to high attitudes.
Some of these kites are in Washing
ton now and accompanying them is
the man who thought out the ideas of
which they have practically establish
ed the wisdom.
Mr.. Eddy can make his kites take
Photographic cameras up into the
circumambient atmosphere, and by a
very simple method can manipulate
them so that they can take pictures OF
| selected spots on the busy earth be-
low. The kites are of different sizes,
the smallest being six feet high and
! four feet wide, and the larger ones be-
! ing seven feet in diameter. The woot-
en- framework is made of tough light
wood, and the covering is of cloth,
and of two varieties of manila paper.
| The kites known as the light flyers
which are sent up when very little
breeze is stirring, are made with very
thin sticks and very thin manila pa
per, and weigh but few ounces in
all. The kites are held to mother
earth by blocking cord, which breaks
at pressure of 200 pounds, and it is
wound on a powerful wheel containing
a steel spindle. This reel is incased
| -, ,nl, e. nIx, g., IN
the ground by stakes when Mr.. Eddy
begins to fly his kites. The full strain
on the cord is never allowed, as it is
well known that the strength of the
cord is only as great as its power to
resist breaking at it's weakest point
consequently not more than sixty
pounds pull is allowed on the cord.
The Photographic apparatus which
series of kites carries up into the
air, consists. when the wind is strong
of revolving table, upon which two
cameras are security fixed. This table
hangs from the kite cord below the
lowest of the kites which are carried
up. When the wind ie light only a
single camera is carried up. The lat
ter equipment weighs about three
pounds, while the double camera ia
! BILE weighs seven or eight pounds.
| When the kites carry the camera to
| the point from which Mr.. Eddy wishes
/ to photograph the scene below, they
are held stationary; a small string
attached to the slide of the camera,
the lens of which is pointed down
ward. is pulled, and a small, instanta-
neous photograph is taken of whatev-
er happens to be below.
He also sen, %, by the same, meth
od to "A very high altitude, an Anne
rican flag, ten feet by seven in dimen-
| sions, and when conditions are pro-
pitious elevates both the flag and the
Photographic apparatus at the same
time.