The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-11
TO SIGNAL BY MOONLIGHT.
FER EDDY SENDS Up TWO
EEFLE CTORS At WIGHT.

stll Experimenting with Thermometer Alofo
He Wants TO he Put Down as Predicting
Warmer Weather for To-Day - Prcdie.
tion based on Differing Temperature.
William A. Eddy sent UP three OF his big kites
from Bayonrc. \. j., on Saturday night, and ex-
perimcntcd with a large reflector for the pur-
pose Of finding out whether moonlight could bo
used for signalling purposes. He was assisted
by DR.. William II. Mitchell, Willard w. uotch.
kin and Henry l.. Allen, the four men having
formed n sort of partnership for the purposes of
scientific research.
Yesterday both Eddy and Hotchkin stated
that the moonlight experiments had proved suo-
%cessful. and they were thoroughly convinced
that moonlight. with the aid OF kite refcctors,
could be used for signalling in army operations.
Mr.. Eddy said that he first conceived the idea
OF moonlight signalling while taking metcoro-
logical observations. lie was using a thcrmom-
etcr that had a glazed surface. and after he had
sent the thermometer up along his kite strings
he noticed that its glazed surface shonc brightly
in the moonlight. He then decided to construct
n reflector that would catch rays OF moonlight
The reflector he made was triangular. two feet
long and five inches across the top. with silver
paper columns up its sides.
1t was nearly midnight when Mr.. Eddy sent
UP his homemade reflector. II WAS elevated to
an altitude OF 800 feet, and could be seen plain
~ nj "A distance or n mile. Mr.. Eddy said thAo
two of these rci,ectors could be used in moon.
light signalling, one above the other. with Q
single cover. which could he dropped over one
or both. The cover could be raised or lowered
with the aid Of II string.
One OF Willard liotchkin's self.reGistcrin9
Thermometers was sent NJ earlier in the even.
iSnnsratlroa While Mr.: Eddy and br. "S M,Tchoi
looked afterthc Kites. The first time the Their
mometer WAS sent IN I.l67 feet. When drawn
down and read IL shove an average trnrpcra-
turc aloft OF i6'. This was nj $40 o'clock. Al
$40 at the carth's surface it had registcrct so.
At 0:i7 the temperature mt the carth's surface
WAS AZ, and aloft ut ll:lO. AT an altitadc of
l.l67 feet, 1t registered Az.
This showed that relatively il WAS n little
warmer aloit than it WAS below, because
the normal decrease Of temperature ms the
carth's surface Is left IN one degree for every
$50 feet. Consequently Mr.. Eddy predicted q
higher Temperature for sunday and still warmer
weather for Monday,
A of our experiments brought satisfactory
results Saturday night, said Mr.. Eddy, and
We wcrc highly clatcd owe; our latest discovery,
that OF the moonlight signal system. Tho
moonlight experiments will be continued with
Two refectors, attached 10 three OF M siN'foOt
kites.
"While experimenting at 10 O'Clock. we saw
n meteor fall To the south Of us. L. seemed to
CrOss-cut the length OF the sky and Ia break into
fragments. We listened Ia hear the sound of
the explosion, hut didn I hear 1t. ] should Judge
that II was forty Ia sixty miles away. Iut 10
return to our temperature experiments, put mo
down as saying that it Will be warm on Mon
day