Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1897-02-16
NEW USE FOR KITES.
TsLEPHoNlo COMMUNICATION WITH.
 OUT A BATTERY.

Emergency Telegraph System.
 The feasibility of establishing tele. graph and telephone communication he. tween two distant and isolated nointa without constructing an elaborate sys- tenn of electric batteries, poles or con duits and wires or resorting to the complex day heliograph or night fash light devices was successfully demon. strated on Saturday night at Bayonne. N. J., by William A. Eddy, the gcieu. tific kite flier of that city.
 The equipment used by Aerologisb Eddy for his emergency telegraph and telephone plant comprised several of his aeroplanes, reel of stout kite cord, 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. MT Eddy and his assistants Henry L. Allen of this city and Dr. William H. Mitchell of Bayonne, con- trived to send and receive perfectly in- telligible vocal telephone messages and deeipherable telegraph messages duri 2 a period of several hours from points fully 1000 feet distant and separated by double that distance of wire.
 The scene 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 the 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 the 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 intervened. This necessitated one of the trio stationing himself at an interme- diate point to transmit signals before the aerial circuit was completed.
 When the pilot kite attained an alti- tude of 1, 800 feet, the wire and its low ering device were connected with the kite cord, an eight ounce red lantern designating the place of connection and a similar lightweight green lam 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 short distance and then became jammed in the pulley. Efforts to disengaga Il :, wire resulted in the green lantern be coming detached. It fell and was bro- ken to atoms.
 The kite string and wire were reeled in, and white lantern was fastened to the plummet This lantern was also de- stroyed in l. same manner as the first. Mir. Eddy and his assistants again haul cd in the eefd and wire and attached red lantern to the plummet Line ar wire were extended until the twin lan- terms attained an altitude of 1000 feet, and then the lowering plummet and signal lantern were allowed to descend safely to the earth. Dr. Mitchell next carried the lowered end of the wire far down Lexington avenue and grounded it with q steel rod. Mir. Eddy did like wise with his end of the wire, the tele- phone transmitters were attached, and the aerial circuit was established.
 Satisfied that telephone communica- tion was practicable, both experiment ters signaled Mir. Allen at his interme- diate station. It was half past o'clock when Dr. Mitchell sent tho first vocal message to MT. Eddy.
 Hello, do you get me?" he queried,
 'sYes, good, replied Mir. Eddy.
 General conversation oyer the wire ensued, Mrs. Eddy, MT. Allen, Freder~ ick M. Wilson and reporter partici. pating. Al times watches were held against the 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 clicking of the Morse alphabet on the instrument was carried clearly to the telephone receiver at the other end of the circuit The wind s fluctuations per- mitted the wire to sag so much at times that it crossed the upper wires of the long distance telephone lines stretched along Lexington avenue, and scraps of conversation were transmitted to the experimenters. During the operations the lantern at the apex of the wire arch burned out, leaving the point of con. nection in absolute darkness.
 The wire used in the experiment was a thin copper filament, about the size of patent thread, and entirely bare. Bo- ing suspend d from the kite string and freed from connection with any surface object except at the ends, it was per. fectIy insulated from every element save the ground and atmospherical electrical currents. This fact made the wire mora potential ill conducting the messages transmitted.
 The success achieved by Mir. Eddy in his experiment. demonstrates the fur ther utility to which his aeroplanes can be put by the army's signal service de, partment Rivers and straits, forests, towns. areas of country where trans ,,ortation and telegraph facilities have