Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1897-02-03
NEW USE FOR KITES.
TELEPHoNlc COMMUNICATION WITH.
 OUT A BATTERY.

HTr. Eddy of isayonne. \. J., Strings Q Wiro
 on His Kites and shows How to Talk
 With Friends In a Besioged Town-Fyis
 Emergency Telegraph system.
 The feasibility of establishing tele- graph and telephone communication be. tween two distant and isolated points without constructing an elaborate gys- 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- stfatea On Gaturasg night at Hagenne. N. J., ay Wt!liam L Edas. the aejer- tifio kite iiior of the. city.
 The equipment used by Acrolaeist 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 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 H. Mitchell of Bayonne, con- trived to send and receive perfectly in- telligible vocal telephone messages and deeipherable telegraph messages duri :. period of several hours from points fully 1000 feet distant and separated by double that distance of wire.
 The scene of Mr Eddy's achievement WAS the Bergen Point section of Bay onne. His aereplanes and the wire they carried were sent up from the open lots i'll 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 tho dis tant connection with the earth. Be- tween the two stations thus established ridge of sufficient height to prevent the experimentaIists from even signal ing to one another with lanterns also inbervened. This neoessitated one of the trio sbationing 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, 500 feet, the wire and its low ering device were connected with tho kite cord, an eight ounce red lantern designating the plaoe of connection and similar lightweight green lan- tern being fastened to the plummet on the end of the wire. The lanterns were allowed to ascend to height of 690 feet before an attempt to lower the wire was made The wire ran out Q short distance and then became damned in the pulley Efforts to disongage tl ! wire resulted in tho green lantern b coming detached It fell and was bro kon to atoms.
 Tho kite string and wire were reeled in and white lantern was fastened to the plummot. This lantern was also de- stroyed in same manner as the first. MT Eddy aud his assistants again haul ed in the oC rd and wire and attached a red lantern to tho p'ummet. Limo aT wire wero extended until the twin lan- terms attained an altitude of 1, 900 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 stoel rod. Mr. Eddy did like wise with hls end of tho wire, the tele- phone translaitters wero attached, and tho aerial Circuit was established.
 Satisfied that telephone oommunica- tion was practicable, both experiment ters signaled Mir Allen at his interme- diate station. It WAS half past 9 o'clock whom Dr. Mitchell sent tho first vocal message to Mir. Eddy.
 Hello, do you get mel" he queried.
 ''Yes, good, replied Mr. Eddy.
 General conversation over tho wire ensued, Mrs Eddy, Mr. Allon, Freder- ick M. Wilson and reporter partici, patinc. A times watches were held against the telephone transmitters, and their tiokings were plainly heard at the other end of the wire Once or twice the telegraph soander was attached, and | the clicking of the Morse alphabet on the instrument was carried olearly to the telephone receiver at the other end of the circuit The wind s fluctuations per- mitted tho 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 exporimenters. During the operations tic lantern at the apex of the wire arch burned out, leaving the point of con neotion ill absolute darkness,
 .Ths wire used in the experiment. was a thin copper elamont, about tho size of patent thread, and entirely bare. Bo- ing spspen5 d from the kite stfing and freed from connection with any surface object oxoept tt tho ends, 1t was pey- feetly insulated from every element save the ground and atmospherioal electrical currents. This fact made the wire mo !, potential in conducting the messages transmitted.
 Tho success achieved by Mr. Eddy in his experiment. demonstrates the fur. ther utility to which his aeroplanos can be put by the army's signal service de-