Semi=weekly graphic., 1897-07-14
NEW USE FOR KITES
TELEPHoNlc COMMUNICATION WITH.
 OUT A BATTERY.

Emergency Telegraph system.
 The feasibility of establishing talo graph and telephone communication ha. tween two distant ana isolated pojnt. without constructing ar elaborate svs. tenn of electric batteries, poles or con. duits and wires or resorting to tbo complex day heliograph or night flash. light devices was successfully demon. stratad op Saturday night at BGyonpe N. J., by William A. Eddys tho scieu. tific kite fiier of that city.
 The equipment used hy Aerolocis. Eddy for his emergency telegraph and telephone plant comprised several of bis aoroplanes, a reel of stout kite cord A reel of ordinary copper wire, a nnnlbe, of common lanterns, two simple tele. phone trausmitters and a 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 Il. Mitchell of Bayonne, con. triyed to send and receive perfectly in. talligibla vocal telephone messages ap 1 deoipherable telegraph messages dur a period of several hours from points fully 1, 900 feet distant and separated by double that distance of wire.
 The scene of MT. Eddy's achievement was the Bergen Point section of Bay. 0nne His aeroplanes and the wire they carried were sent up from ths open lots ill the rear of his home, on East Thrd street. The kites carried and supported the wire over houses, streets, telephona and telegraph poles and wires to the point selected for the dis. taat connection with the earth. Be. tween the two stations thus established ridge of sufficient height to prevent the expcl #cHali4f9 from even signal jug to one another with lanterns also insefyened. This recessitated ore of tie trio stationing hiaself ai an interme- diate point to transmit signals before the aerial cItaui5 WIS completed
 When the pilot kite attained an alti- zude of 590 feet, the wise and its low. ering device were connected with the kite cord, an eight ounca red lantern designating the place of connection and q similar lightweight green Ian. .ern 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 disen9age tl' wira resulted il the green lantern b. coming detached. It fell and was bro. ken to atoms
 The kite string and wiro were reeled in, and a white lantern was fastened to the plummet This lantern was asso de. stroyed in Q same manner as the first. Mr. Eddy and his assistants again haul ed in the cefd and wire and attached q red lantern to she p.ummet. Line al wire were extended until the twin Ian terms attained an altitude of 900 feet, and then the lowering plummet and signal lantern were allowed to descend safely to the earth. Dr. Mitchell next l carried the lowered end of the wire far down Lexington ayenus and grounded it with stoel rod. Mir Eddy did like. wise with hIs end of the wire the tele. l phone transmitters were attached, and 1 the aerial circuit was established.
 Satisfied that telephona communiea- tion was practicable, both experimen ters signaled Mr Allen at his interme. diate station. It was half past o'clock when Dr. Mitchell sent the first vocal message to Mr. Eddy.
 Hello, do you get ma?' he queried
 Yes, good, replied Mir. Eddy
 General conversation oyer the wire ensued, Mrs. Eddy, MT. Allen, Freder- ick NJ Wilson and reporter partic. pating. 4 times watches were hela against the telephone transnitters, and their tiokings were plainly heard at tllo other end of the wire. Once or twice the telegraph sounder was attached ane the clicking of the Morse alphabet or Che instrument NTas carried clearly to tha telephone receiver at the other end os the circuit The wind B fluctuations per. mitted tEo wire to sag so much at times that it crossed the upper wires of ths long distance telephone lines stretched along Lexington avenue, and scraps of conversation wero transmitted to the experimentars. 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 !f1e experiment. waa 6 thin copper diameut, about the size of patent thread, and entirely bare. Bo. ing saspenl .d from the kite string and freed from couneetiea with any surface object except at tho ends, it was per. feetly insulated from every element sava the ground and atmospherical electrical currents This fact made the wire mo potential in 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 ; Bignal service de. partment, Riyers and straits, forests, towns, areas of country where trans- portation and telegraph facilities have been discontinued can all be quickly brldged in daylight or ill darkness fog the establishment of temporary tele. graph or telephone system. The use Of insulated wire and electric batteries and complete telegraph and telephone instruments in connection with the kites viii add 10 the practicability of the novel idea Tho direction of ths wind IS no hindrauce to the use of such system, as the aeroplanes can be flown From either of two objective points It fg | L. At.