Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-04-24
SKY TELEPHONING G.
A NEW AND NOVEL PLAN FOR
SIGNALLING SHIPS,
KITES TO RAISE THE WIRES.
school-Boy's PIaything Made of
valuable Use by Modern Naval
Observation-Disclosures between Nes-
sells of Fleet.
Ccorrespondence Of the Dlspateh.l

Correspondence OF the J)ispatch)
WASHINGTON, d. c., April 23.-Com-
munication from warship to warship will
soon be as easy as carrying on CONVEX
sation between two military posts on
and and by the same electrical means
The telephone Tho English naval authori-
lies have just tested with great success
r. suggested novelty in the way of COM
munication at sea which promises to
render obsolete the present methods Of
Ngnalling,
Commander r. G. o. Upper, Of the
Royal Navy. experimental with kite
telephone" The kite used was of the
regulation sort except that It was minus
tall 1t was feet long and feet wide
IT the broadest point. It place of the tail
The kite carried two lines. one of which
was retained on board the Daring, the
instructional torpedo-boat destroyer, from
which the experiments were conducted.
With the wind between the two lines re-
ferred to- it was found that the kite was
30 easily managed that 1t was no trick
ut all to drop letters or even n hawser
INTO another ship, and in this way estab-
ush communication.
Following this experiment came one
with a WIRE The end of the wire which
the kite bore away from the ship was
dropped upon the deck of II. NJ. s.
Dauntless, where it was secured by the
electrician OF the ship and attached TO a
telephone apparatus in waiting. The other
End, which had remained aboard the
Daring, was also attached to a tele-
phone, and as soon as this task was COM
pleted the two ships were in perfect COM
munication. The kite remained suspend
ed. secured by two lines. for more than
four hours, during which time commuDi-
cation between the Daring and the
Dauntless was uninterrupted.
The achievement IS only evidence of
what electricians of the navy, of both
England and the United States, have
long held 90 be possible. They have de-
clared that there was no reason why
communication OF this sort should not
be established between ships a few hun
dred feet apart, If the weather was at
all pleasant. OF course, in gale il
would be impracticable.
The experiment that was made by the
officers of the Daring and the Dauntless
had another valuable result II showed
that II is possible TO arrange for a new
system of signals from one ship TO an
other that would be greatly superior To
any flag system which could be con-
ceived. II the telephone wire can be
arranged in this manner, there is no rea-
son why telegraphic communication can
not be made in a similar fashion. In
this case an operator aboard the flag
ship could carry on a conversation with
his fellow-operator aboard one Of the
feet without difficulty. The admlral's
orders could be easily transmitted from
time 10 time, and often avoid what Is
now considered necessary boat service
II might be thought that the flying OF a
kite under these circumstances would
be matter OF extreme difficulty. but
kite flying under the latest methods has
become a science. What used TO be q
school-boy's sport has now become q
subject of study by professional men
and II seems quite likely that before very
long even greater results will be obtained
than has been the case at Portsmouth.
AS "a means of signalling, the kite Is
hrmly believed not only by naval ON.
GERS. but those OF the army, 10 be fraught
with great importance when the future
In considered. IL is, of course. very much
easier for signal 90 be seen that is ele-
waited 10 considerable nelgnt IMAM ome
which may float at the top or the main
mast or be waved from the summit OF
hill.
Add to these facts this latest develop