The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-04-08
AERIAL WAR FLEET.
MN. coNvNg's KITES FOR USE IN
n POSSIBILITIES.


His Kites Can he Put To.
War kites, to be offered to the United
States government In case of brush
with Spain, are being prepared in Chi
cage, and the local genius who is con-
structing the aerial feet promises to
open Castilian eyes to few new tricks
in fighting from the clouds.
Silas j. Conyne, one of the few pro.
fessional kitemakers In the country, is
the individual who proposes Uncle Sam
shall have this novel enforcement to
his fleets and troops. Mr.. Conyne is the
inventor of kite that bears his own
name and which is claimed to have
greater advantages than any other model
hitherto evolved, 1t looks like a COM
mon three stick kite of boyhood days
with hole cut in the back and trian-
gular box extending down the front.
This triangular cell gives the lifting
power of the famous Hargrave box kite,
while the baggy side wings give the
pulling power of the Malay model. The
joining OF the advantages of other mod
els makes it possible for the Conyne
kite to fly higher, lift more and be oper-
ated in lighter or stronger winds than
any other combination of sticks and pa
per-
One OF the war kites which Mr.. Co.
nyne has been led to construct owing to
recent affairs of state is five feet in height
and is estimated to have lifting power
OF 20 pounds and pulling power of 90
pounds. With fleets, regiments and even
batteries of artillery equipped with a
number of these kites and knowledge of
their scientific use untold destruction
might be wrought in the camp, barber
or Notifications of an enemy.
"In flying this big kite" said Mr..
Conyne, II discard Irvine, as it is not
strong enough to stand the strain and
offers too much resistance to the wind.
l use specially prepared wire, so fine
that it is not visible a short distance
away, but SO strong that it will with
stand pulling pressure of 80 pounds
besides its own weight. can send that
kite five miles, at an angle of 40 de-
grees, carrying with it enough dyna-
mite to blow up whole regiment. AS
soon as the kite is up SO high that the
wire begins to sag of its own weight l
attach another kite. The second kite
holds up the wire and enables the first
to keep on in its upward course. This
can be continued adj infinitum, and the
distance of the enemy need be no bar
to the dropping of few pounds of dy-
Mantle. When the leading kite, with
its deadly load, is over the enemy, an
electric spark sent along the wire would
set off a small cap, releasing the dyna-
mite. The rest would follow in accord
ance with the natural laws of gravita-
ton"
Another use to which the war kites
can be put is that of dragging torpedoes
into fleet or harhor. With favorable
wind blowing from the sea kites could
be loosed from fleet, torpedoes being
attached to the ends of the wires
Nothing could stop their flight, and as
soon as the torpedoes struck the ships
in the harbor or the defenses along the
edge of the water terrific explosions
would follow
One of the most important uses of the
Chicago kites would be in the signal |
department. The present method of kite
signaling has been discounted by Mr..
Conyne The Chicago mans kites, in |
stead of darting about in circles through |
the air, as is the case with the ordinary |
models, seem to float on the breeze with !
the ease of soaring bird. Those who |
have watched the inventor during his
In uup,boldt ,a-l- x.,L;el 1
is in the neighborhood of his home,
have noticed that he seems to have per-
feet control over the kites as they float |
in the clouds.
A slight jerk on the wire will cause
q kite to bob one way, and another jerk |
will make 1T bob another or soar little |
to one side. 1t is claimed that row Of |
five or six kites Of different colors could |
be sent up, the wires being attached to
levers controlled by an operator Ger
tain pulls at certain levers would spell
out the letters of signal code which
would be as simple as the dots and
dashes of telegraphy. If the person
did not understand, such word
could be flashed back by q similar ar.
rangement Of kites, which would be
visible for miles by the aid of field
glasses.
At night by utilizing electricity along
the kite wires the Chicago inventor
claims to be able to fash signals that
will be seen for many miles. Besides
the big war kites for dropping
explosives and for signaling, they could
be used for securing photographs of the
,nemy's position or Notifications. Ex-
,ellent birdseye views of the country
rave been taken by photographers, a
'amera being attached to kite aud a
,pll at secondary string operating the
hutter and giving q snap shot of the
ountry beneath.
Since perfecting his kite, after years
II experimenting, Mr.. Conyne has aban.
|oned his work as a carpenter in order
o devote himself to his more scientific
He has turned his inven.
ion to substantial account, and from
eing regarded as mentally rather
queer" he has risen like one of his