New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-01-02
THE BIGGEST KITE EVER RAISED.
IT WILL TAKE UP AN ABLE-BoDIED MAN WHO
TRIES TO HOLD 1T.

TRIES TO HOLD 1T.
South bethlehem PENN correspondence Of The
Philadelphia Times.
W II. Markle of South Bethlehem. has just
finished building a kite that is monster. II Is
as big as a two-story house. ana capdDie OF
raising high in the air an able bodied man VINO
tried to hold on TO the soaring flyer.
when began TO build the big kite said Mr..
Narklc many Of my townspecple told me that
IL would never be raised. They refused to be
convinced that To multiply by so many the size
Of a schoolboy's kite. and make it mathemailc-
allv n couv on q large seal: Of the KITE thal
evcry one has flown does not destroy its carry.
inc movers | had not set myself the task OF
making a kite on new-iangled notions. All
wanted was a kite built on ordinary lines, but
on such a mammoth scale that II WOULD De
the biggest kite in the world. | have succeeded
beyond my expectations. The kite is wonder
"The immense surface OF the kite catches the
wind as readily as the sails Of racing yacht
and II rises In the air as gracefully az bro
holding its position in the strongest wind more
steadily. by reason Of its great weight imam uoeS
the ordinary sized kite Of the small boy:
Il have made the kite and flown 1t chleny TOT
nv own amusement The question OF the use
fitness Of the great flyer leave TO men .. a, d
more scientific bent of mind than mine. merely
give the facts and state what nave louilu me
great kite capable Of doing If there can De
evolved from this any plan for utillZlhE 'nc
waste force OF the kite in some way that wiz De
of benefit to other people, / am sure shdl pe
only too pleased 10 have been instrumental III
ITO begin With the dimensions Of the kite
# ie o. feet high and - feet wide. ana is OF
tba culinary triangle pattern. The sticks are
made of white pine ~ by inchcs, ana are
tapered from the cross 10 ~ ihches a. oro
ends At each corner Of the cross there arr
tUo-inch screweyes. on these scre"tScS al
tied the four corners Of the canvas sail Wh!ch
is made Of sail drilling. The san IS seven On
the bias and along the edge or the canvas -
sowed a rope three-eighths OF an men III. ~
Win loops at the corners These loops ar usd
with scIarate rope in the screWeyes on tiic
frame the frame being Dolted az thc 'oS' " 80 -"
an eyebolt making it easy to take tne nte -, ~
pieces very necessary thlhs pS '"' ""'' '
a kite as big as house. 1910 .,o
"The centre bands are made Of rope three
eighths Of an inch thick with heaVy Names
snaps. which are also hooked in the eyepoI'7' J"
tho cross and scrcweyes in the corners
II used when / made the first triaI oi tne
kite twenty-five hundred feet CT silver AK
Gosh cord but found the strain too great. anu
had to procure the highest grade 81 Mania
rnre three-eighths Of an inch thick. TINS rope
stood the strain Of high wind without sishS
Of breaking. -.,,...- 90
careful estimates. was from four hundred to
six hundred pounds. l have at dlHerrht uisS
attached bar few hundred feet from me
hitching point, and allowed myself 10 De puI.yu
into the air to a hight of a hundred feet Inc
kite floats at an angle Of from % 10 ~ ue-
grees. and my weight Is 100 POUNDS. me
weight Of the kite rugged is seventy pQuhds.
III is very easy matter to raise the KITE
with the assistance OF few men the STICKS
and canvas are put together and the hying
rope securely htched about a tree, the slack
in the rope being nearly all taken IN Inc
kite is laid fat on the ground with the top
toward the hitching point. and in fair breeze
the monster is lifted up little so as to eaten
the breeze. 1t does this very quickly straeht-
ening UP like a thing Of life and rising with the
wind as though anxious to be as obligins as
possible In order TO cOunteract any tendency
that the kite may have for fitting Sideways
guide ropes are hung at the wings and. II
necessary they can be used 10 keep the KITE
straight while it is rising from the earth to the
clouds"