The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1898-06-16
To Use Kites In Cuba.

When Spanish soldiers see string o
kites flying between them and the Amer
can camp. they probably will wonde
what manner OF 40 enemy had come from
the north to fight them. 1t may be they
will draw bead on the kites with there
MsuserP, but unless the bullets strike
the sticks OF every one Of the aerial tar
dem team the little square box swinging
on its platform from the string will do its
work and will deliver to the commanding
officer OF the expedition q photograph
which will betrsy all that can be seen
from an elevation OF several hundred
feet.
Kites will bo practically and thoroughly
tested for signaling and photogrspbiug
the enemys position when the American
army gets TO Cuba. Several years expert
menting has shown conclusively that the
kite can be employed to good advantage
10 warfare. Lieutenant Hugh d. Wise Of
the Ninth infantry. crack bicyclist, 3
scientific and enthusiastic amateur pho
tographer, has made study OF seroplanes
and has brought with him eight kites,
with Q complete signaling and aerial pho
tograpbing equipment, which will be put
in active service as soon as the army OF
occupation lands on Cuban r Puerto
RIcan soil.
This tqulpmeut consists Of eight Wise.
Eddy folding Kites, one feet high, two s
feet, two feet, two feet and one IL
feet. The kites are SO constructed that
they can be rolled up IN a bundle, occu
pying less space than seven foot tent,
with it's poles and fly. The kites are
made Of black, white and black and white
csmbric, some OF them being white with
a black center. In the outfit sre l6 regu
lstion signal hAgs, with code stsh,. 5000
feet OF cord Of several sIzee, u portable |
field windlsss, by inch camera. with |
a Wise sutomstle camera support rings
and pnlleyf, and other attachments
sufficient Tor the purpose Of signaling and |
photography.
Everything in this field equipment has
been put TO hard actual test, and it is be
Iieved the sntft will prove Of great yslne
10 Cuba. In practice from three TO FIVE
kites will be flown in tandem. the tandem
string oerying to support the signal flags
Or camera. A pulley is attached 10 the
iandem cord or kite string and through
his pulley 30 endless cord is run. Iitls
Kites are to be uesd for signaling two
,ode stalls sre used, and they are attach
"a 10 the endless cord 10 such fashion
hat while one is up supporting the sig
lsl flags the other ls on the ground where
he signal figs are attached or hooked
10. This contriysnoe permits the signal
nan to send up bis bnntng rapidly and
asily. The co ie or h,g staff. are fired
10 that four fass msy be quickly hooked
ln. This SLOWS the Hsgs TO be booked
u TO the code stSfs 10 s9ch order 81 10
Indicate the numerals which represent
be letters in the Meyers code used in the
rmy and navy. Thus a vi iie flag indi
stes the numerSl !, red f1g the uumer
. aud I've fsgs the nunersl 3
L,eu,en.nt Wise says thss an slsitude
# 200 feet is high enough to seud the sis
sl Gags. though they may be lifted 10
ny desired height, THIS apparatus has
zen tested, and vith it Lieutenant Vice
- sisnaled xitL the hisf, using the iele
cope, distance Of seven miles THIS
ives side range, for ordinary h,gs Of {
be ,izs used With The kites could not be {
sed 81 that distsucs. At night red and I
ihite isuterbs are os instead oi hsgs 8
nd 80 electric light system. simiisr 10 =
be Afdoise .ys,em used 10 The navy, osn
e need. With electricity The system for |
iguslipg differs from that used With lsh ,