The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-25
OFFICIAL KITE FLYING
THE GOVERNMENT GIVES ADVICE
REGARDING THEIR VALUE.
Scientific Kites Very Different from
the Juvenile Toys-VaIuabIe Re-
suits Derived from Them.
washington ,,ldI,g Correspondence of Baltimore

INTO PRINT regarding the use the government
| Weather Bureau is making of kites in
studying atmospheric conditions, but the
reading public has not been made a conf
| dant in the matter of the establishment Of
| the most unique educational institution in
| the world-a school for instruction in kite
| flying. Uncle Sam is now prepared to give
instruction in the science of lkite-fiying, so
that this one-time exclusively Juvenile art
may be practiced in all seriousness by
adults who wish to secure records from the
aerial regions. In this school of instruction
| the students are told how to manage the
kite, how to prepare and take care of the
wire used for flying these ''grown-up'' kites,
| how to splice breaks in the wire and how
to manipulate the instruments that are es-
| pecially constructed for use in taking aerial
| observations by means of kites. The instruc-
| ton begins with the wire used in sending
| the kite aloft. 1t is most important that
| this should be in good condition, for valu-
able instruments are sent up the kite
and any schoolboy knows what happens
when the string breaks with the kite at a
great altitude. Says Uncle Sans kite expert
| in giving advice anent the wire of the
weather kites:
Perhaps there is nothing else so produce
tive Of disastrous results as the breaking
| of the main line. If a kite flies badly, or be-
comes disable in the air, it can be landed
without loss of either kite or apparatus, and
| generally with little or no further injury
| In the case of high ascensions with the line
under considerable strain, the kite and in
struments, if the main line breaks, are sure
to be drifted several miles at least, and
their recovery is quite uncertain. Moreover,
the wire falls across fields, is apt to be med
died with, and entangled by unauthorized
persons, and much Of it, if recovered is I'M
serviceable. Every precaution must be
taken, therefore, to preserve every foot of
the wire at it's maximum strength. A sin
gle defect or weak spot may be fatal
Furthermore, due care must be taken that
the wire is not subjected to undue strains
Strains of one hundred to- two hundred
pounds are often on the verge of safety,
and are to be avoided.
With the improved kites elevations be-
tween six thousand and eight thousand feet
can be attained with less than eighty
pounds strain on the line, and when strong
winds prevail the effort should be made to
keep the strain under this limit"
NOT COMMON KITES.
1t must not be supposed that the kites
used by men are of the same shape as the
one the Juvenile sees mount so proudly in
the air attached to a ball of twine The
scientists kite is a very elaborate affair,
in shape like the transparency that is
mounted on pole and carried shoulder high
by the political parader; the kind from
whose sides the sentiments of the party
glare aggressively with the aid of a light
inside. The framework is collapsble for
easier transportation. To set up the kite
four rectangular trussed frames are spread
apart and connected together by six long,
slender sticks. One end of each Of the latter
is numbered to correspond to the same num-
Der on one of the frames which parts are
brought together in assembling. The sticks
are secured by means of small brass screws,
nuts and washers. Two thick longitudinal
sticks join the middle points of the frame
work. -Four slender longitudinal sticks join
the corners Of the frames. The front com
partment contains an intermediate support
ing plate The ends of this are carried by
sticks, which pass through the hens and
attach to the vertical side sticks OF the cell.
A. third transverse stick Is inserted across
this supporting plane at the middle point.
and fastened at its ends to the upright
sticks in the center of the compartment. The
ends Of these several sticks are made fast
In their respective positions by lashng with
waxed thread. With these simple instruc-
kite
The next thing to do, IL you are inter-
ested primarily In making aerial observa-
tons and only as a secondary ,consdera-
ton in flying kites, is to attach your in
struments TO the kites. One OF the clev-
erly designed arrangements for cloud OBJ
servation is the nephoscope which is
constructed especially for attaching to
kites IT consists of a circular brass
The rim Is graduated to degrees and num-
bered from to 800. in the direction con-
trary to the motion of cleck hands: a plate
and mirror revolve smoothly within the
circular rim, being carried on n hollow YER
teal axis at the center An arm carrying
a sighting stan also revolves upon the CEN
trail axis, tho outer end traversing the mar
row annular space between the mirror and
tho graduated rim. The stan is telescope
in construction and is attached TO the arm
by hinge, which permits the staff to be
inclined from the vertical to any extent,
but always in plane perpendicular to the
mirror The top portion Of the staff is pro-
vided with a crOsshead which is surmounted
by a small sighting knob.
With this instrument elevated in the clouds
the kite flyer can ascertain the angular ele-
walton and azirluth Of the kite by the read
ing on the scales, with the time at which
the kite energies from cloud and its ele-
walton at that moment, either ascending or
descending. BY means. Of other instruments
the temperature, humidity and velocity OF
wind are recorded. The use of all these in
struments are carefully explained by Uncle
Sans corps OF ldte-fying instructors.
EXPERT ADVICE.
Having got the scientific kite ready, the
next thing, of course. is to intrust 1t to
the Wlnu anu SEM IL soaring alOLt III search
OF aerial information Here, again, the
manipulation has very different job on hand
to that of the small boy, who gets another
urchdn to hold his kite while he runs until
the wind catches the kite The govern
mental expert gives this advice regarding
the launching of kites:
ut is best to carry out the kite as nearly
as possible in the direction of the wind for
distance of six hundred or eight hundred
feet or even more, whenever practicable.
The wire should be drawn up taut and dis
engaged, as far as possible from any en-
tanglement at the surface of the ground
over which it lies. The assistant who car
rieS the kite should wait until he feels a
favorable current Of wind and then launch
the kite, by holding it carefully poised as
high as practicable. while the operator at
the reel winds in more or less rapidly, lift
I ing the kite from the assistants hands, and
causing 1t to ascend to a greater or less
elevation If the wind is very light, the OPP
orator may have TO reel in with consider
able rapidity and this operation often sue
ceeds in raising the kite to an elevation at
which the current is sufficiently strong 10
cause it to fly permanently. In many cases.
temporarily supported While it is thus sus-
tanned a. considerable amount of wire may
be unreeed the kite falling in the mean
time, and, perhaps, coming close to the
ground. BY again Keeling in, however at
the right moment, the kite may be again
elevated and f1oated temporarily after
which more wire may be again unreeled.
1t is often practicable by skillful repetition
of these processes to get out several hun