West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1906-01-11
NUMBER II.
PROF. BELL MAY CONQUER AIR.
Inventor OF the Telephone Believes
Experiment with His Kite "Frost
King" Settles the Ola Problem.

""S'''N"loN, January After
devoting his wonderful inventive
mind Tor many years to the study of
Kite flying machines to solve the
problem of aerial navigation, Prof.
Alexander Graham Bell, the famous
inventor of the telephone, believes
that his experiment with a kite Wed.
nesday on his Nova Scotia estate
has brought him nearer to the con-
quest of "space and time" When
seen at his home on Connecticut
avenue by a reporter, Prof. Bell
sail:
"rhe demonstration Wednesday
with Frost King has shown the
power of the combination of little
things"
"Now, the Frost King is very
much like the other kites have used
in the pas, year or two" he con,in-
ued
"The ta,rahedral.shaped kite,
think, is the one that is going to be
the most successful kite flying ma.
chine. The weight OF all other kites
has increased great deal more rap
idly as they grew in size ,han their
supporting power warranted"
Prof. Bell then exhibited a kite
model showing some winged cells,
joined together, and explained that
kite can be built OF them to the
size OF house, and yet the proper
ton of weight to the ewing" or
supporting power, will remain inst
the same as in a kite as large as a
chair.
"You will notice." he continued,
"that the Frost King, to whi ,rthis
is similar, is composed of a multi
tude of small, fragile cells that
would not lift hen individually
and could be broken by mans lit
tie finger. But combine them and
they are capable of standing a pull
OF many hundred pounds.
"As in the case Wednesday, a
man weighing ro5 pounds hung on
the rope and not cell was injured.
took a picture Of this perform.
ance," he said, with a smile, "and
am glad nothing happened to the
man, as'he has been injured several
times in working around these
kites"
The "Frost King" has been named
in honor Of Walter Archer Frost, of
keenan,, Wis, and ii was on the
day of this gentleman's marriage TO
Miss Susas Winifrede McCurdy who
is not P'of. Bells secretary, but a
friend of his in Nova Scotia, that
the kite received its first trial. This
was at his home, BeinpBhreagh, or
"Beautiful Mountain" .on Cape
Breton. There was a breeze under
ten miller an hour. On that occas-
ion 1t carried and held a man weigh
ing I40 pounds FIVE feet off the
ground. While it was "moored"
the man climbed up the rope. "I
couldn't get a picture just then,"
said Prof. Bell in describing the
scene, $50 on Wednesday, before
taking the steamer home, made
my next trial in a little white-cap
breeze.
Prof. Bell was loath to say what
he expected the future to have in
store. Don't quote me on futures"
he declared.
II is said, however, that Prof.
Bell will tell more about the "Frost
King" and what it has taught him.
His recent remarkable success Is at.
tributed by a man well versed in
kite flying to Prof. Prof. Bells sue
cessfu' attempt TO I'll up the center
of his tetrahedal kites with "winged
cells" making the whole contriyance
more bird like.
The "Frost King" however, is
not the most wonderful Of Prof.
Bells hundred or more kites, de
clared the scientist. ole is work.
ing now on one which he calls
'Onionos,' or bird of good omen"
DR.. Bell began building kites IN
1899. His constant belief since then
has been that a successful kite will
make a successful flying machine.
His idea is that kite in ten-mile
breeze, ought to support the man
and engine when driven by a motor
at the rate Of ten miles an hour.
IL is announced that Ben +.
SayTe. who was disfanced b,, No