The Washington times., 1922-12-28
KITES T0iGARRY
MtSSAGE0F /
SHRINE
Hope to Attain Altitude Of FIJI
teen Miles and Broadcast
Notes, Says Snyder.

teen Miles ana 6roduCdSt
Notes, Says Snyder.
An effort to scatter tiny slips OF
the nghtest paper made. bearing
notices of the Shrine session here
next June. from kites sent to a
greater altitude than has ever be-
fore been reached by any human
agency, will be made next spring
by the Almas Temple 1898 Shrine
committee, II was announced today
by Edgar C. Snyder. chairman OF
the entertainment committee ana
United States marshal for the DIS
trict.
1t is hoped that height Of fif.
teen miles can be reached py the
upper Of q long series OF kites In
tandem and that from this ire
mendous height the exceedingiy
light slips Of paper VIII DO carried
as far west as the Rocky moun-
tains before falling to eartn'
Kites IN Series.
According to the plans each OF
the many kites would be flown In
dependently. utilizing the next
lower kite in the series as base.
The first and uppermost kite Will
be an exceedingly light one with
a very light silk cord perhaps 500
yards in length. This will be at
tached to the second kite. which
will be only a trif1e larger. The
kites will gradually increase In
size, the line Increasing In the
same ratio, until the lowest kite.
perhaps thirty feet in spread. will
be sent up on an exceedingly strong
but light cable. The series OF
kites will be more than ten miles
long and as each kite ascends 1t
will help to pull the next one up
| into the air currents.
Each kite will bear q number Of
the sheets of flimsy. which will
be released by slow burning fuse.
AS the kites will be at all levels
from perhaps three miles, up to
fifteen, air currents in every d.
rection will be utilized simultane-
ously to bear the notices.
May Reach Europe.
1t is expected that the slips from
the highest kite will travel many
| thousands of miles before reaching
|
every part Of the United States and
the eastern portions Of Canada
| Large numbers will undoubtedly be
| carried far to sea and. II Is thought.
may even reach Europe.
The United States Weather Blu.
reau has succeeded in sending kites
bearing complete recording instru.
ments to a height Of six kilometers,
or between four and four and one.
half miles, 1t was stated today by
DR.. Charles c. Clark. assistant chief
| Of the Weather Bureau. This rec
| ord, the Shrine committee expects.
| will not be reached by the lowest
and largest OF it's series, but this
lowest kite will merely serve as a
base from which the second kite will
be sent to an equal height. The pres
| ent kite record was made from the
Weather Bureau station at Mt.
Weather. Va.
DIR. L. T. Samuels. of the aerologi.
cal division Of the Weather Bureau,
said that the proposed attempt would
be purely a matter of experiment.
He said that he thought 1t would
be entirely possible to exceed the
present records by the use Of such
a chain of kites.
Winds arc Variable.
| "The Winds" he explained, ARE
variable to a height OF more than
| five miles and consequently 1t
would be possible to encounter
winds which would scatter paper
slips in every direction. Above five
miles the winds are generally west.
erly, especially in winter, but In
summer they sometimes shift and
become easterly. Such winds would
undoubtedly carry slips II released
at this altitude to great distances.
"The releasing Of printed matter
from the air was carried on In Eu'
rope during the war, but free pilot
balloons were used. 1t would un.
doubtedly be more practicable and
less expensive to use the balloons.
but. YOU WOULD Of course, have no
control over their altitude or di-
rection. This could be accomplish.
ed by the kites IL you could succeed
in flying them to the height this
organization plans"
In Air All Week.
Mr.. Snyder said that the Shrine
kites, none of which would be
visible from the ground, would be
allowed to remain in the air during
the entire week before the coming
session, during the session. and per-
haps for the following week.
| The main cable, carried up by
the largest kite, would carry lights.
which would be visible for many
miles and which would prevent air.
craft flying into 1t at night. 1t
would be marked in the daytime
by colored streamers.
1t Is possible the Weather Bureau
will be invited to send UP q re.
cording machine on one OF the
larger kites and 1t is thought this
apparatus could be carried up to a
height of perhaps eight miles. ex
ceedinl any other such record.