It is obvious, too, that kite-photographs might be of great value
in time of war, since a detailed view of an enemy's lines and
fortifications might be thus obtained; while at sea a perfected
kite-photographing apparatus might be of great value in recording
the approach of an enemy's ships. Mr. Eddy regards it as perfectly
possible to send up a tandem of kites from the deck of a man-of-war,
with a circular camera, such as has already been devised, attached
to the main line, and an apparatus for snapping all the shutters
simultaneously; and photograph, not only the whole horizon as seen
from the deck of a vessel, but, because of the greater elevation, many
miles beyond. A battle-ship provided with this photographing device
would enjoy as great an advantage as if it were able at will to
stretch out its mainmast into a tower of observation a mile high.
It is true that some of the lenses in the circular camera, the
ones facing the sun, might give imperfect pictures; but in whatever
position the sun might be, at least one hundred and eighty degrees
of the horizon would be clearly photographed. And by taking such
observations in the early morning, and again in the middle of the
afternoon, it would be possible to cover the whole circuit, and thus
be aware of the approach of an enemy's ships long before they would
have been visible to a telescope used on the deck. In such a circular
camera each lens would be numbered, and the position of each would be
accurately determined with regard to the points of the compass by the
use of guy-cords stretching from the main line to the framework of the
apparatus. Thus, on looking at the number of a lens, the photographer
would immediately know from which direction any vessel whose image was
shown might be coming.
Nor is the use of the kite in war limited to the services it would
render in photography; it might easily do more than that, and become a
most efficient and novel engine of destruction. As has been shown, it
is merely a question of carpenter work to send up a tandem of kites
that will swing a heavy load high in the air. Suppose that load were
dynamite, with an arrangement for dropping it over any desired spot.
Mr. Eddy suggests that this might be effected by means of a slow match
made by soaking a cotton string in saltpetre, which would be lighted
on despatching the load of dynamite, and would burn at a regular rate,
say one foot in five minutes, so that the length of the match could be
timed to meet the necessities of the case. On burning to its end,
the match would ignite a cord holding the dynamite in a pasteboard
receptacle, one side of which would fall down like the front of a
wall-pocket as soon as the restraining cord was burned through; and
immediately the dynamite in the box would be launched toward its
destination. Mr. Eddy has already carried out an experiment similar
to this, in setting loose from high elevations tiny paper aëroplanes.
With a little practice he found he could start the slow match with
such precision as to cause the aëroplanes to burst out into flight at
any desired altitude. This interesting and beautiful experiment was
performed for the first time by Mr. Eddy on February 22, 1893, when
he sent off from a height of one thousand feet forty aëroplanes, their
forward edges weighted with pins for greater stability.
Assuming such an arrangement made for discharging a load of dynamite,
Mr. Eddy calculates that, with a twenty-mile breeze, six eighteen-foot
kites would lift fifty pounds of the explosive a quarter of a mile
in the air and suspend it over a fort or beleaguered city half a mile
distant. It would thus be perfectly possible, supposing the wind to be
in the right direction, to bombard Staten Island with dynamite dropped
from kites sent up from the Jersey shore. It is evident that,
for purposes of bombardment, a tandem of kites possesses several
advantages over the war balloon. Kites are much cheaper. Then it would
be far more difficult to disable them than to disable a balloon, since
they offer a smaller mark to the enemy's guns; and even if one or two
were destroyed, the others would still suffice to carry the dynamite.
Finally, the kites may be sent up without risk to the lives of those
who directed them, which is not the case with the balloons.
Another interesting and important application of the modern kite has
been conceived by Professor J. Woodbridge Davis, principal of the
Woodbridge Boys' School, in New York, who is one of the most famous
kite-flyers in the world, in addition to being a distinguished
scientist and mathematician. It was Professor Davis who invented the
dirigible kite several years ago, three strings allowing the operator
to steer the kite from right to left at will or to make it sink to
earth. Having perfected this curious kite, which is of hexagon shape,
is covered with oiled silk, is foldable, portable, and has a tail,
Professor Davis turned his attention to his more recent and important
discovery of the dirigible buoy, which bids fair to do much to lessen
the dangers of shipwreck. For months past Professor Davis, assisted by
Mr. Eddy, has been experimenting on the Kill von Kull with this buoy,
and has obtained most encouraging results. There are two kinds, both
being designed to be attached to kite lines and drawn over the water
by the power of the kite. The simpler variety is merely a long wooden
tube about three inches in diameter and shaped very much like a gun
projectile, with a cone of tin dragging behind to give steadiness. It
is for use only when the wind is blowing in exactly the direction in
which it is designed to send a message or carry a rope. It will be
observed that, in a large number of cases when ships are driven on
rocks, the wind is blowing toward the shore, and in such cases a
line of kites would readily carry one of these buoys ashore with the
important words inside or the still more important rope following
after.
Not satisfied, however, with this buoy, Professor Davis sought some
means of making kites draw a load across the water in any direction
desired, regardless of the way the wind might be blowing; and, after
much thought and calculation, he hit upon what is now known as the
Davis buoy, an object that has become familiar to dwellers at Bergen
Point and Port Richmond, from the frequent experiments on the Kill
that have been carried on during the past year. This form of buoy is
much larger than the other, being three or four feet in length; and
its essential feature is a deep iron keel that projects below out of
the block of wood forming the body. It is evident that this keel will
tend to keep the buoy headed in any given direction; and stability of
position is further assured by the presence of guy-ropes attached to
the main line of the kite. Each buoy is provided with three of these
ropes, which, by being lengthened or shortened, may cause the buoy to
form any desired angle with the kite-cord, and to keep it. Professor
Davis has entirely succeeded in making the kites drag the buoy along
the water in various directions in the very strongest gales--in fact,
under precisely the conditions that would assist when the buoys would
be needed for life-saving service from wrecks. And he is positive
that, with further experiment, he will be able, by moving along the
shore until a tacking angle is reached, not only to send lines, food,
or messages to a disabled vessel from the shore, but to bring back
by the same kites and the same buoy other lines and messages from the
people in distress.
Considering the important offices of which it has already been
proved capable, and the possibility which these suggest of many other
practical applications, it is clear that the kite is no longer to
be regarded as simply a toy. And this, in turn, suggests anew the
familiar truth that, after all, nothing in this world is of small
consequence.