KITE FLYING EXTRAORDINARY

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 11689, 24 February 1902, Page 3

KITE FLYING EXTRAORDINARY

The recent craze for kite-fiying has had the practical result of inducing a young woman of Boston to construct a novel kind of airship on the,model of an enormous kite. In is enthusiastic young rival oi M. Santos Dumont has already risen to a. height of 200 feet on her fsail craft, and expects to do greater things before long with a new kite which is now on the point of completion. The kite in which sue made her ascent is a somewhat peculiar-looking aii'air, resembling two three-cornered boxes, connected by two canvas wings. The smaller box is at the bottom or tiie luie, the large one at t:ie top, aii~ are connected by woojen nus, measuring 14ft in height. The upper cross-bar is '/it long, and tlie lower one, which is only sft long, forms the bar on which the aeronaut stands. The middle of the kite is quite open. First of all, the kite was sent up with various weights attached to it. Beginning with 501bs, it successfully stood a test with 1251b5. This burden it carried quite easily, and although the kite broke its line during the experiment, it did not collapse and pitch down sideways, but floated away like a balloon, and finally settled on the ground as gently as a bird. Having had the kite thoroughly tested and provided with a rope capable of standing a strain of 10001b, the young Bostonian, garbed as a boy, in order to attract as little attention as possible, essayed her first flight in mid-air. When the cord was slackened the kite rose without any perceptible shock. The sensation, according tot-he little lady's account, was that of floating through the air. When pressed upon by the wind, it would dip down and sway," but, presently recovering, would slowly soar upwards again. The descent was easy and gradual, being without any veering or plunging. The only discomfort arose out of the cold, which was very keen to one unprepared for it. The venturesome girl hopes to reach an altitude of 3000 f- at least on her new kite, and laughingly says she will go up half a mile to greet- M. >Santos Dumont, if he should succeed in flying across the Atlantic.