Airships past and present, together with chapters on the use of balloons in connection with meteorology, photography and the carrier pigeon . is a real improve-ment. On the one hand, the vertical position of the kite ismore stable, and on the other, a serious accident is renderedmore improbable. In mounting to great heights it is necessary to use a lightkite. In consequence, it is not likely to be very strong. It hasoften happened that a kite of this kind has been destroyed bythe wind, which may be blowing strongly at a great height with-out being very noticeable at the ground level. This is a
Airships past and present, together with chapters on the use of balloons in connection with meteorology, photography and the carrier pigeon . is a real improve-ment. On the one hand, the vertical position of the kite ismore stable, and on the other, a serious accident is renderedmore improbable. In mounting to great heights it is necessary to use a lightkite. In consequence, it is not likely to be very strong. It hasoften happened that a kite of this kind has been destroyed bythe wind, which may be blowing strongly at a great height with-out being very noticeable at the ground level. This is a commonoccurrence in meterological work. As it is not possible to reachgreat heights with one kite, it is usual to put several on the samecord, one behind the other, and sometimes as many as nine are 120 AIRSHIPS PAST AND PRESENT. joined together in this way. A kite of this kind is quite able tosupport the weight of the rope and recording instruments. The Americans have applied them to many military purposes,and Lieutenant Wise has carried out a great deal of work withthis object in view. It is particularly well adapted for % 1 FIG. 73.—Codys kite used as a captive balloon. An absolutely calm day or night is a very rare occurrence; andit is nearly always possible to send up a string of kites to a heightof a few hundred feet. Signalling can therefore easily be carriedout, either by hoisting flags in the daytime, or lights at regard to lights, the simplest plan is to use different colours,and to vary their position with regard to one another. Bengallights of different colours could also be used to convey intelligence. KITES. 121 Doubtless the best thing in this respect is the electric light, whichcan be switched on and off from below. If electric lights arearranged, one above the other in separate compartments, andshaded by glasses of different colours, a message can be Morse code could always be used by showing the lights forlonger and sho
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