By Dan Beard
Driving a Kite Attached to a Wagon.
A couple of his pupils last summer took a carriage ride on the shore of Long Island, in the vicinity of Arverne, and the nag they drove was a star-shaped kite, seven feet in diameter.
These two young men conceived the idea of propelling a wagon by means of one of these kites. They arranged a four-wheeled vehicle with a platform, placing a seat in the rear, in front of which is a long box wherein to place one's feet, so that the weight can be as low as possible. The arrangement allows one plenty of room to manipulate the cord of each windlass by means of a crank and a brake.
Fig.
28: Wagon Attached to Kite
Fig 29. Double Belly-Banded Kite.
The other passenger sits on a little more elevated seat near the front of which where he can work a sort of brake, the shaft of which is connected with a simple device for steering the front wheels. The wheels are all the same size, three feet four inches, and are strongly made. The tray is four feet eight inches.
A favorable breeze sent up the kite, and soon the wagon was following the new motor along the beach. By being able to steer the kite to right or left they were able to follow the line of the shore.
If any of the readers of this book are ambitious to make an experiment, they had better try a small hand wagon with a much smaller kite for motive power (Fig. 28). Kites will pull a wagon, as has been demonstrated many times, and if the kite can be steered then the greatest difficulty is overcome.
Why not Use a Sled?
Attached to a sled in wintertime such a kite would afford royal sport, and something entirely new. There are many places where a sled could be used on the smooth snow or ice that would be impracticable for any kind of a wagon.
