Hi Puzzlers,
Just the other day I was driving by the park and notice a couple of kids flying kites. The brightly colored kites against the blue sky and the children bundled up like little snow-babies running through the snow was a beautiful site. I have seen children flying kites many times in the summer months but never in the winter.
Historians estimate that kites have been flying in our sky for at least 2000 years and many believe kites originated in China and the South Seas. “One legend suggests the first kite was made when a Chinese farmer tied a string to his hat to keep it from blowing away in a strong wind.” Kite flying was most likely invented for fun, but has had many uses thoughtout the years.
Militaries throughout the globe have used kites for target practice, and as bombs by attaching explosives to the kite and sending it over enemy lines, or by igniting it and crashing it into an enemy ship. Kites were used as a form of airmail between Maryland and Virginia during the American Civil War and during WWI kites were used for enemy observation and signaling. Kites in “WW II were provided with life rafts and intended for use in raising emergency antennas when sailors needed to abandon their ships.”
The scientific community has used kites for wind and weather research and to raise meteorological instruments and cameras into the skies. Most famous is Ben Franklin's use of a kite to prove that lightning was an electric phenomenon.
Kites were also used for measuring distances when it was difficult or dangerous to physically walk to another location. A rope would be attached to the kite and it was then flown over to the other side. This technique was used in the building of the bridge across Niagara Falls (New York to Canada) and to carry telephone wires.
One of the most unusual uses of kite power came from George Pocock in 1822. George used a pair of kites to pull a carriage; this use saved him on taxes as road taxes at the time were based on the number of horses a carriage used. Some of his trips would record speeds between 20 and 100 miles per hour!
Today’s kite uses include kite sailing, kite surfing, kite skiing and kite buggying.
Just the other day I was driving by the park and notice a couple of kids flying kites. The brightly colored kites against the blue sky and the children bundled up like little snow-babies running through the snow was a beautiful site. I have seen children flying kites many times in the summer months but never in the winter.
Historians estimate that kites have been flying in our sky for at least 2000 years and many believe kites originated in China and the South Seas. “One legend suggests the first kite was made when a Chinese farmer tied a string to his hat to keep it from blowing away in a strong wind.” Kite flying was most likely invented for fun, but has had many uses thoughtout the years.
Militaries throughout the globe have used kites for target practice, and as bombs by attaching explosives to the kite and sending it over enemy lines, or by igniting it and crashing it into an enemy ship. Kites were used as a form of airmail between Maryland and Virginia during the American Civil War and during WWI kites were used for enemy observation and signaling. Kites in “WW II were provided with life rafts and intended for use in raising emergency antennas when sailors needed to abandon their ships.”
The scientific community has used kites for wind and weather research and to raise meteorological instruments and cameras into the skies. Most famous is Ben Franklin's use of a kite to prove that lightning was an electric phenomenon.
Kites were also used for measuring distances when it was difficult or dangerous to physically walk to another location. A rope would be attached to the kite and it was then flown over to the other side. This technique was used in the building of the bridge across Niagara Falls (New York to Canada) and to carry telephone wires.
One of the most unusual uses of kite power came from George Pocock in 1822. George used a pair of kites to pull a carriage; this use saved him on taxes as road taxes at the time were based on the number of horses a carriage used. Some of his trips would record speeds between 20 and 100 miles per hour!
Today’s kite uses include kite sailing, kite surfing, kite skiing and kite buggying.
Happy Puzzling!
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