The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-10-11
GREAT PIGEON Ko0sT NEAR
M mn oAKLAS1 ri I,II9
Six Acres OF Ground Covered Two
Feet Deep Every Night for Ten

THE BLuTTER OF WINGS LIKE THE ROAR
/, or A WATERFALL WONDERFUL

| EB " +E-I Ot
THE BLuTTRR OF WINGS LIKE THE ROAR
[ or A WATERFALL "A WONDERFUL
STORY bgD .4.u,l bus fss.r
(FfOm Wednesdays Cumberland Nsws)
Several gentlemen Of this city have re.
Gently been toSa pigeon sslHughter,ne
Oakland, 10 this county, and their state.
ments Of what they saw are truly marvel.
Gus, but the truth OF their stories Is veri.
fed In the thousands oI.deid pigeons
brought home by them and distributed
among their friends, II, indeed, such proof
were necessary. In conversation yester.
day with highly esteemed resident of
the Allegheny Glades, gentleman born
and reared In that portion OF our county,
we were related some wonderful things
aboutEa wild pigeon roost, on Mr.. VIM,
Schley's land, embracing about six uCrcs
OF ground, which Is densely crowded
with alder. bushes, IA kind Of tree, which
owing to itssmall size, about 10 or 10 feet
10 height, and from three to four inches in
diameter at the ground, IS often styled
a "bush.w II is Of very common
growth in the glade regions. The in.
Hooking pigeons gradually settled down
upon these bushes, until they were bent 10
the ground by the weight Of the birds.
tSLil more pigeons came flying in from
distant points and continued to settle
down upon the already living mass until
the whole five or six acres were compact.
y covered. SO great was the number of
birds that they were piled upon each
other in places from one to two feet in
depth. The scene Is described as wonder.
full and'almost beyond beliei,-the tiutter.r
Ing ofthe countless thousands Of wing,
as the birds were focking In and strGg'
CLING with each other for an Alighting
place, was like the roar ola waterfall and
could be heard at distance Of two miles,
while the swapping Of broken limbs OF tho
trees added TO the uproar and confusion,
as the startled birds would arise 10 settle
down again, perhaps in the same spot
where their great weight had but the
instant before broken their pcrChes and
precipitated them to the ground When
tree would snap and break, tho birds
that were upon al would start up fand
then settle down pom their nearestneigli.
bOrs, but to experience perhaps, the same
misfortune that had Just bctallen them
until night closed in. 1t cannot be Csti.
mated how many thousand birds were
thus congregated, but in all probability
not less than ten hundred thousand. Our
informant says millions but ii Is wonder.
tul enough to estimate them nj the above
figure. The pigeons continued tlocking
In and settling upon and among each 9th.
or from about four o'clock in the after.
noon until nighttalI, when al last they be.
came still and prepared Tor theft nights
rest Withthe early dawn oil the morn
ing flock after flock arose and flew away
in all directions, which departures were
continued until about nine o'clock, when
the place was deserted and not living
bird to be seen during the remainder Of
the day, until toward evening, when they
again began tlockilg back 70 the same
roOsts, and the scenes Of the evening be-
fore were again to be witnessed; aud all
this has occurred daily Tor the
past ten days 1t is estimated that all
the flock Of pigeons for perhaps fifty or
sixty miles around, thus gather at this |
one spot eachevening during theirannual
visit to the immense lorestre!
gtons Of tho Allegheny Mountains in
quest oil the heavy mast Of acorns abound
ing there. This is the only roOst known
this season in this or any of the bordering
counties, and is perhaps the only one
within circle Of several hundred miles.
1t is a well established fact, that these
birds have but one roosting place with.
in very large territory, and i'll their
transit to warmer latitudes, and during
their stoppagcby tho way, use ono place
only as q rOost at night. stE f'E |
Atthis wonderful roost on Col. Schley's |
place, thousands and thousands of pig
cons have been nightly captured by men
and boys with guns, clubs and bags.
Alter nightfdll person can go among the |
birds and scoop them into the mouth of q |
bag. It's needless to add that thousands
Of them have been wantonly shot and |
allowed TO remain on the ground where
they died. Althougho Their pigeon roosts
have been. known in tho glade disttictsin
other years past, this one IS considered
the largest ever seen by the oldest in.
habitAnt.