Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-04-18

Flight OfWild Pigeons.

people living at B .ruum's, Sullivan county, N.
T., were surprise to see the air thick with the
fight of au apparently endless flock Of wild
pigeons, which was passing over that sectnn 10
the northward. For over quarter OF an hour
the flight continued iu an ince5sant stream, OBJ
struct,ng all view OF the sky, and giving to the
surroundings that sombre appearance caused
by the gathering and passing OF thunder clouds
II was not known at the time how far the Il OK
extended to the eastw .rd but it was subse-
uuentIy learned that it reached over twelve
miles 10 continuous line. The birds We're too
high to be shot at with any degree OF success,
although duriog the fight quite numbrr we' Q
killed by unusually Fortunate guuners. y ii
hunters said that The pigeon We're Seekl0g n,' :
ing places, but trom the altitude .! their t1lg t
it was not supposed that they would rest Shor
of the North Woods, in John Browns trac'.
Two days attcrward, however, lumbcrmen from
the head waters of the 3 ,avcrkl and the becch
woods OF the upper wilderness of Sullivan couo.
~, brought u the news that these sections had
been taken possession of by wild pigeons 10
enormous number, and thar they were prepar
ius for the Nesting season. LAW and order
sportsmcn, acting as individuals aud ior
fish and game societies, ut once set about
taking measures to protect the birds trom
awle,s destruction. The woods We're found
to be literally swarsniug with pigeons.
DEPUTY game conslables Were stationed in con-
siderable force in tie wieruess, cabins being
erected for their accommodation They had
orders to deal as summarily with all gunuers
or trappcrs seeking 0 u Sturb the birds as the
laws would warrant. Unparallee! sport was
auticip pated in due time; but untor unatcy Sc
we're weather intervcned, snow talnng 10 the
depth of nearly Il foot along the Beaverkll q
few days after the pigeons rested. Alter the
storm had ceased the cousabes notlced aD un-
usual stir amoog the birds throughout tue re-
zion, and about noon on the fifth day OF their
stay they began taking fight, aud 10 few
hours there Was not a pigeon 10 be tound the
cui,rc territory. They took direction North
west, aud 10 due time were beard of as having
PASSED over the couuties OF Delaware and
Brrome in this State. and Su>Qushauua and
Bradford in Pennsy lyauia, agd iook up tlelr
s,uartcrs n the beech woods of Pike and Mou-
roe COUNTIES.
The beech woods of these counties comprise
thousands of acres of almost primitive wilder.
ness, they being invaded only by lumbermcu,
bark reeiers aud sportsmen. ln their fast Dess-
es the black bear roams at will and the wild
deer tinds security from hunter and hound.
On Friday last Clinton Waters and Isaac Ben
neu, TWO bark peclers, were in the depths OF
the beech woods, about FIVE miles from this
station, selecting place to build a cabin for
the ensuing bark peeling season. The sun was
shining brightly, not cloud bclrg 10 the sky
when suddenly the sun was hidden as II 0y
dark cloud, and noise like that produced by
a gale OF wind or the roll OF distant ,nunder
broke on their ears Simultaneously the woods
~
alter tree was filled with the rap!dity OF light
ming, aud still the air was black with one great
moving mass OF birds as far as the eye could
reach.
After the first excitement attending the ap
nearance of the pi seuns had passed OFT ani 1t
W.s apparent that the great body had fuund
resting places. Walters and Bennett, true to ID.
Instinct of the human race, began 10 wage
war agsinst the birds. They were possessed of
no guns but taking each long pole, they swoop-
ed a!ou them among the pigeons, right aud
left. With every blow dozeus of the birds fell
killed and manned to the grouod The men
slew hundreds 10 this way. The pigeons 10 q
tree that they attacked would fly at the hrst
assault, only 10 seek the nearest resting place.
This ruthless destruction of the pigeons Was
kept up by the TWO men until they were actu-
ally glutted with killing, when they picked up
leaving tho ground streWn with others, dead,
dying and wounded.
For the purpose of seeing how far the woods
were occupied BY the pigeons they walked tor
live miles through the forest. AS far as they
could see on either side the birds occupied the
trees, and wheu they stopped 10 their walk to
turn off to the Summit. they could not discover
the end of the f,ck When they brought the
news Ut the great pigeon roost to this place the
excitement was great among the lumbcrmeU and
others, aud dczeus o men started out to kill tht u
atnisht on the roost They were armed with guns
and ciuns Each man carried Iautern or torch
made Of piuc knots. On reaching the roost a
continuous slaughter was kept up for two
hours. The birds. alarmed by the guns aud
lights flew bliudy about amoug the trees,
Solue dashiug against the lanterns and slngelng
themselves in the torches. | he noise made by
the disturbed plgeoos flying from their roosts
was terrific. 1t is estimated hat 10000 were
killed aud wounded, the most Of which were
left on the ground. rha party returned loaded
down with birds, which we're distributed
throughout the neigh hborhood.
No one took interest enough 10 the pigeons
to ask the protection of the law for them, and
on Saturday the same slaughter was commenc-
cd again. The birds had chosen the beech
Wo 'hS as their nestihg place, but the detcrmlu
I'd cruelty and barbarity of the al zee MT inhab-
ltants resulted iu their agaiu taking fight and
seeking other fields. They rose from the woods
about niue 0 clock Saturday morning, and in a
short tine all had disappeared. They took a
Course directly west, flying very high, aud have
settled probably in the wilderness of Western
Pennsylvania. Ola and experienced hunters
>ay that this was the largest fight of wIG
pigeons ever known 10 this region The flock
w.> celtaluly twelve miles long and four or Ave
vile.