Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-10-19
THE RECORD BROKEN.
ONE OF THE CARRIER PIGEONS ARRIVES
FROM WICHITA, KANSAS.
The Distance LOO Niles Made in a Little Over
Rny-TwO HguS-rhs Best Long Dis
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Ray-FwO Hgus-Ths Best Long Dis
aDcs Tine Ever Msde.
Yesterday afternoon at two O'Clock anu
fifty three minutes, the oldest ofthe W
carrier pigeons sent from this city 10
Wichita. Kansas by Mr.. John Friesmuth,
and liberated there by a friend Saturday
morning, arrived at the loft over Mr.
Friesmuth's barber shop, in alley nine,
rear the Stamm House, having made the
long Journey of twelve hundred miles in
perfect safety, and at q high rate OF speed
The OUNCE bird did not arrive before
dusk. but il is looked for at an early hour
this morning. The birds were liberated
in Wichita at eight o'clOekan thir ty-four
minutes. Western standard time, Saturday
morning. or ten o'clock and nine minutes
Wheeling city time, making the en-
tire time elapsing in the trip
between the two cities ffty-twO hours and
Corty-four minutes, but Is the birds only
Ay by day the actual time OF transit IS re-
dueed to about twenty-four hours on the
trip, namely, seven hours on Saturday,
ten hours Sunday and seven hours yester-
day. This gives an average rate OF speed
of fifty miles per hour, OF /, 44O yards per
minute. The highest speed on record III
This country is 1874 yards per minute,
made by Little May" belonging to r. +.
Goldman. of Brooklyn, n. Y, in August
1884, and the next highest, l464 yarus per
minute, by Albright" owned by l.
Bowerman, of IrvingtOn, n. j., IN May
| 1889. This shows a high rate Ofspeed Tor
Mr.. Freismuth's bird, considering that
the distance flown was the longest on re-
cord. with one exception, that being the
Aiobt. in July last, from Key West, Flor
ida, to New York City, a distance OF l,24o
miles.
other long flights in this country are as
follows: Garfield. owned by W. Nern-
| der, Jersey City, from India napOlls 10
| Jersey CITY, twenty days out, distance
$50 miles; General Sheridan owned by
] C. Decumbe, Cleveland, from Kansas
CITY TO Cleveland, fifty-twO days out, IO4
miles; 'Gladiateur,' owned by r. H.
Conoyer, KeypOrt, y. Y, from Atlanta,
Ga, to Keyport, ten days out, 20 miles;
"Atlanta," owned by Samuel Hunt, Fall
| River, from J~OnesbOrO, Tenn, to a
River. nine DAYS out, rs miles; "Red
Whizzer," owned by r. l.. Hayer, Phila-
delphia, from Pensacola, Fla, to Phlla-
delphia, twelve days out, 935 miles; Chi
ma Bill :" owned BY c. K. HenSel," Phila-
delphia, also from Pensacola, nineteen
days out; "Arnoux," owned by A. L.
| Baldwin. Newark, y. j., from PenSa-
cola to Newark, 1.OlO miles, twenty
six DAVIS out: Montgomery owned by
samuel Hunt, Fall River, from MOntgOm-
cry, Ala, to Fall River, 1,OlO miles, IN
~thirty-nine days. From the above
record it will be seen that Mr.. FrelSmuth's
bird has made a remarkably quick trip,
breaking the record for long distance fly
inc in a rather bad way. The pigeon came
into the loft in excellent shape, and showed
| little evidence of the tremendous journey
| il had performed. 1t trembled very per-
eeptably, and was hungry, but beyond
that seemed to be none the worse for It's
flight. Mr.. Freismuth was on watch for
the pigeon, and the time was noted eX-
actly by watch. A careful examination OF
the bird showed that two or
three feathers were missing from ITS
tail, and q few from its breast, but
whether they had been dropped accident
ally or lost through some mishap, such as
a contact with some bird OF prey, cannot
be ascertained. The bird is eighteen
| months old, while the other one, still alb
| sent is a young bird of but nine months,
| and therefore not able to make as good
time.
Some very remarkable flights of carrier
| pigeons are on record. Probably the most
extraordinary was a trip made from 81.
Sebastian, Spain, to Liege, Belgium, IN
1862. The distance is 6l5 miles, and sixteen
birds being liberated at st. Sebastian in
the morning, one arrived at Liege the same
night. The sport is very popular IN Bel
GUM, arising to the dignity of a national
pastime. Every fifth person Is a pigeon
owner, anda majority Ofthe dwellings '
the peculiar dormer window which tell OF
the pigion loft beneath the roof. The eX-
tent to which the pastime Is carried on
NAV be imagined when it Is known that
in six months Of last year more than n mil
lion pigeons, occupying eleven hundred
and six ears, were sent to France to be lib
Grated from a single Belgian province. The
birds are sent away in such numbers thai
special trains are often run on the railroads
to accommodate them. The best time ever
made in Europe is a mile in tOrty-eIght
seconds, made from ArrOs TO Antwerp.
The distance is 90! miles and it was made
by a bird in 30 minutes.
Here in America the sport is but fifteen
wears old. The first incentive to long dis
lance flying was in 1879 when a reward OF
500 was offered for a bird which should COW
er 500 miles. An attempt TO win this, by
Aying birds from Columbus, o., to New
York, resulted in the two pigeons being
lost. The next year birds succeeded II
living from Steubenyille to New York City,
Francisco" owned by l.. Maetelear, 81
Hobokeu, making the trip in eight hours
and eighteen minutes. Since that time
the distances have been gradually increas,
ed, many flights having been made from
the ~Steubenvills Court House, Indian
apOlis, Columbus, and points in the South
erp States, all centering mt New York and
vicinity. where most Ofthe American bird,
are owned.
Mr.. Freismuth's long distance bird IS a
beautiful one, full breasted and we'll feather
ed. and Yesterday afternoon, after IT.
arrival, it attracted much attention. lie
80 n - n . -, N.,aW n AFN fNnn n