The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-10-10
CARRIER PIGEONS.
WONDERFUL WORK OF THESE
AERIAL MESSENGERS.
Value Of the Birds in War-MaH.
netic Attraction of Place
The Instinct That Takes
q Pigeon Home

netic Attraction of Place
The Instinct That Takes
Pigeon Home.
In Belgium at the present season of
the year, and to lesser extent in this
country, the sport of pigeon flying is in
full progress, for this is the time when
the great races of these aerial messen-
gers occur. In Belgium, at least, every
Saturday vast train loads of homing. or
"voyageur, pigeons are sent to various
training or racing stations on the Contl-
nent, and are liberated there at stated
times Immediately the baskets are
opened the air is thickened with them.
The best "voyageurs, after first rising
skyward, will strike for home. CtEers
will career around once or twice, as if to
find their b: arings, and then make q
bee line for the place of their abode,
whether it be so or 500 miles distant.
There the owners are anxiously awaiting
the arrival of their birds. For the great
races swift-footed messengers are en-
ployed. The moment the bird arrives
it is caught, and without the loss of
moment is taken to the club room. where
the officials ale waiting to verify times of
arrival and to identify the pigeons. In
Be gium, almost every village has its
pigeon society, every town several clubs,
some of which are as exclusive IN their
membership as is the jockey club. So
cial standing is an important factor In
the acceptance or rejection of members.
It is estimated that there are upward of
1000 pigeon societies in the Netherlands,
and that during the training and racing
season there is an average of over 1Oh,-
900 birds sent every Saturday, for Sun.
day is the great racing day, to the vari-
Gus stations.
How much is thought of the pigeon as
an addition to the fighting forces of
Continental nations may be inferred from
the excitement caused few months ago
when a German pigeon was found at
Tours. In our English military
maneuvers MAJOR Allatt has shown how
rapid communications can be made be.
tween different sections of an army, aud
how the oatposts can give information
to headquarters, where probably the
telegraph would be unavailable. But it
is not only in the arts of war that the
homing pigeon has proved capable OF
great service. There are many peaceful
operations where it is able to convey
news more rapidly thar ran be sent by
any other means. Country doctors often
employ homers to return with prescrip-
tions to their surgcries in special cases,
and they are fir, quently used by pilots
to announce the arrival of vessels off the
coast. But perhaps no section of the
community utilzes the voyageur pigeon
more than does tie press. Cnder many
circumstances it can Leaf the telegraph,
for there is the manifest advantage that
it is ever ready, aud can be dispatched
from any point of the compass or any
place.
Whence comes this power, this mag
netic attraction of one place, which will
make bird seek its home in spite of OBJ
.tacles apparently insurmountable2 What
this instinct which seems never to be
lest2 1t is recorded of bird sent with
many others to be flown from Rome to
Belgium in race across the Alps, that
it returned after two years. Nearly all
its confreres were lost. The great chain
of mountains were a barrier against
which they could not contend, and they
had probably gone off in wrong direc-
tions. This one had evidently, from the
marks on his feathers, been captured and
held prisoner for the time named; but
he still longed for home. When the
moment came and he was free, then he
sought and found once more his we'll
known loft. Another case is told Of a
Belgium bird sent to Newcastle Tyne,
which accidently escaped. Never be-
next morning he was back again at
Brussels. It must have that instinct
which enables it to achieve the object for
which it strives, and in the most rapid
manner, and it must be powerful in build.
with strong mucles, able 10 withstand
the enormous strain of long flight, Of
ten against the most adverse influences.
It may, therefore, be taken as the athlete
of the race COLUMBIA, and exactly the re.
verse of the pampered darlings OF the Or
dinary pigeon fanciers which are to be
seen preening themselves in the show
pen.
Many methods of transmitting the
message are employed. Sometimes it is
tied to the tail feathers, but usually 1t is
written on a narrow strip of paper which
is wrapped around the leg and either
held there by a p ece of gummed paper,
by thread or a fine elastic band. The
wei ht is intnitessimal; the free move
ment of the bird unimpeded, and as the
legs are carried up under the body dur.
ing the flight the message is protested
from rain. A good homer enters its loft
at once and many traps are fitted with
an electric arrangement by which sig
nal is given the moment it alights. In
races all the competing birds are pri,
vately marked to prevent fraud. and
these marks must be verified ere prize
is awarded. When the birds have re-
turned the velocities are worked out,
and those that have covered the distance
most rapidly are declared the winners.
Velocitics of 800 aud 1000 yards per
minute over course of 100 miles are
Quite common, and 1900 to 1900 yards
per minute for that distance have often
been done, while an average Of half a
mile per minute has been made in races
of nearly four hundred miles.-Pau Mall
Budget.