The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1889-05-29
A FEATHERED ARMY.
Training Carrier Pigeons for War Purposes
in the German Army.

not until last summer JndG lOuuu ou1
to what extent the scheme had been
developed in the Fatherland.
While in Cologne the morning of the
22d of June was waiting for the ex-
press train, which leaves the Getty of |
Smells at noon for Berlin, noticed |
big wagon roll into the station. The
wagon was closed and covered with
paint of the national colors. On each
side of the vehicle, just above the
wheels, shone forth in large black and
white letters the inscription: 'Vierte
Deutsche Tauben Station" Fourth
German Pigeon Station.) The wagon
was accompanied by several officials in
the uniform of the Prussian infantry.
Soon the doors of the wagon were
opened, and became aware that there
were four large baskets of pigeons in
side.
.Where are those pigeons beingsent
topn asked one of the officials.
ITO Hanover" he replied.
"What forpp
"My comrade here, Mr.. Wolfenha-
gen, is going along with them, and
when he arrives with the pigeons in
Hanover he sets them free"
'sBut how is thatP Why do you want
to get rid of themp"
1--WE do not want to get rid of any
of them. They are sent to Hanover
and then set free because we want to
find out how many can find their way
back TO Cologne by themselves. "
BY this time the baskets with the
pigeons had all been unloaded, and
they were placed in aseparate carriage
near the end of the train. AS I was
going to Hanover myself, or at least a
part of the way, asked Mr.. Wolfen-
hagen whether it would be agreeable
to him to have me as a companion on
his Journey. The young man acquies-
ced politely, and VIC both climbed into
the carriage along with the feathered
travellers.
.sSince when has the Government
started to raise pigeons9" l now asked
my companion.
ssFor the last ten years, but never so
extensively as now. When the scheme
was first inaugurated it was only an
experiment, and during the last few
years it has proved so successful that
the pigeon stations are constantly i'm
proved, and the financial allowances
are made moro liberal than ever"
but what is the real object of the
Government in cultivating these car
rier pigeonsp"
"They will be used for war purposes,
and | can assure you, If ever we have
another war, the carrier pigeon will
provo to be the most efficient, reliable,
sure. and safe messenger OF dispatches
in the Government service. II it will
not weary you will tell you some
thing about the carrier pigeon service
In the German Government. 1t is an
interesting subject to me, and it may
probably be entertaining to you while
we are travelling together.
There are four carrier pigeon sta
tions established in Germany to-day,
at Hanover, at Breslau, at Berlin, and
at Cologne, with a total number of
nearly 10000 carrier pigeons Our
station-the one at Cologne--is the
smallest, because we have only 1000
pigeons OF course we have number
that are quite young and have no
feathers yet Those | do not count.
But those that are able to run about
and fly about are divided in the follow
ing manner: First those who have
travelled 1000 miles and over at one
time, then those who have travelled to
point over 500 miles. then those who
have returned from place 400 miles
from Cologne, and the last class, who
have been over distance of less than
$50 miles,
''But what is the method of training
you have adoptedp"
"a simple one. SO soon as the
min Oh In
selves they are taken out of that part
of our pigeon-house which we call the
breeding-house, and they are placed in
the 'juvenile class Here they run
around as they please. They are fed
on hemp seed most of the time and ON
Indian corn occasionally. They can
also get out on the roof and fly about
wherever their inclination takes them.
In this place we keep them for several
months before we have them go
through the primary course OF train
ing-that is, before we test their ability
OF returning to their home"
''That is done in this manner: On a
certain beautiful and clear day all tho
young ones are packed in baskets and
one of us takes Il light wagon with the
out of the city for distance of ten
miles.
"Here the driver stops. opens the
basket or baskets. and let's tho pigeons
fly. He marks the time Of their start
ing and then slowly returns 10 Cologne.
When arrived there he ought to find
every pigeon at home. A man has
been watching their return, and as
soon as they got in they were caught,
a number is put in book, and the
time Of their arrival is marked behind
the number. Then when the man who
took them out gets back the time Is
compared. and now the pigeons are
assorted according to their celebrity.
Those who covered the distance in fif-
teen minutes or less remain in the
Juvenile class, and all the others are
taken to the market the next day and
there sold.
.'Now with those who made the ten
miles in fifteen minutes the training Is
continued. In a few days they are
again taken away in n basket to dis
lance Of ten miles, in an opposite di-
rection from the first trip. Then the
same method is adopted on. their re-
turn. Those that do not come back in
fifteen minutes from this trip are again
discarded as no good and the training
is continued only with those returned
in the allotted time. Their training is
continued in this manner for weeks.
until they know every direction around
their home within radius Of ten miles.
''Those who complete their exercises,
as we might call them. in this class in
a satisfactory manner are then placed
In the middle class, which is depart
ment partitioned off from the Juvenile
room. Here the exercises are contin-
ued-that is, the distances are increas-
ed. First they are sent twenty-five
miles away. then fifty. then eighty,
then 120. then 40, and then $50 miles.
.'Now these advance again into the
400-mile class, and at last to the 1000
mile class.
But suppose there are few that
make always an even flight from the
time they start as n juvenile until they
get among the 1,000-mile flyerspn