The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-08-24
"CARR|[R-P|GEON SYSTEM.
Interesting Account of the Manner
Of Training the Military
Messenger.
Superiority of the Bird Over All
Other Carriers of Important
Dispatches.
Great Progress Made in the Past Year
Speed of the Birds-How They
Are Trained,

The past year shows remarkable progress
In tho European carrier-pigeon system, says
a writer in La Nature. The location of thu
various stations has now been fully deter
mined upon, and nothing remains to be
done but to connect the frontier fortified.
tions with each other and with a central
station. So far as the fortresses are con.
cerned little difficulty is encountered in
establishing connections, for in nearly every
instance they are in close proximity to each
Other and ordinarily trained pigeons can
easily travel between them. But his il
vastly different in regard to a central sta
tion, especially in countries of magnificent
distances, such as Russia, Germany and
France. These drawbacks will be some.
what modified by the establishment of re-
lays, or illustrations between the frontier
and the central station.
1he two obstacles between which the
project hangs fire are virtually these: On
the one hand. routes of such length that
they are beyond the strength and endurance
of the birds; IN the other hand, an increase
of stations and q consequent loss of time
caused at the beginning of the trip by the
pigeon seeking its bearings, and at the end
of the same by the hssitancy which the bird
always displays before it enters its station.
The supsrio.i ty of the carrier pigeon sys-
tenn over all other methods for the trans-
mission of dispatches has long been ac-
knowledged where long distances are con-
cerned. A regular railway train consumes
thirty hours in making the distance of 312
miles between Paris and Lyons, which
distance is traversed by a carrier pigeon
in from eight to nine hours. Ordinary
carrier pigeons, or those with which
military stations are usually stocked. are
able to mnks from thirty to ninety miles in
from ono to four hours. The nature of the
territory over which they travel has great
influence upon the facility of the route.
Mountain chains are the principal obsta-
Giles; they cause delays. and danger turks in
the path of the winged messenger by reason
OF the birds of prey that infest such dis
tricts. A distance Of 17b miles over a plain,
level country IL much more easily traversed
than n trip of fifty miles over n mountain
route.
In mountain districts the stations are
never located at the highest points. but in
the valleys ut the edge of the route to be
taken. The birds follow the mountain
passes, and do not fly away over the tops of
the mountains, the height OF which sur
passes. az n rule, tho ordinary capacity Of
the bird.
In some countries military carrier pigeons
are only trained during tue spring of the
year. This IL an error, for in times of war
the birds arc compelled to encounter tho
inclemency OF all seasons. During the past
winter tho societce FE,stafette Lvonnaise
has made extensive ex feriments with car
rier pigeons. Out of n tiook of 100 carrier
pigeons they lost forty-threo, hut by the
number that returned 1t was demonstrated
that with the proper precautions the scr
Woe could be made practicable, even dur
ing the severost winter weather, such a.