The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-05-24
MESSENGERS OF WAR.
Homing Pigeons to Be Used In
Military Service.
Experiments with tho Birds on tho Sea
Coast-How tho Messages Arc
Prepared for Trans
rnIssfCp

Considerable interest has been
aroused lately among naval officers on
the subject of using homing pigeons as
messengers to shore stations while at
Sea, writes Hampton Roads CORE
spondent of the Boston Transcript.
This has grown out of series of sue
cessful experiments carried on by the
cadets of the United States naval acad-
envy at Annapolis under the direction
OF Prof. III. Marion. The cotes at An
napolis were established by the cadets
about two years ago, and birds of the
best breeds were procured and care
fully trained. Last summer expert
ments were carried on during the an
nual practice cruise of the United
States steamer Constellation. Birds
were released on the voyage down
Chesapeake bay, and in every case they
delivered their message safely at An
napolis. One of these messages was
an important dispatch to the superin-
tendeat of the academy. The birds
were afterward used successfully at
sea, in some cases being liberated at
n distance of one hundred miles from
land.
The experiments were extended to
teaching the pigeons to fly from the
shore to the ship; cote was estab-
lished on board, and number of
young birds were placed in it. When
i'll port they were taken out in boats
and afterward on shore, and they soon
learned to find their way to the cote;
before the end of the cruise they were
left on shore and liberated after the
ship had sailed, and they reached the
Cl
from the shore. 1t is hoped that these
experiments may lead to Il series of
more extended ones to be carried on
by the government, for so far every
thing has been done at the expense of
those interested in the matter ut An
napolis and elsewhere. 1t is proposed
that government messenger pigeon
service be established and maintained,
with main stations at the following
naval stations: Portsmouth, n. IT,;
Boston, Mass; Newport, II. l.. New
London, Conn; Brooklyn, n. Y; Phil
adelphia, Pa; Washington, D. c.; An
napolis, Md; Norfolk, Va; Port Roy
al. S. c.; Key West Fla, and Pensa-
cola, Fla, and with secondary stations
at Portland, Me-; Wilmington. Del;
st. Augustine, Fla; Juniper Inlet,
Fla; Tampa, Fla, and Galveston, Tex.
This would provide the entire Atlantic
and gulf coasts with stations that could
be reached within two hundred and
forty miles from shore, which distance
is taken as the greatest flight of pig
con at sea. This might be extended to
the Pacific and lake coasts
The advantages of such service,
both in time of war and in time of
peace, are obvious: the average speed
of pigeon is about thirty miles an
hour, and timely notice might be given
by gunboat of the approach of a
hostile squadron; vessel disabled
might send for assistance; in a thou
sand ways these birds can be of great
service. A number of European gov
ernments have had similar services in
operation for some years and they are
coming to be recognized as a neces-
sary part of the signal service of a ma
ton having an extensive seacoast. A
message to be sent by pigeon is
written on fine tissue paper, which is
then carefully rolled up and placed in
quill, which is sealed It the end: this
quill is fixed to one of the tail feathers
of the bird with copper wire; the
pigeon must not be released in storm.
thick fog or heavy rain, and if he has
more than hundred miles to fly he
must be released before noon. The
bird will fly for the nearest land and
then he will find his way to his cote.