The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-04-15
How The Message Came.

Many little hero is covered with fur
or feathers, aud dies as braYely while
doing his duty as any soldier who ever
laid down his life for his country or
his king. Mr.. Darwin tells Of one such
hero an old baboon. which rushed out
among some hunters who were Shooting
and capturing his companions, and res
cucd little baboon which probably was
a relative. But that now-famOus animal
was no more a hero than any brave dog
that loses his life while defending the
property Of his master, or any tlucbird
that dies while trying 20 drive a snake
from the nest Of his young ones. Almost
any animal will face death without 4
seconds hesitation in order 10 save q
creature that II loves. Such cases. are
so common that little notice Is taken Of
them, but we have learned Of an instance
of another sort of heroism in which a
bird CALAMITY lost his life last autumn
while trying to do a service to a young
lady
Everybody remembers the races of 1899
between the Vieilant and the Valkyrie
for the possession Of the Americas cup
the international yachting trophy. IL was
during the first race that the feathercd
hero lost his life. Among the smaller
craft that sailed down New York Bay
on the morning OF October 9Th. was the
schOCner-yacht Yampa, and among the
passengers on board were five carrier
pigeons. They belonged to a gentleman
hyias II west Fifty-ssventh street New
York, ard one or them was 20 be freed
1t each important point In the race. and
bring the news back 10 the city 10 the
laughter Of the Yamra's owner. As
carrier-pigeon flies from fifty TO one
H..
possible messenger between vessel and
the shore. and If all went well the ex-
act condition of affairs in the regatta
outside Sandy Hook would be. known in
west Fifty-seventh street thirty minutes
after every critical period in the race.
II may not be known generally, but the
name of carrier-pigeon's owner is
usually stamped on the birds larger
feathers, so that ii he is wounded or
lost. and falls into the hands of persons
who laow a carrier-pigeon when they
see him, word may be sent TO his owner.
The Starting-point OF the first intcrna-
tional regatta last fall was the Sandy
Hook Light-ship which lies out In the
Atlantic beyond New York Bay. As
persons interested In yachting may re-
member. the British yacht got away
nrst, and as soon as she crossed the line
q slip or thin paper bearing a message
was fastened 20 the foot of a strong
gray and white pigeon. and the bird was
tossed into the air.
AS may be seen by examining the nho-
tographs or the message printed with
this article. one side of ,hs. paper read
"n.9-Wind light. n. by West" and the
other side read, "Valkyrie over first
II all had gone Wen. this message would
have reached8the house OF the pigeons
owner sooner than any other news OF
the regatta The pigeon rose high into
the air. made several circles, each larger
than the one before, and finally darted
OH like an arrow toward its home. No.
body has ever discovered how a pigeon
finds out which way TO Fly on It's re-
turn journey. II taken hundreds of miles
from home In a basket, and then liber-
ated, II Will rise In the air, fly about I'm
great circles for few minutes, and
then choose the direction which leads
In straight line to Its cote. As the
race progressed, changed into a drifting
match. and the Vigilant overhauled and
passed the valkyrie. the other four pi-
geons were let looss from the Yampa.
each with message fastened to IT. leg
When the passenger on the Yampa
reached homo late ~ nisht their nlst