Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1896-07-19

peculiar virtue IS that she is more trust
worthy and viii carry heavier burdens. A
female pigeon will never detach the slip of
paper from her leg, and will fly along hand
icapped by large sheet If closely rolled.
But the male Will become impatient. and if
he finds it difficult 10 soar will clip the
wire or string with his sharp little bill and
come on unhandlcapped by the message
with which he started.
In sending the Presidential messages out
to vessels many interesting experiments
will Oe made for the first time. One Of these
is in the distance which a carrier pigeon
Will fly over the water. a good flier will
go a mile a minute for many miles but
whether he can keep up the pace for :
thousand miles is uncertain. If a bird with
ar6cord. he should be able TO fly at least
thousand miles in twenty-four hours, with
several hours to spare for resting.
The frigate bird, the new African bird,
has a record of 80 miles an hour and can
fly across the oceal, in day. 81 can leave
Africa in the morning and roost at night
upon the Statue of Liberty. But there are
too few of these birds here yet.
This resting or perching is what Is the
dread of those who wish TO experiment with
pigeons as ocean messengers. The birds
Will No. ~ 81 Mgr When it becomes dark
they perch upon the highest point and rest
until light again.
Now, suppose that a carrier pigeon over
taken by darkness, happens to perch upon
the mast Of a returning steamship. By
morning it will have been taken back over
mill MI
further TO fly. That night it is delayed
again and carried back on another return
ing mast. and so on Indefinitely until the
other side of the water is reached, after an
incalcu,able amount Of delay.
But this is looking at the matter in the
worst possible light. 1t is giving all the
chances against the bird and none in his
favor. Just as if you cited the dangers of
pigeon shooting and accident on land and
none Of the favorable conditions
SLEEPLESS ON THE WING.
As a matter Of fact, at sea the birds fly
late. They get the last red of the sunset
and only settle down when it disappears.
They are peculiar in that they are almost
sleepless when away from home, and then
| fy at dawn. Three o'clock is none too early
! for them to wing away. And in moonlight
nights and in starlight they often fly with
out stopping. except at the darkest hour
'twixt dawn and day.
This gives them great advantage over
common birds. and even should a bird be
so unfortunate as to perch upon a return
ing steamship he could soon overtake him
sef next day ard be far ahead Of his pre-
vious day.
Another point is made in favor of the
birds Their course IS a very direct one.
Their home instinct is SO strong that they
go in a straight line towards it, without
the deviation Of a foot i- a miles fly. Not
even the wind affects them. That being the
case. it IS probable that carrier pig =cn
! bound for a vessel In m.d-0caan on its way
to Europe, would take the straight course
and settle al night upon a ship bound along
that courSs. II the morning the carrier
pigeon would he just so much n=arar
where it wanted TO 20.
In sending out election returns the birds
would have to be liberated every five min
utes while the returns were coming in.
This would insure fresh batch of returns
every few minutes or shlrhoard, and would
also allow for the birds that Inevitably fail,
as pigeons will. at unexpected times. They
are sensitive creatures. and their unwilling
ness TO fly al times is attributed o moods, -
as in human beings.
The writing upon the slips OF paper must
be done by microscope. H. a department.
at Washington there are specimens of this
microscopic writing Upon square inch
of paper is written nearly a hundred million
letters, more than are in the whole Bible.
But no such writing as that need be done.
as il takes powerful instruments to read
such returns and microscopic ones to make
them. Writing with a pocket microscope
can, however, be employed.
THE RETURNS.
The mode Of receiving the returns will be
Of the most sociable sort. The birds reach
the ship and settle upon it. Along its rail
they perch. anywhere; and being tame they
allow the passengers TO take them up. The
captain will then post the returns in large
letters upon bulletin board. and the pas
seugers can applaud or decry as prefer
ence may dictate. II Will certainly be great
sport.
An effort has been made to get bees train
ed 10 fly the water. But they tire and,
though willing TO carry messages on land,
whore they en- rest, they cannot ne per-
suaded to 80 on the water. even with their
hive in sight and their queen bee calling.
In sending the carrier pigeons out to the
vessel Il start of twelve hours only will he
allowed the ship. The birds are detained
at the docks, and can see their home disap-
pear. II sails away from them slowly and
they lose sight Of it. When liberated they
start for the spot where they last saw it,
as straight as though shot from a gun. It
is said they can see fifty miles at sea. And
if this is the case the constantly changing
horizon, always apparently the same TO
them. must lure them on until they see
their own white sails
Birds about two years old are the ones
for Important messages Of this kind, and if
their feathers are smooth. their eyes bright
ana their feet clean and ac1ye the owners
know they are In good condition.
When the election carn0ns boom in No
vember there will be firing of guns on the
high seas. for a President will DE elected
there as well as here,
CLARENCE S. RUSSELL.