The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-07-18

BIRDS WERELOOSED
|TwEHfY-TWo. HokIBG PIGEONS
FLY FROM THE EAGLE.

Coop Of Homing Pigeons From the stsf'-
ing Gun Club Turned Loose ON the
Eagle building Yesterday Reach Home
In Two and One.Hslf Bours-Were
Young Birds But Got Through In Good
Condition Description Of the start-
Two Were Let Loose From the -ciden-
tai hotel Years Ago for West Virginia.
The Homing pigeons sent Agent S. L.
Maxwell from Sterling were released
from the top of the Eagle building yes
terday morning at 9:35 according to ar
rangements.
dispatch to the Sterling Gun club:
July II, 1897.
J. W. McCoach, Sterling, Kan.
Birds liberated nine thirty-f1ve from
roof Of Eagle building while the chimes
were ringing. Started at once north
west. Wind from southeast: weather
far. S. L. MAXWELL. Agt
1t seems that the birds had been taken
from two or three families. there being
twenty-five Of them, and different own
ership being indicated by this telegram
10 the Eagle later in the day:
Sterling, Kan, July II, 1897.
Eagle, Wichita, Kan. Pigeons arriv-
ed in fine condition. o. c. Lanes, 1908;
T. j. Hoffman's 1913. Others home
and 3 o'clock. Next fly from Mulvane,
July "a. These all young birds.
]. w. MCOACH.
Several hundred people watched the
flight of the birds from around the
Eagle building and up and down Doug
las and Main. 1t is about sixty-three
miles from here to Sterling the way
birds fly, and according TO the dispatche.
4 took them from two hours and thirty
three minutes to three hours to make
the trip.
The fact that they were all young
birds. however, and the fowls not train
ed much to flight in this country will
probably explain the delay. They are
what is known as the Antwerp or
Homng pigeon and where trained often
fly hundred miles an hour. The birds
when released here started Immediately
to the northwest in the direction OF
Sterling.
There seemed to be two birds trying
10 lead. A large dark bird started out
in the lead and after flying in the rlgh;
direction a while lead off in a north
easteriy direction but the flock did no;
follow long before they got back to the
northw+stcrly direction. The white bird
tried the second time and led them In
an easterly direction for few seconds
When last seen they were going in the
direction OF their coops. and at no time
did they go east of the point from which
they were released while they were in
SIGHT.
The editor Of the Eagle by request, lie,
off some Homing pigeons from Parkers-
burg, W. ", some years since. There
were two, one an old experienced HON.
ing bird, of many flights, the other a
bird that had never been taken more
than a few miles from home. The old
bird got up, circled around once, came
back and sat for a few moments on the
top of a chimney beside his cage then
rose and struck out directly east He
reached home in fifteen hours flying
time. The young bird circled about
over town, returning several times in the
course of an hour to the roof containing
the cage. Finely he stared little south
of east. He reached home on something
Ike twenty-three hours flying time with
his tail gone and his plumage badly
ruf1led. II was supposed that he had
been attacked by a hawk or shot at.
Another fly will occur from Mulvane.
July "a.