The San Francisco call., 1897-01-02
WEATHER NEWS
BY HOMER PIGEONS
An Important Move Was
Made by A. Carlisle
Yesterday.
Secured Miss Doud's Promise to
Help Found the Farallon
Line.
She Is Ready to Take Hold of the
Public Project at Once With
Right Good Will.

The United States Weather Bureau will
soon be able TO realize the Wish, long
cherished by Messrs. Harmon and McAdle,
to secure regular and rapid communIca-
ton with the Farallon Islands. This
comes about largely through the enter
prise of A Carlisle, the expert pigeon
fancier. Mr.. Carlisle hearing of the ap-
pointment of Miss Daisy Doud as school
teacher at the North Farallon Island,
visited her yesterday at her residence at
221l Steiner street and proposed that she
should assist in establishing the homing-
y pigeon service.
Miss Doud took hold of this plan with
characteristic vigor and enterprise. She
is preparing 10 start for the Farallones,
and will probably 60 out one week from
tomorrow. She intended 10 start upon
the lighthouse tender, but discovered that
the steamer viii not touch at the islands
for some time. Mr.. Wood, her uncle,
then began to negotiate for launch. Mr..
Wood was at home yesterday and coli
sented TO have the first insta!lment OF
homing pigeons to be furnished by Mr..
Carlisle placed upon the launch upon
which Miss Doud will proceed. Mr.. Car
Isle will also probably go out in charge o:
the birds.
Miss Doud will be active in forwardln g
the purpose in view. She consented to
take charge of the homing birds that may
be sent TO her by Mr.. Carlisle from time
10 time and to care for them and release
them at intervals. She also expressed
perfect willingness to make such weather
observations as could be brought within
her present scope, like noting The direc-
ton of the wind, wind velocity and the
rainfall, whenever the proper apparatus
could De supplied, if the Weather Bureau
desires her cooperation. Finally, with
her own hands, she released two koming
birds which Mr.. Carlisle had brought, to
see how it would seem.
Mr.. McAdie of the Weather Bureau said
ast night that such work as might be re-
Iquired from Miss Dord she would un.
doubtedly be able to perform. He was
evidently pleased at the zeal which she
manifested, and said that he would COM
municate with Forecast Official Ham
mon, who has been trying 10 establish
the service, with the cooperation of the
Cham Der of Commerce and Mr.. Carlisle.
Mr.. Harmon will therefore learn of the
new possibilities to-day.
The principal difficulty heretofore in
the way of this enterprise has been the
lack of means for getting the birds to the
islands. Mr.. Carlisle periodically offered
some time ago to furnish homers free for
a period that the experiment of establish
ing the service might be fairly tried. But
there are very few vessels going to the
islands. The permanent location of Miss
Doud as a schoolteacher will be a very
material assistance. The plan as pro-
posed by Mr.. Carlisle is to take over a
large number of birds and to seek as favor.
able location for them as possible on the
North Farallon. They can be liberated
as the emergency may arise Ultimately
cote can be established on the islands
and birds reared there, which will insure
a service in both directions.
There will no difficulty in transmitting
all the data that the Weather Bureau may
wish. new invention, designed for such
service, consists of tiny aluminium CYL
inder Weighing only eight grains, and pro
vided with a clasp by which to fastsn it
about the leg of the bird. TO fit this slips
OF paper. carefully prepared, are also pro-
vlded. Upon one of these slips from 200
to 800 words can easily be written, and the
paper will hardly add to the weight of the
cylinder, being very thin.
The birds being released will fly to the
lofts of Mr.. Carlisle in Berkeley, and as
soon as they arrive the messages they
may bring will at once be telephoned to this
City If the arrangements are made by Mr..
Hammon for the Weather Bureau. There
is little doubt that he will promptly avail
himself OF this very favora5le chance TO
carry out his pet scheme as soon as he can
secure the necessary authorization and
apparatus to put it into effect.
The advantages to be derived from the
proposed service have, to some extent.
been pointed out previously. There are
many storms of which notice could be
4 given in advance and materially facilitate
Atbe work of weather forecasting. In addi-
ton to this the shipping interest can be
assisted, very often, by prompt informa-
ton concerning vessels wanting aid, YES
sels with contagious diseases and so on.
The time which would probably be con-
sumed by the birds in flying from the
Farallones to Berkeley ought not to ex-
ceed two hours, and probably will be
much less. The distance is mere baga-
telle to trained birds, for it has been
demonstrated that homers will fly be-
tween 0OO and 500 miles between sunrise
and sunset. Members of the Cham Der of
Com merce, who were seen YESTERDAY after
noon, spoke very .avorably of the pro-
posed bird line, for it is what they have
long wanted.