Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-12-11
A FEArnERED TELEGRAPH.
The Practical Use Of Birds as Carriers Of
Messages.

Those who sail on the Santa Catalina
channel of the southern California
coast may sometimes see. among the
gulls that constantly hover over the
water, small groups of birds high in air
that with marvellous velocity are rush
ing toward the mainland from the out
er sea. If it so happens that there is
in intervening fog-bank the birds are
seen to stop and begin a series of wide
circles. wheeling round and round,
gra Suai1y rising until finally they
emerge from the leaden-hued clouds
and sweep into the bright sunlight that
flashes upon them, when the sky seems
to be dotted with silver pieces; then
they turn inland again, impelled by
some strange intuition, more like ar
rows, for the shore.
These birds represent a homing tele-
graphic service. One bird bears the
message firmly bound upon it's leg,
while the others are merely compan-
ions to encourage it in the long flight.
The birds hail from the island of Santa
Catalina, about fifty miles from Los
Angeles, and constitute a reliable and
almost exact service. The island, which
is nearly thirty miles from San Pedro.
|
the birds have been carefully trained
to serve instead, and constitute the
only trained feathered Geographic and
message bearers in the world crossing
regularly so wide an eXpanse of water
The birds were first obtained by rear
ing. part in Los Angeles and part on
the island. Then those on the island
were sent out on the daily steamer, be-
ing first liberated half mile from
shore. When allowed to fly they would
rise in great circles to height of 700 or
500 feet, then wheel and return in a
straight line to Avalon, Santa Catalina.
The following day they would be taken
a mile then five, and so on until they
reached San Pedro, twenty-five or more
miles, after which they were taken on
the train on subsequent trips and re-
leased from various points, always re-
turning Immediately, until finally Los
Angeles was reached. One day a pig
| con was released from there, return
| ing to Santa Catalina, over mountains
and valleys and the long eXpanse of
water, in the remarkably short time of
an hour and quarter.
While this training was in progress
another band was being sent out from
Los Angeles on daily trains, and in a
short time these birds would, when re-
leased, find their way Immediately to
Los Angeles, so that a perfect line of
communication to and from the island
was finally established. By mail it
would take two days to send a letter
and receive it's answer, but by using the
birds message could be sent and an
answer received in two hours and a
half The birds were bred from the
famous homing pigeons of T. P. Green
of New Jersey, who owns the Royal
Blue Line" and are descendants from
famous racers that have won many a
hard-fOught contest, making remark
able time.
The pigeons of Santa Catalina are
employed not only as Geographic mes
sengers, but are used by a Los Ange-
les newspaper to carry the daily bud
get of news from the island to that city.
The letter is written on very light It's
sue paper, and wired to an aluminium
band, which is clasped about the birds
leg with it's name attached. Generally
two or three birds are sent as compan-
ions. The birds are released at a GER
tain hour, and Immediately begin
sweeping upward in wide curves until
they attain lofty elevation, the idea
being apparently to obtain bird's-eye
view of the country and take their
bearings; but this is almost impossible.
as often bank of fog intervenes, and
it is then that the wonderful intuition
of the birds becomes apparent, as they
head in the direction in which they
wish to go, and fly as nearly as posi-
BILE directly for the home rOost in Los
Angeles, across twenty-eight miles of
the Pacific and twenty of hill and
plain, crossing several towns on the
way.
Many dangers may be encountered.
Sometimes the birds alight to rest, or
fly low, and sportsmen shoot them,
thinking them wild pigeons. The great
est danger is from hawks, and for this
reason several birds are usually sent
together, as the hawks rarely attack a
company, there being safety in num-
bers. But the birds sometimes fall vic
tins to them, as was shown by the dis
covery of a hawks nest on one of the
hills of the mainland not long ago. In
the debris of the nest were the tags OF
number of pigeons sent out from San
| FRANCISCO, SANTA BARBARA, ana LOs
Angeles. If the bird escapes these
dangers it flies directly to it's loft in
Los Angeles, which is arranged, with
little closed doors of wire, which hang
from the top; the birds press them and
enter, the operation sounding an cleo
trio bell in the adjacent house of the
owner of the service, who Immediately
takes the telegram from the birds leg
sending it at once to the point to which
it is directed. The bird upon opening
the door and ringing the electric bel
enters what is virtually cage from
which it cannot escape. Here it finds
water and food, and that it drinks Gag
erly can well be imagined. After this
it feeds sparingly of grain, which has
been arranged in expectation of the
visit, and then hops upon it's perch an6
takes long rest The following day
perhaps, it is returned to the island ir
a cage.
There is a marked difference between
these birds. The average pigeon makes
the trip in an hour and a quarter, but
one of the band has covered the dis.
; lance of about fifty miles in fifty foul
minutes-a remarkable feat. The birds
la loo L.