The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-01-26

one time, in a special car to the south
/ of France, a distance of 500 miles,
where they are released, and there is
intense interest in the fastest records.
The best birds in Europe are found in
Belgium.
! Within the last few years, some at
| tention has been paid to this sport in
the United States, and great improve
ment has been made in speed. In
| 1880, it was considered extraordinary
when a bird flew from Columbus. Ohio,
| to New York in one day, distance Of
500 miles. Now there is large num-
Der of 800 miles a day birds. In
1894, bird made 500 miles in one day,
at the rate of 1890 feet per minute or
nearly mile per minute. In the same
year a bird made over a mile a minute
for the distance of 200 miles. Major
Howard A. Giddings states in Out
ing" that bird was released from the
steamer Waesland, at / p. M. at a dis
tance of 800 miles from land. and
reached home the same evening. Birds
bred at the Naval Academy at Anna
polls, have made 40 miles an hour for
100 miles. General Greedy of the Sig
nal Service, states that the birds read
lily fly from Havana to the KeyWest
barracks, distance of over a hundred
miles across the water. In recent
competition, birds have flown from
Pensacola to Philadelphia, distance
of 1000 miles.
The navy department at Washing
ton, is now so we'll satisfied of the
value of this service, that it has estaD
llished a number of stations, and dove
cotes have been put on the war ships
New York and the Constellation.
AS the first cost of cable line be-
tween the islands would be not far
from 100000 and it would be neces-
Sary to keep vessel for repairing, the
Question may be raised why a pigeon
service would not meet the demand
for quick despatch. How many rush
messages week would be required?
How often would shorter time from
any one point to another than five
hours be necessary? A message from
any one point in the islands to another
could be sent and answer received
within ten hours.
Several experts in the breeding and
flying of birds on the Pacific coast,
have considered the subject of inter
island pigeon service, and they de-
clare that it is Gncommonly easy to
L.
every way favorable, and the water
distances are far less than those in
Europe, as appears from the facts cited.
One station on each island would be
sufficient One at Nawiliwili, Kauai,
one at Honolulu; one at Waikiki or
Kahului; and one at Mahukona. All
of these would work in connection
with the telephones. At first, a mesS
sage from Hawaii to Honolulu, would
be carried by one bird to Kauai 1nd
be carried by another bird to Oahu.
The message would be duplicated and
Implicated by other birds until the
service was absolutely certain, and the
most reliable birds were picked out.
A message from Kauai to Honolulu
should be delivered in five hours or
less. The distance is about 100 miles
and fairly good bird should make it
in three hours. AS the service was
perfected, messages would be sent
from Kauai directly to Hawaii, dis
lance of $50 miles, and only one-half
of the distance now covered by birds
in Europe.
The cost of the service is small. 1t
is believed that 500 would buy all the
breeding birds required in the begin
ming. Only the young birds are train
0u. lie UTS6ulHS 10 81 1dpiu
would soon be a surplus. Success
would depend upon the care and at
tention paid to training. If done in
a slipshod fashion, it would fail. The
young birds should be taken out in
canoes or boats to a distance of five
miles at first and then released. The
distance would then be increased. The
most efficient would be retained and
the rest destroyed. One experienced
person could establish the service, and
after that, young women could attend
TO it. All of the birds needed. would
not eat more than one horse. The
principle food is peas. The dove cotes
would be inexpensive structures.
One bird can carry a sheet of tissue
paper the size of a letter sheet. This
is wrapped up in an aluminium tube
or goose quill, and fastened to one of
the tail feathers.
The service should be carried on
by the Post Office Department. The
postmasters should take charge Of the
stations In the event of insurrection
or other trouble, this service would he
more reliable than the cable, as
cable can be easily cut close to the
shore. or its connecting overhead wire
be destroyed. Birds, however, may
be started from various points out of
the range of guns.