The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-01-10
FIRST MESSAGE
FROM FARALLON
Weather Report From
Daisy Doud Brought
by Pigeons.
Feasibility of a Much-Mooted
Service Practically Demon
Strated.
The Wind.Swept Islands Are Placed
in Direct Communication for
the First Time.

The homing-pigeon service between the
north FaraIlon Island and San Francisco
has early demonstrated its entire feast.
biIity. 1t was put upon its feet, so to
speak. by A. Carlisle during the past
week. When Miss Daisy Doud went out
to take her position as schoolteacher on
the wind-swept and surf-stained rocks
Mr.. Carlisle went along and carried out
fifty homing pigeons. Some of these he let
fly on the way to train them. Many were
taken to the North Farallon and wers
there placed in favorable position.
Yesterday the first message by carrier
pi econ ever sent out from the Farallon
Islands was receiyed in this city by A.
Carlisle from Miss Daisy Doud. This was
inclosed i'll an aluminium cylinder weigh
ing only eight grains and was written on
a prepared slip of thin paper of a pre-
scribed form. On one side of the slip was
the first weather report ever received in
San Francisco directly from the Farallon.
Considering that the Weather Bureau
and the Chamber of Commerce and A
Carlisle have been cooperating to get a
weather service established, it seemed
fitting that Miss Doud should, accepting
the position OF amateur weather observer
in connection with her duties as a teacher,
send first an account of the weather. This
she did.
This, which was no less than a notifca-
ton also to the mercantile and shipping
community of San Francisco that here
after they will be able to gather such ma
rine news as NAV come in view of the
Farallor, left the North FaralIon at $40
A. NJ. At that time the weather was hazy
and the wind fromSthe northeast blowing
freshly. The time of transmission is not
exactly known. This being the first flying
of bird in actual service, and the route
being new and the weather thick the
speed was not what it will be.
The reverse side of the message concern
ing the weather brought Miss Doud's first
statement of life on the island as a
teacher, and for its intrinsic interest as
the hrst to be flown over sea and land
from that locality is given in full. 1t is as
follows:
Alive and well to tell the story. Think
I shall like the place and people very
much. Please let Mr.. Wood know.
Shall begin school Monday. Mrs.
Beeman says to come back and finish
your coffee.
DAISY ANNETTE DOUD.
The message was addressed to A. Car
Isle. The reference to the coffee was a
playful aliusIon to Mr.. CarIisles condi-
ton, in all probability, after sea voyage.
and somewhat abrupt landing in fat
bott ON boat, which seemed to roll twice
to every wave that came along. and also
seemed to have more water inside of it
than there was in the rolling ocean out
side. Mr.. Wood, who is mentioned, is the
architect, who is Miss Doud's uncle.
The service will continue without inter-
ruption until all the birds have been flown
from the island. There will be no inter-
ruption if other birds can be put on the
island in time. There have been no facili-
ties for regularly landing there hereto
fore. The demonstration of feasibility of
the messenger service may help to provide
facilities to rectify this. At the worst
there will be birds on the wing bound
from the FaraIlon TO Berkeley, bringing
news for the Weather Bureau anu other
news possibly for San Francisco, for some
days to come. While there is no cable'
to the Farallon the homing pigeon fur
nishes the only means OF comm unication.
The birds are furnished eratuitously for
the service by Mr.. Carlisle, who is an en-
thusiastic pigeon fancier.