Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1898-06-08

The small and dainty carrier pigeon
will play an important part in the af-
fairs of this nation should it ever be
plunged into another war. Upon the
endurance OF this bird, its speed and
accuracy will depend the victory
or defeat of the great STRAIT
cgic movements at sea, and,
what is scarcely of less impor-
lance, the people on shore must rely on
the pigeon to bring news of the APP
proacls of the enemy's fleet and the re-
suit of some great sea fight. There
are at present six pigeon stations along
the coast. being situated in the princi-
pal navy yards-Portsmouth, y. H.;
Boston. Mass; Newport, II. L.; Brook
Ign, y. Y; Norfolk, Va; key West, Fla,
aud Mare Island, Cal.
The pigeon cotes are 12x12 feet in
size, two stories high, and painted with
red and white stripes to make them
conspicuous from n long distance. The
lower story is used for breeders only,
with a large aviary attached for their
use during warm weather; the upper
story is fitted up with nesting boxes,
drinking fountain, feeding hoppers,
III III tidB- ht Ii -.S AOi Il
given their first lessons when they are
Il month cid. which consists of a series
of drills to accustom them to passing
through the bob wires in the trap to the
cote.
These bob wires are thick wires sus-
pended from Il horizontal bar in the
top CT thc trap, and serve as a grating
for it, ana are 50 arranged that when
Il bird has once PASSED the bobs with
n message it Garnet escape until the
person i'll charge emoves the EiSssage
and let's the bird into the cote. 1t is
extremely important in the training of
carrier pigeons ior use in the navy
that the birds should learn to enter
the trap immediately upon their ar
rival with an important oispatc.i, push
ing the wires aside readily in order to
enter The trap, the wires falling back
into place immediately upon the birds
entrance. Until the bird masters this
lesson it is useless as a messenger, as
much valuable time would be lost in
securing the message attached to the
bird, unless it Immediately enters the
9 where Il sailor is waiting to re-
licve il of its charge.
The next series of drills are intend
ed to develop the pigeons staying pow
ers in the air, to strengthen their
wings, and to enable them to fly long
distances without being overcome by
exhaustion. This is o N by means of
Il white flag attached to a long pole.
By fiuttcring this among the birds they
are started into n circling fight bout
IL. 80. .-I..l =. l-a,x ,,- &c l~,rr &c fha
trainer sees fit. For wv months the
birds are drilled every morning in this
manner. At the end of that time they
are given their first fly" The first
Journey is from a point several miles
from the cote in a closed basket, where
the birds are liberated. This success
fully accomplished, the distance is in
creased each fight. Whenever flown, a
message. secured in IN aluminium cap
sule. weighing only eight grains, is
attached to each birds leg, and is Sc
cured Immediately upon it's arrival at
the cote.
After a course of training for two
months, with an average of two flights
per week up to so miles, they are put
aboard ships in wicker baskets holding
oti0 toZVi t'S oei III 80
sea at a greater distance than they had
been tossed previously. 1t is a rule that
the pigeons fof use in the navy must.
in training, be flown constantly over
water in order to accustom them to
il. The cotes are so arranged that
when a pigeon returns it walks on q
small treadle, thereby pressing a but
ton which rings an electric bell in the
library of the receiving ships at the
respective stations, thus announcing
its arrival to the person in charge of
the cote.
The fact that the government has at
last been induced to make use of the
pigeon as a message bearer from
ships at sea is attributed to the
success of the cote at Annapolis.
Md. In these experimental flights
the best long-distance toss was
made by a pigeon which was released
from the United States steamship Mo-
n~ongahela, when 102 miles off Cape
Henry. or about $50 miles from the
home loft. The pigeon was put over
night, and it had about IL hours of day
light from the time of its liberation
till it's arrival at the home loft. thus
making an average of about 90 miles
per hour for the $50 miles. In the
flight the pigeon was liberated
at Norfolk, Va, and arrived at the
loft 3A hours later, thus making
average of 40 miles an hour for $50
miles.-Chicago Inter Ocean.