Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1898-05-13
PIGEONS FOR WARFARE
SERVICE ESTABLISHED TO ASSIST IN
STRATEGIC NAVAL MOVEMENTS.

Uoming Pigeon rs n Bearer OF Mes
cages From ships at Sea How Birds
Are Trained Ingenious Pigeon Cotes
The homing pigeon will play, hero.
after, an important part in the naval
affairs of this nation. Upon the en-
durance of this bird, its speed and ac-
curacy, will depend the victory or de-
feat of the great strategic movements
at sea, and, what is scarcely of less
importance, the people on shore must
rely on the pigeon to bring news of
the approach OF the enemy's feet, and
the result of some great sea fight.
There are at present, according to the
Philadelphia Times, six pigeon sta
tions along the coast, being situated
in the principal navy yards-Ports>
mouth, N. H.; Boston, Mass, New
port, r. l., Brooklyn, N. Y, Norfolk,
. Va, Key West, Fla, and Mare Island,
Cal.
The pigeon cotes are twelve by
twelve feet in size, two stories high
and painted with red and white stripes
to make them conspicuous from long
distance. The lower story is used for
breeders only, with largo aviary at
tached for their use during the warm
weather; the upper story is fitted up
with nesting boxes, drinking fountain,
feeding hoppers and the trap, where
the youngsters are given their first
lesson when they are month old,
which consists of series OF drills to
accustom them to passing through the
bob wires in the trap in the cote.
These bob wires are thick wires sus-
pended from a horizontal bar in the
top of the trap, and serve rs grating
for it, and are 50 arranged that when a
bird has once passed the bobs with
message it cannot escape until the
person in charge removes the message
and let's the bird into the cote. 1t is
extremely important in the training OF
pigeons for use in the navy that the
birds should learn to enter the trap
Immediately upon their arrival with
an important dispatch, pushing the
wires aside readily in order to enter
the trap, the wires falling back into
place immediately upon the birds en-
trance. Until the bird masters this
lesson IL is useless rs q messenger, ~
much valuable time would be lost in
securing the message attached to the
bird, unless il Immediately enters tho
cage, where a sailor is waiting to re-
lieve it Of its charge.
The next series of drills are intend
ed to develop the pigeons staying
powers in the air, to strengthen their
wings and to enable them to fly long
distances without being overcome by
exhaustion. This is done by means
OF white flag attached to long pole
BY Tutoring this among the birds
they are startled into circling fight
about the cote, which is kept up as
long as the trainer sees fit. For two
months the birds are drilled every
morning in this manner. At the end
of that time they are given their first
ely" The first journey il to q
point several miles from the cote in q
closed basket, where the birds are lib
Grated. This successfully accom-
plished, the distance is increased each
fight. Whenever flown, a message.
secured in an aluminium capsule,
weighing eight grains, is attached to
each birds leg, and is secured imne.
diately upon its arrival at the cote,
After q course OF training for two
months, with an average of two flights
per week up to 90 miles, they are put
aboard ships in wicker baskets hold
ing one dozen birds each, and liber-
ated at sea at a greater distance than
they had been tossed previously. 1t
is rule that the pigeons for use in
the navy must, in training, be flown
constantly over water in order to ac-
custom them TO II. The cotes are 30
arranged that when pigeon returns
it walks on n small treadle, thereby
pressing a button which rings an cleo
trio bell in the library OF the receiv-
ing ships at the respective stations,
thus announcing its arrival to the per-
sons in charge Of the cote.
The fact that the government has at
last been induced to make nse OF the
Dibeou 10 " hoson6c oc"'Ss hoh ohiP"
at sea is attributed to the success Of
the cote at Annapolis, Md. In these
experimental flights the best long.dis-
lance toss was made bya pigeon which
was released from the United States
steamship Monongahela, when 102
miles off Cape Henry, or about $50
miles from the home loft. The pigeon
was ont over night, and II had about
twelve hours Of daylight from the
time Of its liberation till its arrival at
the home loft, thus making IN average
OF about 90 miles per hour for the $50
miles. In The swiftest fight the pi-
geon was liberated at Norfolk, Va. and
arrived at the home loft three and
three. quarters hours later, thus max
ing an average Of 40 miles IN hour for
the $50 miles.
The nava! militia Of the various
states along the coast are to establish