The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-09-18
Written for the Sunday Standard.

NIlNltn LOT the CUtludN oldllAdIus
Washington, Sept. 13.-The use that
was made of carrier pigeons during the
recent military operations and the ex-
periments that have been going on
since, will, in all probability, result in
the formation of a corps of winged
war messengers i'm connection with
every army. In some respects the car
rier pigeons have proved a ~disappoint-
menL to those who expected great
things of the birds, but the promoters
of this means of wartime communi-
cation are ~sanguine of being able to
overcome all shortcomings by careful
training.
Without any concerted agreement
between the various countries, it hap
pens that in several quarters expert
ments are actively going on, looking
To the perfection of the carrier pigeon
service. The Germans are experiment.
ing with homers, flying the pigeons
from the English coast, and the Brit
ish admiralty officials have just erect
ed a pigeon post at Sheerness, with all
facilities for breeding and training car
riers, and a hospital for any that might
fall sick. In Portsmouth there are
similar arrangements. So far the eX-
perience gained has been encouraging.
and some very good pigeons have been
bred capable of carrying a message
nearly a hundred miles. The English
authorities do not at present aim at
accomplishing greater distances. With
a flight capable of making such a jour
ney they appear to he satisfied.
The method of training adopted by
almost every pigeon trainer is to take
the birds at the age of four or five
months, and allow them to wing their
way freely in the vicinity of the cote,
in order to strengthen their flying pow
ers. As they get stronger they are
taken a greater and greater distance
from home, and, the natural instinct
of the bird prompting ii to fly to the
place with which it is most familiar,
the young bird not only gains strength,
but becomes strongly familiar with it's
home.
When the birds have made sufficient
progress they are taken out to sea in
crates by torpedo boats or other avail
able warships in port. This is the
most difficult part of their training,
for. although pigeons are fond of wa
ter and will take a bath as often as al
lowed, they cannot at first bear salt
water. But with a good cal Of pa
tient practice they learn their task.
This is not done without some loss by
desertion. During all these efforts many
lldl are SldIltu never come DdCh 10
their cote. Sometimes they lose their
way and fall in with another loft, but
not ~infrequently they get shot. In near
ly all cases of lost or strayed pigeons
the finders have no difficulty in discov-
ering the owner, as when the birds
are a few weeks old a small aluminium
ring is slipped over the claws upon the
leg. with the name of the owner, or
some distinctive mark by which he
can be traced.
A raine Of pigeons has to take into
account the condition of the weather
in making his daily experiments. 1t
is a mistake to suppose that pigeons
fly in the right direction from pure in
stinct, and that no haze can hrow
them off the right track. Cases have
been known where they have started
in a fog and have flown clear above
it and then struck a straight line for
the cote, but a haZy atmosphere is
against the training of the pigeons.
But if pigeons are released in half a
gale of wind dead ahead they can do
nothing.
Not long g a pigeon in the course
OF training was flown some four or
five miles from its cote. The wind was
in the opposite direction TO that in
she had TO travel, so instead of
going home, She turned and few with
the wind. This was a valuable young
hen, some four or five months Did, and
a fine sense of self-preservation.
took shelter on a ship lying at
anchor, after flying some % miles.
Here she was fed and watered for a
Of days. making herself quite
1t home. When well rested she was
liberated. with the name and address
n the persons who had attended her
)n board ship. Thus strengthened and
abeled she was flown, and. after two
lays. returned safely TO the owner none
worse for the four days adventure.
bird is now one of the most val
liable in the cote. Not long ago she was
cut at sea, so miles from land.
md came back in good time.
Everything depends. of course. on
he breeding of the birds. If proper
are is not taken with their feeding.
the trainers fail 10 exercise the
eQuisite mount Of patience in their