Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1898-04-08
! PIGEONS FOR WARFARE.
SERVICE ESTABLISHED TO ASSIST IN
STRATEGIC NAVAL MOVEMENTS.


duranee of this bird, its speed and &C.
curaey, 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 Il
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
lions 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 aud white stripes
to make them conspicuous from long
distance. The lower story is used for
breeders only, with large aviary at
tached for their use daring the warm
weather: the upper story is fitted up
with nesting boxes, drinking fountain,
feeding hoppefs 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 as grating
for il, and are so arranged that when a
bird has once passed the hobs with a
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 bird s en-.
trance Until the bird masters this
lesson it is useless as a messenger, as
much valuable time would be lost in
sesuing the message attached to the
bird, unless it Immediately cutters the
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
covers 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 hutteeing this among the birds
they are startled into cireling 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
"hy." The first journey Is to n
point several miles from the cote in a
closed basket, wheae the birds are lib
Grated. This successfully accom-
plished, the distance is increased each
flight. Whcae+ee aowa, a message.
secured in an aluminium capsule,
weighing eight grains, is attached to
each birds leg, and is secured imme-
diately npon its arrival at the cote.
After course of training for two
months, with an average of two flights
per week MP to so miles, they are put
aboard ships in wicker baskets hold
ing one dozen birds each, and liher-
ated at sea at greater dis 'ance than
they had been tossed previously. It
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 il. The cotes are so
arranged that when pigeon returns
it walks on small treadle, thereby
pressing button which rings an cleo
tric 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 use Of the
pigeon as message bearer from ships
at sea is attributed to the success of
the co.e at Annapolis, Nd. In these
experimental TIGHTS the hest lang-dis-
lance toss was made by pigeon which
was released fsom the United States
steamship Monongahela, when 1902
miles of Cape Henry, or about $50
miles from the home loft. The pigeon
was out over night, aud it had about
twelve lrours of daylight from the
time OF its liberation till its arrival at
the home loft, thus making an average
Of about 20 miles per hour for the $50
miles. In The swiftest flight the pi-
geon was liberated at Norfolk, Va, and
iIrlyed at the home loft three and
three-quasters hours later, thus max
ing an average of 40 miles an hour for
the $50 miles
The naval militia of the various
states along the coast are to establish
pigeon lofts to eo-ope, ate with the
government for naval defense.
The navy department has decided
to establish honing pigeon service
in connection with the lighthouse sta
tons along the Atlantic. Gulf and Pa
citie coasts, the radii of the flights To
intersect one another, so as 10 form a
complete circuit around the coast, by
which a message starting at Alaska
can be transmitted by means of relays
OF carrier pigeons around the United
States until it arrives at the northeast
coast Of Maine.
The stlte of New York was the first
10 cooperate with the government in
this work, having recently established
cote on board the United States
steamship New Hampshire, at the foot
OF 23d street, Fast river, New York,
where there are at present twelve
pairs Of breeders, presented by the
navy department from the cote at the
Brooklyn navy yard; also another at
Buffalo, n. Y. This will cause a spirit
Of rivalry of flying these birds be-
tweca the naval militia aud the naval
lofts in the nearest navy yard, and
the naval militia will not rest until
they have broken some Of Uncle Sam i
sea records.
Royal Letters in India.
A letter sent TO a uatiye nrinca IN