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

'f' "
Are 'r@'"e" ingenious ''s'o" '''es
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 fleet, and
tho result OF some great sea fight.
There are ut 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, X. l., Brooklyn, n. T., 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 a long
distance. The lower story il used for
breeders only. with a large nyiary 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 a month old,
which consists of series of drills to
accustom them to passing through the
bob wires in the trap in tho cote.
These bob wires are thick wires sus-
pended from horizontal bar in the
top of the trap, and serve rs grating
for it, and are 80 arranged that when u
bird has once passed the bobs with a
message il cannot escape until the
person in charge removes the message
and let's the bird into the cote. 1t il
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.
lesson IL is useless as messenger, as
much valuable time would be lost in
securing the message attached to the
bird, unless it Immediately enters the
cage, where n sailor is waiting to re-
lieye it Of its charge.
The next series Of drills are intend
ed to develop the pigeons staying
powers in the air, 10 strengthen their
wings and to enable them to fly long
distances without being overcome by
exhaustion. This il done by means
OF a white flag attached to long pole
BY futtering this among the birds
they are startled into circling fight
about the cote. which is kopt 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
"Ay." The first tourney il TO a
point several miles from tho cote in
closed basket, where the birds are lib
Grated. This successfully accom-
plished, the distance is increased each
flight. Whenever flown. n message.
secured in an aluminium CAPSULE.
weighing eight grains. is attached to
each birds leg. and il secured imne.
diately upon lis arrival nj tho cote.
After n course of training for two
months. with an average of two fights
per week M To 80 miles. thew are mt
aboard ships in wicker baskets hold.
ING one dozen birds each, and liber.
ated at sen Mt n greater di distance than
thew had been tossed previously. II
il n rule that the pigeons for use in
the navy must. in training. be flown
constantly over water in order 10 &C.
custom than 10 Il. The cot.s are 40
arranged that when n pigeon returns
IL walks on n small treadle. thereby
pressino n button which rings nm cleo.
=. l.. II A. q