Arizona republican., 1899-04-15

| be allowed TO the Daln proper, h0 -i104
hot, warm, tepid or cold; but the dry
ing process should be thorough and
vigorous"
OUR NAVY'S WINGED MESSENGER.
The First Lesson They Learn Is to An
nOunce Arrival With a Dispatch
Homing pigeons are used extensively
in the United States navy, there beng
six lofts at the navy yards at Boston
Mass; Newport, r. l.; BROOKLYN, N:
Y: Norfolk, Va; Key West, Fla, and
Mare Island, Cal, respectively Ihe
houses are two stories high, and pant
ed in red and white stripes to make
them conspicuous from long dis
lance The lower story is used for
breeders, with a large wire avIary Tor
III cir use during the warm weather and
during the winter months. The upper
story is fitted with an electrip trap,
running water and nest boxes.
This being the abode of the official
massage carriers, the electric trap Is
a very important part of the equip
ment as it announces the arrival OF
the birds with dispatches from the
ships at sea, and its use is the first les
son the young birds receive when thsy
are old enough to fly. This device con-
sists of bob wires, which are suspended
from a horizontal bar cn She top OF the
trap and serve as grating for 1t, ana
are SO arranged that when a blrd
passes the bob with a message, 1t en-
ters a triangular compartment, the
trap closing behind it and cutting OIL
its exit. In the meantime, its arrival
! !, IDC11 fhn Of N
the attendant, vino proceeds to remove
the dispatch and give it to the com
manding Officer 1t is extremely i'm
portant in the training of carrier pig
cons for the use in the navy that the
birds should learn to enter the trap
Immediately on their arrival, with an
important dispatch Until the bird
masters this lesson, it is useless as
carrier. since much valuable time
would be lost in securing the message
attached to the bird, unless il imme-
diate.y entered the Gags, where 4 sailor
is waiting to relieve il of its charge.
The next system of drills are in
tended 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 To readily facilitate this.
they are given their daily exercise. This
is done by means of a flag attached 70
a long pole. BY fiuttering this near
the cote, the birds are started into a
circling flight about the cote, which is
kept up as long as the trainer sees fit;
they then gradually descend and enter
the cote, to partake Of a hearty meal
of peas, corn and vetOnes. After a
month OF such training, they are given
5Leir first fly
The first journey IS to a point sew
eral miles from the cote, whittier they
are conveyed in wicker baskets. Then
the bi-ds IRE liberated This success
fully accomplished, in a few minutes
the birds reach the cote. In this way
and on alternate days the birds are
taken an increased distance for each
flight. After having fiC wn the birds
from thirty to fifty miles in easy
stages, if they have returned to the
cote promptly, they are then sent out
on the Warships lsaving the yaLd to
carry official dispatches. A dozen
mere birds are taken in training bask-
cts and liberated at sea. with dis
patches to the commandment of the
navy yard. As rule, the pigeons in
the navy, while in training, are flown
over water, in order to accust0m them
to it, otherwise the birds on being lib
Grated at SEA, timid and afraid TIC leave
the ship, would perch upon friendly
yard arms and rigging.
During the war the birds were put
aboard dispatch and patrol boats on
duty off shore, watching for the ar
riva. of the Spanish fleet II any hes
tile fleet had besn sighted, the birds
would have been liberated with dis
patches to the secretary of the navy
and would have reached the GCte from
three to five hours before the patrol
boats could have arrived, consequently
the secretary o. the navy Ei3uld hava
known the number, strength and direc-
ton the fleet was steaming, in time to
telegraph to he various coast defense
ships to mobilize at a certain point to
give battle to the approaching foe.
Thus by means of these inselligerE
birds, the respective ships would have
three to five hours to their credit in
which to reach their destination.
which would mean forty to seventy
miles nearer, before they would have
been informed by the sl1w sseaming
,dispatch boat.
The message is carried in an alumni
mum capsule, Weighing about eight
grains, and is clamped to the pigeons
leg. The messages are written on
Specially prepared onion skin paper in
form of pad. The message, when
written, is torn from the pad and
duplicate stub is iiept on board the YES
sel.-Los Angeles Times.
-:o:
MISTRESS AND MAID.