The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-16
Pacific CARRIER PIGEONS.
A Service Between Santa Catalina Island
and the Mainland.

AVALON Cal. July 10-Santa Catalina Island
lies between twenty-five and thirty miles off
tho mainland and Avalon, the principal town.
Is about fifty miles from the city Of Los Angeles
as the crow flies. and can be reached BY train
and steamer in three hours and a half. On ac-
count OF Its fishing, flne scenery and other at
fractions, II has become a favorite resort. and
in the sum mer Avalon has population OF five
or six thousand
Several years ago It was found desirable 20
have telegraphic facilities. This meant an out
lay OF a good many thousand dollars. owing
to the great depth OF the santa Catalina Chan
mel. SO some other plan Of communication had
to be devised. A pigeon fancior in Los An
geles. a Swlss named Zahn. suggested the use
OF pigeons. and the plan was put into opera
ton. Birds were taken to the island and bred
and when OF age they were given TO the purser
OF the daily steamer. who at first liberated
them at half mile, then at two miles. nve
ten, twenty miles, and finally at San Pedro
There they were handed over to the conductor
OF the Los Angeles train on successive days.
and their education continued day after day
until they would return from their coop in tho
heart OF Los Angeles directly to the island.
this time the education Of an opposite n.y.
Of careful work In training the birds and elm
mating poor ones the santa DATA ma aerial
employed in various ways. Dispatches. were
asnt from the island every day. and at in the
afternoon a daily budget OF news was forwardtd
by the birds to a Los Angeles journal. This
was written on very thin sheets OF paper an
fastened by an aluminium ring. All bong
ready the birds were released one carrying
the news and two or three others going as
guard, for hawks. 1t appears. rarely attack a
group OF birds, while one is more or less IN
Whom released the birds Immediately began
to circle upward with long. sweeping llKnt,
rising in a few moments to height OF eight
or nine hundred feet, then either seeing the
mainland or by instinct recognizing the dtrec-
ton, they turned and. like arrows shot from a
bow, disappeared across the waste OF waters
The trip has been made in ilfty-tivs minutes
but an hour aud quarter was the average time
required for the delivery or message, ana IN
very few instances was there = mistake.
Sportsmen once or twice shot birds ny mistake.
and once the birds were delayed BY TioIont
sanlstorm. ,.
Wh.n the pigeons arrived In Los Angeles
| they announced their presence Ivy an electric
! boil which they rang ON pressing onel' the door
! OF their house The owner immediately an
| swcr0d the bell relieved the bird Of its N cSsnEe
| and delivered il. aud then started another bird
| back with the answer "a soon as 1t was re-
| cevel. In this way il was possible to send a
| message and receive an answer almost hs
| quickly az by wire Tho birds for this ocean
| service were the best to DO obtained ami camo
! from New Jersey stock, which in turn came
| from an imported strain that had produced
! history OF homing pigeons. The santa Catalina
| birds we're bred on the island and II one showed
the slightest reluctance to fly or was at all slow
or seemed to have any failing 1t was IN.
. mediately Killed. This wedding out resulted
! Ia a flock Of almost Ierfsct birds