The Washington weekly post., 1900-11-13
HOW LETTERS FLY
THROUGH THE AIR

4 n.
temoer :. 1870. Mr. La Perre de Roo. A
Proficient pigeon fancser. advised The
French government 10 use hominR (or
| carrier pigeons 10 convey news 10 ana
from the provinces in case Paris should
be eesiesed. His proposition net with
derision.
Later, however. when Paris found her
seh cut on from all communication with
me outside world. NJ. La Perre de Roo's
oiFds, once scorned. were joyfuliy re-
eeiEsd. They we're ofhclaily enrolled as
messengers and sent out from Paris in
balloons.
All Europe then awoke 10 the value
OF pigeons as news-bearers in time of
war.
To France belongs the credit OF hav-
ins established this branch OF the war
news service, ana I'm that country great
progress has been made in its develop
ment. The large military camps OF Cha
Ions and also the border cities and fort
resses have extensive lofts. where pigeons
are trained. Continuous communication
takes place between these various points,
ana three times a week the railroad CON
Yeys numbers Of birds 10 stated places on
the border. where they are liberated. each
pigeon taking its own accustomed route
Private individuals who breed carrier
pigeons are subject to a number OF re-
strictions as regards training. registering
and selling.
Belgium stands pre-eminent as the na-
tion IN which pigeon fiying Is a national
sport. AT fixed times pigeon races, or
''coneours,' are held. the King and the
principal cities alloting the prizes. which
amount TO hundreds OF francs annually.
Thus encouraged. the Belgian fanciers
have flown birds from Spain, Southern
France, Italy, and Ireland. TO the Bel
gian lofts.
During the nying season special trains
of twenty cars each are sent weekly from
Belgium to France. These contain baskets
of carrier pigeons, which are released
at distant points for training fights or
races.
The most important military loft for
pigeons is at Antwerp, well known as the
largest fortified town OF Belgium, Birds
are trained TO fly in tho direction that
would be most used In case OF war, hence
constant communication in that event Is
assured.
Italy uses military carrier pigeons In
both her army and her navy, they be-
ing found especially useful In the trans
mission of news between the garrison
towns and the Alpine fortresses. The
Russian army anu .sStila also find these
birds indispensable. The Russian govern
ment, taking time by the forelock, has
ordered the training OF war falcons, that
they may. In case OF hosttlities. capture
or destroy the carrier pigeons OF the
enemy.
Not to be outdone by European nations.
the United States, during the Spanish
war, sent dispatches by carrier pigeons
from Cuba to Tampa. Capt Sigsbee also
made use of pigeons 20 send dispatches
to the commsndant OF the New York
Navy Yard That these attempts were
not entirely successful is shown by the
fact that 50 per cent. OF liberated pigeons
lo..t their way. They were no doubt tempt
ed by the maize and other grain OF Gu
ba a~A Florida.
Perhaps IL Belgium's example had been
followed ard the pigeons trained In the
region where they were TO be used, eatire
success would have been attained.
The United States is giving much atten-
ton TO the training OF war pigeons for
naval purposes and is making notable
strides toward perfecting the system.
The difficulties connected with the use
of pigeons for sea service are obviously
IL
the pigeons do not readily feel at home on
board ship. Several leading French jour
nails have asserted that the pigeons be-
come seasick and hence are unable 60
leave the ship for any long flight.
This opinion however was not con
firmed by an experiment made in 1895,
when 4500 pigeons. the property of var
ious societies of Belgium, France. Hol-
land and England were set free from the
Manonbia at St. Hazaire, France. Only
sixteen birds preferred 10 stay on board
the ship, and none gave evidence OF sea-
sickness.
Lberations were made at four different
places-SB pigeons at ninety miles from
the nearest shore: 1900 at l25 miles from
the shore, 600 at about lG l-2 miles from
the shore, and 1880 at 3l2 miles from
shore.
The first prize. the gift OF the President
OF the French republic, was won by pig
con which made a distance of 4e5 miles.
of which 312 1-3 miles were over water
The speed of the pigeons varied from
twenty-five to fifty-nve miles per hour
The average rate OF speed of the car
rier pigeon is from thirty-one 10 thirty
five miles an hour. although slxty-two
miles an hour is often attained. pig
con one year old will ny a distance or
ninety-feur miles; a twO-year-old pigeon.
lSS miles. and old. well-trained birds can
fly from 57s to 500 miles In good weather
pigeons fly from $50 TO 1900 feet high; in
disagreeable weather they remain at a
height of $50 10 40 feet.
Sandy" the fastest bird I'm America,
has an average speed for 100 miles OF
mile In 50 l-2 seconds. Petroleum" is the
first bird to fly l,0s8 miles. and holds the
OF America under fedora
ton rules.
Dispatches are inserted In an aluminium
message holder weighing about eight
grams. This message holder Is In the
form of a capsule and is easily adjusted
to the birds leg by clasp The bird.
however. cannot remove II. Each holder
bears the number Of the bird. and those
used by the United States Naval Homing
Pigeon Service have u. s. N. stamped on
them, in addition 10 the number
The birds soon become accustomed 10
wearing the message holder and, as has
been aptly said. the bird knows what IL
expected Of It when It Is once around
It's leg and hustles home 10 get rid Of the
burden. Those who desire 10 send dis
patches on stated occasions should adjust
the message holder around the birds leg
and let II wear Il for a day or two be
fore sending It out ION business"
Otherwise. the bird becomes puzzled by
having queer thing attached to It's leg:
besides, the bird has other important
things TO think about than the message
holder, that IL. getting back home In the
quickest possible manner.
The Antwerp loft has a Photographic
studio. where military messages are
by the photO-mleroseopic
process, by which messages can be re-
diced 10 l-SOOth part of their natural size
by photographing them on thin. trans
parent collodion films A dozen or more OF
these hlms can be carried by one bird, The
total weight being less than one gram.
Each pigeon or entering the loft has TO
pass through trap so constructed that
IS soon as the bird enters IL closes auto
The trap is provided With an
electric alarm 80 that the return Of each
pigeon Ia Immediately ann0unred the hell