The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1903-01-09

S1JOA4IAA5 COuLllSS. bfeSuIuS PO4lkLS
were first developed at Aix-la-
Chapelle and at Neaux, and in 1875
were transferred to Cologne and other
points along the Rhine. Other soci-
cites soon sprang up in other parts of
; Germany, especially in Hamburg. To
make all the isolated societies of use
to the state it was necessary to COM
bine them under one general society.
in close relation with the ministers of
war and of the navy. This was ac-
complished In 1884. Hamburg being
selected as the seat of the president.
Bavaria formed a similar union, in
| close relation with the other. These
two general societies have enjoyed a
steady growth.
The German union had in 1900 1907
members, with 222 6S5 pigeons, and the
Bavarian added 1854 pigeons more. In
1901 these societies increased over IL
per cent.
The first military establishment for
carrier pigeons in Germany was due to
Bismarck. In 1872 the chancellor re-
ceived present of several carrier pig
cons, which, he turned over to the di-
rector of the Geological garden of Ber-
lin, DR.. Bodfnus, and requested the
minister of war to erect the necessary
stations, which were established at
Cologne, Metz, Strasburg and Berlin,
the last especially for breeding and
training. Pigeons were purchased at
Brussels and Antwerp and about a
hundred sent to each of the stations.
Other stations were then rapidly es-
tablished in great number of towns.
The central station at Berlin was
given up in 1876 and transferred to
Cologne, but on the 1st of January,
1902, it was again transferred to
Spandau, near Berlin
The military carrier pigeon service is
now under the telegraph troops. The
annual appropriation for the service
was at first $4,000 marks, and has been
doubled several times. To encourage
the raising of pigeons by amateurs
prizes, are offered for good flyers, and
these prizes gradually increased in
number, so that in 1900 there were Of
fered nine gold medals, 140 silver and
$40 bronze medals. Besides, the govern
ment grants the union an annual sub
sidy of 1900 marks, part of which is
used for the destruction of birds of
prey.
Besides the central station at
Spandau, there are several others
capable of holding 200 pigeons each, or
ganized for breeding and training, and
pigeon posts are established in all the
forts.
The principle of the use of carrier
pigeons depends on the fact that they
will return to the place from which
they wereb rought and where they
have their homes and their nests. The
military pigeon, therefore, always re-
turns to the station to which it be-
longs Consequently, to obtain news
from without into a fortress the
pigeons of that fortress must first be
taken to the place whence news is to
come. The pigeons in service are
therefore trained to fly in one direction,
and in time of war these are all taken
to their point of departure. For re-
turn messages another set of pigeons
must be trained to fly in the opposite
direction. They do not forget their
homes for six months, and in some
cases, they have gone back after being
confined for eighteen months
The capacity of a pigeon to cover
long distances depnds upon it's race, it's
physical condition and it's training.
Young pigeons, after six months train
ing, will not be worth much If they do
not find their homes promptly at dis
tances Of seventy miles or more.
Training for great distances is effect
aH hIr To rtiJ1o with Vista
and gradually increasing them. Most
pigeons can readily be trained to cover
200 miles at a rate of about two thirds
of amile a minute or forty miles an
hour. In 1900 in the trials at Konigs-
berg, in Prussia, pigeons made the
course of nearly 700 miles in less than
one day. In the same year pigeons
were sent from Belgrade to Elberfelde,
$50 miles, but in bad weather so that
the first pigeon took six days for the
journey. The longest distance they
have been sent overland was from
Rome to Cologne, $40 miles On Oc-
tober g. 1885, nine pigeons were taken
from London to Boston by steamer,
and were liberated Their in the latter
part of October. One flew directly
back to London another went to New
York city and third was picked up in
Pennsylvania, nearly exhausted; the
other six We're lost. 1t was formerly
supposed that sight and the sense of
direction enabled the pigeons to return
to their homes. but some Of these later
experiments indicate that they possess
some other sense which serves them as
a compass.
Unfortunately the poor little animals
during their journeys are a prey to
many dangers. especially birds of prey
like the falcon, the gos-howk, the hob
by and the sparrow hawk. In 1900 re-
wards were offered at the rate of 20
cents a pair for the capture of these
birds of prey but although a great
number were killed their number has
not been appreciably decreased. Thou
sands of carrier pigeons are destroyed
annually, either by birds of prey, or
by being otherwise killed or captured.
On account of this danger, to insure
delivery of a dispatch at least four
pigeons are sent out with the same
message, and if the latter is very i'm
portant. doue that number At first
the dispatches were placed in a quill
closed with wax, fastened to the wing
o. 40, / i,,a1