Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1918-09-27

LlSeOn lTdlIlnS nus DeCOIue an III
teresting as well as valuable activity
in the new army of the United States.
Pigeon lofts are maintained at many
of the army camps and aviation fields
throughout the country. Each loft
is numbered just as every air squad
ron and every regiment of infantry,
cavalry and artillery is numbered. The
birds are taken over by the govern
ment before they are old enough for
raw recruits; are fed and conditioned
to make them strong, and then are
given a course of training just as are
lishment.
When the training Of these young
pigeons is completed they go over
seas, the same as the soldiers. The
birds play their part on the battle
line, are killed and wounded, and some
are taken prisoner. but like the horses
and dogs with which they serve in the
great war, they are never decorated,
never cited for bravery In action and
never appear in the reports of casual
ties.
Two of the flying centers where
pigeons are specially trained are Kelly
and Carruthers fields in Texas. Not
fewer than 75 pigeons are sent over
seas from Kelly field every six weeks.
They come to Kelly lofts when about
three months old and are trained by
experts over a period of six to eight
weeks before they are considered fit
for duty. The lofts are mobile, cor
responding to those in use in France.
and when the training of the birds is
finished at Kelly field they are ready
to go directly to the trenches.
The first period of advanced training
of these pigeons comes with flock toss
ing, after they have learned to return
to their lofts when liberated at dis
tances of from two to twenty miles
! from the field. That is, they are set
free in groups to prevent their being
confused and consequently separated
and lost. AS soon as they have been
liberated several times in this manner
and have found their way home again
/ lutN UIG idhGil OuJ anu AOSSCu luul-
vidually. Each pigeon has a number,
and by bell devices at the entrance of
the coop, their arrivals and the time of
their flights are kept on record. As
soon as a bird shows unfailing ability
to return home quickly he is ready foI
service overseas.
A white flag is the signal most com
monty used for training these messen
ger birds. They soon learn that wheT
this white flag is raised over their lofts
they are to stay away for exercise, an(
when the flag comes down they may
return for their food. On some fields
when the birds stray considerable
distance from their loft, they are called
back by the rafting of a tin pan.
To help the pigeons recognize thei
cotes the latter are painted in yellow
and white stripes. No matter where ;
pigeon from Carruthers field is takel
thereafter or In what direction, it will
not alight on any building except 1T
own loft, which means, of course, tha
wherever the pigeons go, the loft fror
which they were trained goes witt
them. 1t is only recently that the us
of pigeons as messengers has been al
tempted from airplanes. The bird
when used for this purpose are carrie
in baskets in the fuselage and grea
care must be exercised in releasin
them to prevent the propeller blade
from striking them. The aviators G
, balloonists who handle them also hav
to be instructed in the manner
which they release the birds for fligh
Dropping the birds at high altitude
also requires special forms of trainin
for the birds and instruction for th
aviator.