Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-04-12
Teaches Birds 70 Eiv

Chief Quartermaster Henry Kubec
of the Naval Air Station at Anacostia
runs what is one of the foremost pig
con raising establishments in the
world. His birds supply the entire
United States Navy with highly de-
pendable messengers. AS it is now
they may be relied upon to keep on
the wing for at least five hundred
miles without stopping for food or
water, and that limit is being contin-
ually extended. This is more than
many airplanes can do without "gass-
ing up"
The more than three hundred pupils
of Chief Quatermaster Kubec's school
are valuable lot. Naturally they are
given every attention and care. A
hospital is provided to keep them
well, and they have clean, airy, sunny
quarters for their club rooms. They
even have armed guards to patrol
the grounds at night.
And why not? Here are birds that
have been educated to fly swiftly and
unerringly under almost every con-
ceivable condition. Chief Quarter
master Kubec has Aerial Lad" who
travels at an average speed of one
thousand two hundred and thirty-four
yards a minute.
Here" he said, holding out a vari-
plumaged pigeon carefully, sis a bird
lot of folks would like to have. He
is a star pupils and a champion. Over
there is the pigeon that delivered a
message in record time recently from
the Presidents yacht, the Mayflower,
flying forty miles an hour for two
hundred miles in a headwind."
Then there is Aero Queen" who at
a race over in Deslller, Ohio, did one
hundred and ten miles at an average
speed of forty-five miles an hour. An
other swift travelling bird flew the
National Concourse race>of hundred
and ten miles on April 80, 1928,
winging the entire distance at an
average speed of two thousand two
hundred and forty yards a minute
over the entire course-more than a
mile a minute, 1t was explained
that this is probably the fastest speed
ever made by a pigeon for this dis
lance. Another pigeon race last year
at a distance Of five hundred miles
the Navy birds won first and second
place against very strong competition.
In the various lofts these little rae
ers are divided according to their &C
complishments. Many of them have
flown five hundred miles. In fact one
GU anu lltlN HdNS pdooCu a tOot
which consists of doing a distance of
that length between daybreak and
nightfall. 1t is only during the day
light hours that homing pigeons will
fly. When night comes on they will
seek a place to rest. continuing their
flight in the morning.
These lofts are models Of bird
apartments. They are fitted with run
ming water and electric lights and all
modern conveniences. There is moth
ing omitted that would give addi-
tional comfort and happiness to these
pets of Uncle Sam.
Chief Kubec runs sort Of normal
school in addition to his flying school.
The men assigned to him for training
learn about the mysteries of pigeons,
their dispositions, their health, their
manners, their idiosycrasies, while
the birds themselves are graduating
from class to class.
When the men are graduated they
are sent all over the map to stations
like Pearl Harbor, Guam, Santo Do
mingo or Coco Solo. Most stations
have about sixty pigeons. - From
Everybody's Ma ~azine