Carrier Pigeon

a bird of strong flight employed to convey messages. Before the day of the telegraph and the steam engine, carrier pigeons were much used to carry information. The whole secret lies in the fondness of the pigeon for its old home. If the Rothschilds of London, for instance, wished early intelligence of some expected event in Paris, they sent pigeons from their London loft by a messenger to their Paris house, where at the proper time a note was written on thin paper and was fastened closely around the shin of the pigeon's leg. The pigeon was then released and flew homeward to his old loft with the news still wrapped around his leg. Great pains were taken to train pigeons by taking them first on a short journey, and then farther away from home. When a carrier pigeon is released with its message, it rises in circles until it gets its bearings and then flies straight away for its home. Thirty miles an hour is an ordinary flight, although a speed of ninety miles an hour is on record. If the distance be great, the pigeon rests at night. If a pigeon be released from a balloon, it will drop like a plummet until near enough the earth to get its bearings; then it homes in a straight course. An American pigeon has been known to fly 1,040 miles without stopping.

The use of carrier pigeons reaches back into antiquity. Someone has suggested that the dove let loose from the ark was a carrier pigeon. When an Egyptian king was crowned it was customary to let carrier pigeons from the various provinces fly homeward with the announcement of the ceremony. Wealthy Romans carried pigeons in baskets into the amphitheater for the purpose of sending home the names of guests whom they were inviting, or to make a change in the dinner.

Carrier pigeons were employed at the siege of Jerusalem. The Saracens made frequent use of this means of carrying information during the Crusades. During the Napoleonic wars, news of great battles were transmitted by carrier pigeons in advance of couriers. During the siege of Paris by the Germans in the Franco-Prussian War, the Parisians communicated with the outside world by pigeons as well as balloons. Military information was sent frequently in cipher. Since the invention of the telegraph the practical value of carrier pigeons is trifling, and training has degenerated into mere trials of speed. It still attracts considerable attention. Pigeon homing is a national sport in Belgium and in England. Every year a pigeon "Derby" is flown from Nantes, France, to Lancashire, England. In the event of 1908 7,113 birds were taken across the English Channel. They were carried in 687 crates and required a train of fourteen railway cars. All were liberated at once. The winning bird made the trip of 450 miles from Nantes to its English home, and was cooing in the dovecote in less than eight hours.

Consul Henry D. Baker, of Hobart, makes the following report on the utilization of pigeons in Australia for carrying messages from Maatsuyker Island to the mainland:

An experiment of using homing pigeons for regular communication and emergency service between Hobart and Maatsuyker Island lighthouse, about seventy-five miles southwest of Hobart, is meeting with signal success, and was the means in November of probably saving the life of an assistant at the lighthouse, who was able, sixteen hours after sending for a doctor by pigeon post, to obtain needed medical relief.

The pigeon-post service with this lighthouse was established by the marine board of Hobart on January 21, 1908. The first message, which was dispatched from the lighthouse at 10 A. M., was received in Hobart at 1:30 P. M. Since that time three birds have been liberated with messages every three weeks, it being also understood that if accident or serious illness occurred three additional birds were to be set free. Twelve birds in all are used for the service. While messages have not always reached their destination safely, generally speaking the service has been thoroughly satisfactory. At the present time the messages are written on a piece of paper tied under the bird's wing; but the marine board has in view some celluloid cases which may be adjusted under the bird's wing and in which a good deal of information might be written upon "flimsies." The birds are fed on gray peas of good quality, given plenty of grit and fresh water, and kept thoroughly clean. They are also allowed at their station plenty of opportunity for needful exercise. Maatsuyker Island lighthouse is very isolated. It is situated seventy-five miles in a direct line from Hobart, and by steamer ninety miles. That this lighthouse was able to secure a doctor from Hobart sixteen hours after one had been sent for by pigeon post suggests important possibilities for more general use of pigeons for such service. There are 20,000 of these birds in the Commonwealth.

See Pigeon