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Show SEA-BRED PIGEONS. How to Got a Gond Service from Ship to Shore. Captain John R. Bartlett, IT. S. N., retired, chief of the coast signal service ser-vice during the war with Spain, has reported to the department on the value of carrier pigeons for signaling purposes. The Baltimore Sun summarizes sum-marizes the report as follows: That experiments he made for the purpose of training homing pigeons in connection connec-tion with coast signaling, for th.e reason rea-son that they offer a solution of the problem of communication with vessels ves-sels in the off-shore patrol fleet. These vessels would most probably operate in districts having established bases, and at such distance from the coast and from the inshore patrol that visual signaling would be impossible. A homing pigeon service cannot be improvised im-provised and be of any real value. The birds must be systematically and patiently trained for a year or two, not only to equip the cotes with trained train-ed carriers for that locality, but to furnish a stock of sea-bred breeders. Experimental cotes should be located at the base of naval coast defense districts, dis-tricts, a small vessel provided with a carrier pigeon outfit, and an officer detailed de-tailed to develop this means of communication com-munication and superintend the systematic sys-tematic training of the birds. Unless this is done with intelligence for at least a year it would be useless to rely upon it at all. Such a system could he economically inaugurated and could be maintained at a comparatively slight cost. A simple routine of drills, exercises and reports based upon our recent experiences could be readily put Into operation, and small rewards or appropriate rating would stimulate proficiency. In times of peace such service would be of constant convenience conven-ience to this department and to the maritime interests of the country, and the constant practice would prepare the men for the emergencies of war. Attention is called to the fact that every other maritime nation has such a system, generally much more elaborate elabo-rate than the one herein proposed, organized or-ganized and operated under its naval or maritime department. |