62 LIFE OF TEGETMEIER 



International All England race, with eight classes ; 

 three were open to fanciers to race from Brussels 

 to London, and five were from the Alexandra 

 Palace to different parts of England. There 

 were prizes in each section, the first being a 

 silver cup, the second a silver medal, and the 

 third one a bronze medal. After the races the 

 winners were to be exhibited at the Alexandra 

 Palace. The race and show attracted much 

 attention in the press. 



Although, even in the pre-wireless telegraphy 

 days, the Army would not take up the pigeon post, 

 Tegetmeier found support from and achieved 

 success in other directions. He succeeded in 

 interesting Trinity House in his scheme for 

 establishing a service of pigeon messengers between 

 the lightships round our coasts and the shore ; 

 and in 1876, after repeated demonstrations, he 

 had the satisfaction of seeing his plans in practical 

 operation. It is due to the Brethren of Trinity 

 House to record that from the first they lent a 

 willing ear to his project, and gave him every 

 encouragement and assistance. Tegetmeier, as 

 usual, chose his time wisely for pressing his 

 views. There had been numerous wrecks round 

 the coast during the autumn and winter of 1875, 

 and in some cases at least there had been loss of 

 life which might have been prevented had help 

 been more promptly forthcoming. The wreck 

 of the steamer " Deutschland " on the Kentish 



