Yes, often the barges were filled with pigeons on the Mississippi Rivers tows going up and down the stream. If they went aground on a sandbar, the deckhands would bang on the sides of the barges with sledge hammers. That'd get the birds to flying. It'd lighten the load so the tow could float free of the bar.

Of course, those were known on the river as "Pigeon Tows"

When filled with Tic-Tac candy, they were Tic-Tack Tows.

And when filled with hammers, they were...

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