Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-05-11
THE PIGEON MESSENGER system
MEN TODAY An. srsDisu OFT noMERs
AZ DID the CAiTrAiN VI TiiE ARK.


From Noah's time 10 the present
day pigeons have been used for nrt.
sengcrs, both In peace and war. The
Greeks were familiar with their use,
and employed them as messengers,
teaching their utility 10 thc Romans,
who used them 10 great advantage
during the siege Ul MDdena. During
the Siege OF Paris IN 1870, communica-
tlOn between the authorities at Tours
and the brleagurrd city was maintained
10y means of the homing pigeon. More
than one million private messages and
dispatches were carried over the heads
Of the German army, conveying the
only Intelligence received of the suffer.
lngs Of those within the Invested city
10 the outside world. The messages
photographed on thin Him Of colo.
DION, n single film containing twenty
five messages, aud one bird could carry
dozen films. They were inserted In
u section Of a quill, which was bound 70
the tail feathers by passing u silken cord
through holes pierced IN thc ends by a
rcdhot steel point.
The importance attached 10 the use
Of this bird by the French authorities
today can be seen from the fact that
foreigners are not allowed 10 release
them on French territory, or even
enter with them for that purpose with.
out a passport, settling forth the con-
veyor's name, birthplace, present resi-
dence, number OF pigeons, number Of
pannl.rs, number Of seals, impression
Of seals, and name and place OF toss.
The strict letter Of tliis document must
bc complied with or the person having
the birds Ia charge will DO refused al.
mission and be compelled 10 return
with them. Several shipments OF
Belgian ianciers were sotrcated during
1880.
The military pigeon service OF Ger
many II the most perfect la the world.
The iortresscs OF Metz, Cologne and
Stmsburg have each from four TO six
hundred trained birds. The an
nual vote Of credit for such pur.
poses Ia 5000. The commandant
OF the place IL responsible for the
birds, and IA assisted by n non.
commissioned officer, two private sol.
diers, and n keeper, the latter receiving
$50 per month. On tho western FROM
tier Cologne communicates direct with
Berlin, 300 miles distant, and IL a
transmitting station for Metzand May
ence. Strasburg anu Metz commu-
nicate with the capital through wurz.
burg.
France cxpcnds $50, 900 Oh her mill.
tary pigeon system. There are no less
than ten stations In PATS, the capital
being communicated with from points
at great distances by way Of I.andes,
which communicates also with Mar.
settles aud Perplgnan. Lots are sta.
toned about Grcnoblc, the Alps, the
Pyrenecs and tho most important
towns north ana south OF the country.
Where the birds are used In one
direction about 300 are. maintained, 1850
for each direction after the fret, 10 that
where three courses nro covered there
are 800 pigeons.
Thc Russian government expends
1000 roublos In maintaining pigeon
system. Posen, Thorn, Konigsburg,
Tovarnik, Stcitln and Klein fact,
every important part Of the country i
Indirectly, with 81. Petersburg by
means OF homing pigeons.
Experimenting recently, "A photo.
graph OF the winter palace was taken
In n balloon, the plates packed Ia on.
velopeA impen.trablc TO light, and
quickly carried 10 this station at volk.
God.
In Belgium, the birthplace OF the
homer, the mile has been hown In less
than one minute at all distances from
5ii to 2i5! miles, the last given dis.
lance occupying but ISL minutes, or
the mile In 5O.i seconds. Pigeon
dying is tho national pastime In
Belgium, NJ baseball In America and
cricket In England Chicago Herald,