The record-union., 1891-04-26
THE PIGEON MESSENGER SYSTEM.
Men To-Day Are Sending Ont Homers
as Did the Captain of the Ark.

Men To-Day Are Sending Ont Homers
as Did the Captain of the Ark.
From Noah's time TO the present day
pigeons have been used as messengers.
both in peace and war. The Greeks were
familiar with their use, and employed
them as messengers, teaching their utility
to the Romans, who used them to great
advantage during the siege of Modena.
During the siege of Paris in 1870, commu-
nlcation between the authorities at Tours
and the beleaguered city was maintained
by means of the homing pigeon. More
than one million private messages and
one hundred and fifty thousand official
dispatches were carried over the heads of
the German army, conveying the only
intelligence received of the sufferings of
those within the invested city to the out
side world. The messages were photo
graphed on a thin film of collodion. a
single film containing twenty-five mes
sages, and one bird could carry dozen
films. They were inserted in section of
quill, which was bound to the tail
feathers by passing silken cord through
holes pierced in the ends by redhot
steel point.
The importance attached to the use of
this bird by the French authorities to-day
can be seen from the fact that foreigners
are not allowed to release them on French
territory, or even enter with them for
that purpose without passport, setting
forth the conveyor's name, birthplace,
present residence, number of pigeons,
number of panniers, number of seals,
impression of seals, and name and place
of toss. The strict letter of this document
must be complied with or the person
having the birds in charge will be re-
fused admission and be compelled to
return with them. Several shipments of
Belgian fancierS were so treated during
1890.
The military pigeon service of Ger
many is the most perfect in the world.
The fortresses of Metz, Cologne and
Strasburg have each from four to six hun
dred trained birds. The annual vote of
credit for such purposes is $1,000. The
commandant of the place is responsible
for the birds, and is assisted by nom
commissioned officer, two private SOL
diers, and keeper, the latter receiving
$40 per month. On the western frontier
Cologne communicates direct with Ber-
lin, 800 miles distant, and is a transmit
ting station for Metz and Mayence. Stras-
burg and Metz communicate with the
capital through Wurzburg.
France expends $4,000 on her military
pigeon system. There are no less than
ten stations in Paris, the Capital being
communicated with from points at great
distances by way of Landes, which COM
municates also with Marseilles and Per-
pignan. Lofts are stationed about Gre
noble, the Alps, the Pyrenees and the
most important towns north and south
of the country.
Where the birds are used in one direc-
ton about 200 are maintained, $50 for each
direction after the first, so that where
three courses are covered there are 500
pigeons.
The Russian Government expends TO-
900 roubles i'll maintaining pigeon sys-
tenn. Posen, Thorn, Konigsburg, Tovar-
mix, Stettin and Klein fact, every inn
portant part of the country is in com
munication, either directly or indirectly,
with st. Petersburg by means of homing
pigeons.
Experimenting recently, photograph
of the winter palace was taken in bal
loon, the plates packed in envelopes inn
penetrable to light, and quickly carried
to the station at Volkood.
In Belgium, the birthplace of the
homer, the mile has been flown in less
than one minute at all distances from 54B
to 2l54 miles, the last given distance oc-
cupying but 18l minutes, or the mile in
50.4 seconds. Pigeon flying is the
national pastime in Belgium, as base ball
in America and cricket in England
Chicago Herald.