Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1893-12-08
DOGS FOR USE IN WAR
hCW THEY ARE TRAINED IN A LIT
Tie TOWN IN AUSTRIA.

s'c s"sessSe"ee Iney OsscSay II Simply
Msrvclsws--llow They llant Out and Sue
cor The woundcd and l.est-Sccntia. an
Ese@y when Five aIilcs Away.
Some so miles west of Vienna the lit
tic market town of Wells nestles in the
foothills Of the Austrian Alps, which
here rise in hold cliffs from tho banks Of
the Traun.
The forests of the neighborhood are
too open to harbor much game, but :
stranger stopping at the summer hotel
OF the little town nigh, easily bc led to
believe that the citizens must he the
most indefatigablc hunters Of the Aus
tro-Hungarian empire. From morning
till night, and sometimes till long after
dark, no may hear the echo of shots and
the barking and bowling of dogs ap-
proaching the town or dying away in
the distant hills. and occasionally an
swered from far AMI, near, rs If all the
| sportsinen of the northern Alps had met
| in convention.
For this Is one of the stations where
kriegshunde-war doSs-arc trained.
The plan of training dogs for military
purposes was first adopted by the French
garrisons in Algiers, but has since been
tried with great success N Prussia. Italy
and especially il Austria, where four
footed messengers have for many years
been taught to carry letters to the snow
bound villages of the Alpine highlands.
The shaggy collics used for that purpose
make the hest war dogs ana can I've
trained TO race IN n bee line to the next
| military post and announce their arrival
by peculiar bark that Is mt once recog-
nized and answered by the shout Of q
sentry.
They will also range long chain Of
hills in quest of wounded soldiers, and
either dash back to report their discov-
cries or stand guard at the side of the
cripple till an ambulance party comes
near enough to he signaled by a long
drawn howl.
Trainers send ont three or four of their
shaggy pupils at once and ascertain their
proficiency by all sorts of ingenious tests.
Soldiers instructed to act the part of
helpless crirples will hide in thic,lets or
caverns and keep still till the dog tugs
at their sleeves, when they will sit up
and reward his sagacity with n piece Of
sausage.
They then try to rise, but pretend to be
too weak to walk or even to shoot. and
ask the dog 10 call for assistance. Ehelp
is near, Collie will set up a loud howl. re-
peated at s.1orter and shorter intervals.
till the signal is answered from the val
ley below. If his appeals should remain
UNDECIDED. h will mount the next rock
and look about as if to impress the lay of
the land on his mind, ana then dash off
to summon help from headquarters.
Should two cripples intimate their
need of aid NJ the same time, Collie will
guide the rescuing party to the hiding
place of the oac farthest away, and help
them to pick Up or somehow assist the
the other man on their way home.
| Messenger dogs carry letters in small
bag wrapped around their collar and will
permit only the proper officials TO touch
that collar. Anoncommissioned officer.
displaying the insignia Of his rank, may
venture to remove the bag, but the dog
will follow him and see to it that he gets
him an answer.
Private soldiers are s.stood off, with {.
/
uniform Of the enemy cannot stop the
messenger with anything but an ex-
treme!y well aimed shot. Dogs racing
along the battle front will dodge bullets
by running Zigzag and develop a mar
velous talent for taking advantage of
every cover, running through the high
est grass or along the safe side of rocks
| and fallen trees.
Picket pos: dogs are selected from n
different breed. The half shepherd. half
wolf dogs that carry letters and hunt up
cripples are not entirely devoid of scent
and can find their way back home in &
manner not wholly applicable on .Le
theory Of keen eyesight. But for eff
cheney in the role of sentries they yield
the palm To species of deerhounds that
do their best work after dark.
On picket duty well trained sentinel
Of that breed viii! scent the approach of
troop Of cavalry before man, with his
ear on the ground, can hear the tram
ping of the horses. The dog sentry will
announce his discovery in more dis
Greet way than the Scotch widow who
screamed through the citadel of Luck
| HOW WHICH, UNT CHI the an
preaching bagpipe of the McGresors.
Phylax on scenting danger will step up
close to his uniformed companion, ana
after pause of silence and keen atten-
ton will announce his suspicion by low
growls, getting more frequent rather
than louder, rs the cause for alarm be-
comes more unmistakable.
The best dogs Of that breed have "chal-
lenged" cavalry from u distance of three
to five miles, according to the direction
of the wind. and infantry from nearly
two miles. They can he trained to an
nouncc the approach of known friend
in a quite different way-viz. by leaping
to and fro or crouching down and jump
ing mp by turns, but without the warn
ing growl Of the danger s;ypal.-F. L.
Oswald In Youths Companion.
4 Massage Stone.