New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-04-03
CARRIER PIGEONS AT SEA.
EXPERIMENTS WITH THEM ON THE
FRENCH LINER BDETAGNE.
TEE PROPOSAL TO ESTABLISH REGULAR
POSTAL SERVICE FROM SHIPS ON THE
OCEAN-PECUIIARIr1Es OF
THE BIRDS
Paris. March 90. 1893.

Paris. March % 1893.
The French Transatlantic Company, with the
assistance Of the French military and naval au-
thorities, has decided to start n service CT car
rier pigeons by means of home lofts near
Havre and near New-Yorli 20 enable messages
from their steamers sent at any point OF their
course to be transmitted either to the United
States or to France. These experiments are to
begin on Saturday, March 26, with the departure
from Havre Of the Bretagne. which will carry
the first lot Of five hundred pigeons known TO
experts the "homing Antwerp variety,
which have been bred and carefully trained at
three lofts situated near the mouth Of the Seine.
Captain Eaynaud Of the % Regiment OF
Dragons Of the French Army who has devoted
many years to the study OF the pigeon postal
service By land and sea- and who IS a recognized
authority on the subject In France. has. by or
der Of General Billot. Minister OF War. been de-
tGched on this special mis- sion to establish car
er-pigeon post on the Transatlantic Company 5
steamers between Havrc and New-York.
Captain Raynaud has taken passage on the
Eretagne next Saturday, and upon his arrival
In New-York in accordance with his nstruc-
tons from the Minister OF War, will endcavor
to make arrangements with the leading carrier
pigeon societies of New-York. Delaware. New
Jersey. Connecticut. Rhode Island Massachu-
sets. New-Hampshire, Maine. Canada and
Nova Scotia, as TO secure numbers of we'll
trained American birds of strong fight to assure
the American end of the proposed transatlantic
pigeon post. just as The French end Is about to
be assured by the Normandy bred birds.
The idea Is that In future when such delays
as that experienced by the Champagne last Feb
ruary occur. the exact position Of the ship and
the nature OF the accident can be speedily com
municatcd to the nearest coast so that relief
can be dispatched with the greatest rapliity.
Captain Raynaud expresses implicit confidence
In the eventual success and efficiency OF the
pigeon post, and says that under certain cir
cumstanccs IT may prove the means OF aver,ing
The total loss Of disabled ships The Normandy
bred birds have been judiciously crossed with the
ordinary pigeons. which gives them much
stronger flight and greater endurance than the
Belgian birds. 1t is these Normandy birds that
are used by the fishermen Of Boulogne Dioppc
and Sainte Malo, who are In the habit Of recas-
Ing them at with messages to the fish deal
ers who provide for the Parish Ash market, IN
dcating in detail the number size and quail
ties of fish caught. thereby enabling the dealers
to regulate their prices to the greatest profit.
Captain Raynaud says that these hardy birds
attain at sea speed Of eighty kilometres an
hour in average Atlantic weather and they
have been known to perform journeys at sea
Of eight hundred kilometres without resting.
The carrier pigeon service Is. however not TO
be limited TO cases OF disaster. Tho Paris man
ager Of the Transatlantic Steamship Company
says that II the present experiments prove sue
cessful, pigeon lofts OF both American and
French birds will be established on all the ships
z the company. and any passenger. by the pay
I'-nt of 20 francs go send qu'ntupled mes
sages by means OF Ave pigeons. released any
day during the passage. to friends either in Eu-
rope or In America The Transatlantic Com
pany also intend 70 devote several thousand
francs year to prizes for French and Ameri-
can-bred pigeons which attain the best perform
ances OF speed and distance.
QUALITY OF THE BIRDS
Great attention will be paid to the quality Of
the birds selected for the transatlantic service.
N. G. Dencuve, president Of one Of the most i'm
portant carrier pigeon societies in France said
that 1t was owing to the hasty selection OF the
pigeons that were taken by NJ. Andrtc on his ex-
petition to the north pole that no satisfactory
result was obtained. and Captain Raynaud also
expressed the same opinion The following plan
to insure the best selection of birds IN the
periments TO be begun next Saturday has been
decided upon The first l.: Of pigeons embarked
on the BretaSne on March 20. will be released at
about one hundred miles from Havrc. Tho birds
that arrive quickly and in good condition at
their home lofts In Normandy will be chosen for
the next trial, and will be embarked on the
French steamer sailing from Havre on the fol
lowing Saturday April ., and will De released