The Taney County republican. (Forsyth, Mo.) 1895-1992, 1898-04-28
CARRIE PIGEONS.
Will Be Used by the United States Fleet in
Sending Messages.

Will BE Used by the United States Fleet in
Sending Messages.
Washington, April, 23.-The Unit
ed States army and navy officials
nave decided to make use of hOming
pigeons in the coming war with Spain
and all owners of such birtls i'll the
United States, who desire to tender
them to the government, have been
requested to communicate with Mr..
Carter at the Brooklyn navy yard
All the patrol boats which will be
sent out TO sea to Spanish fleet Will
he provided with these birds. ana the
arrlv of occupation will carry num-
her of them to Cuba, in order to
have quick communication with the
Cni:e,i States previous to the taking
| OF Havana.
Until Havana IS taken there can
| be no communication between the
| army of occupation and the United
States, except by the sending OF dis
patch boate across the channel. AS
the distance between Cuba and
| Florida is less than 100 miles, and,
| AS these birds are capable Of flying
at the rate of over Il mile minute,
they will undoubtedly prove of much
value in getting information from
the American navy across quickly
in case the siege of Havana should
be at all protrac,ed.
The homing pigeon isa wonder
ful bird, and the war between the
Uuitcd States and Spain will not be
| the first in which these winged mes
sasers have played Il most important
part. The homing pigeon of today
is a bird in which is combined the
faculty of immediatly getting its
bearings, no matter how far it may
be taken from home, and a physical
development which enables il to
cover great distances. 1t can he alb
solutely depended upon to cover 200
miles air line, with a speed of ut least
a mile minute.
During the siege of Paris was thus
kept III communication with friends
and allies. Thousands sf messages
were conveyed into tlie French CAPT
tai, and even newspapers were re-
duced in size BY being photographed
and sent to Paris by these aerial mes
scngers. So Important was the art
played by homing pigeons i'll this
war that it led to many of the Europ-
can powers cxpcnding enormous
sums of money in the equipment o.
homing pigeon services which are to-
day maintained upon magnificent
scale. France, Germany, Russia
Spain and Italy have gone farther IL
perfecting the services which they
have in force that the other power
each spending annually from $4,000
S25, 900 in carrying forward this
, featurgs of their fighting equipment
which they now look upon as indis
f pensible. The magnificent scale up
Oh which these governments conduc
; their pigeon posts can hardly be re
| allied by one vino has not made
, study of them. At the annual sal
r of stock pigeons agents Of these gov
= ernments can be seen ready TO pa,
S large prices far choice specimen
t which may be offered, consignln
I them when purchased to the variou
posts of their respective govern
c ments.
t BY means of the pigeon service
:. in force the European powers ca
+ keep up constant communication bt
tween Outposts upon the frontle
garrisons and army posts, as we
as fleets assembled at points not to
remote. The French goFrnmen
has gone so far as to introduce ini
the infantry and artillery branch'
of its service system of movab
pigeon coops, which, when perfects
will render safe and swift repor
:. from pickets and scouts an easy ma
ter. This system, while afferdir
great possibilities, has not as y
+, been sufficiently tested to demo
strate clearly its practical utility.
&c The commanding general of Il
army, of occupation in Cuba cou
n, with a basket of well trained homil
.is pigeons at his headquarters in Ha
al ana belonging to coop in Key We
ed be perfectly independent of the {
be. bic, as a means Of communicate