Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-10-31
CARRIER PIGEONS IN WAR.
They Did Not Prove as Successful as the
Navy Department Expected.

They Did Not Prove as Successful as the
Navy Department Expected.
Carrier pigeons have not proven the
success expected of them in the war as
means of communication between
ships and the shore. Just preceding
I the declaration of war tine naval au-
thorities made most extensive prepara-
tions for placing in operation the car
rier pigeon system, and established i'm
portant cotes at all the leading naval
stations along the coast from Ports
mouth down to the Tortugas.
Out on the California coast n big
station was located at Mare Island,
and this is the only one where salts
factory results were obtained. Key
West was made the chief station, how
ever, for it was anticipated that at this
point thare would be more occasion for
using pigeons to communicate with
vessels off the Cuban coast. An ex-
pert keeper of cotes was sent to Key
West, the prize pigeons secured in
Europe by Professor Marion, of the
Naval Academy were among the flyers,
and every care and attention was given
the birds to secure good results.
During the early days of the war
prompt and frequent communication
was kept up between Tortugas and
Key West by the pigeons, but this
was not always to be depended upon, as
the birds often failed to perform their
duties. Each ship on the blockadine
fleet, and those that later went East
with Admiral Sampson, were provided
with pigeons to carry messages to the
naval commander at Key West, so that
the authorities in Washington might be
kept informed Of the movements of the
ships. Many of those sent from ves-
sells in front of Havana few back aud
delivered their messages, but in some
cases ships at a long distance from
shore were unable to communicate by
pigeon with Key West. The reports
that have been received on the opera
tions of the system fail to account for
the unsatisfactory results obtained,
unless, as they state, they have been
due to climatic conditions, which are
unfavorable in the South, it is be-
lieved, to long flights and reliable SER
vice.
The pigeons in fifty per cent. of the
cases returned to the cote, the Others
having been reported lost or unac-
counted for. Some experts on the
system believe that the birds found
other attractions than their cote, aud
! that the wild berries and fruits of
southern Florida and the north Cuban
coast may have detected them. Good
results were obtained, however, with
the cotes at Portsmouth, N. H., and
that at Newport, although the navy
had little opportunity to use them in
connection with ships at sea. The
California cote was success in every
way, the longest flights recorded by
the pigeons varying from $50 to 275
miles, the distance having been COW
cred between San Francisco and ships
of the military expeditions carrying
troops to Manila.
The navy will cultivate the use of
the pigeons in sending and receiving
communications along shore and be-
tween vessels, and intend enlargin s
the entire system by the establishment
of the additional cotes on the sea-
board, so that they may be brought
close together, and thus enable one
station to be in easy reach of the next
by carrier pigeons.