New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-03-20
PIGEONS FOR USE IN WAR
WOULD OFFER 71iEJs
BIRDS TO THE NAVY

SHORE QUICK NEWS OF NAVAL. EAT'rLEs
From The Philadelphia inquirer,
.Ptvc thousand birds. al. trained and expert
orced flyers could and would be placed az he
disposal OF the United States Government ~
philodeiDnians IN the event Of var between TIN
country and Spain. Ihat U.s. II the HoVerhmnt
would accept them.
The sneaker was one Of the best known raiser,
and trainers Of homing pigeons IN the United
states In chat with an Enquirer reporter
Yesterday afternoon he told a whole lot u 10
,eresting things in connection with hOmng n
carrier pigeons and the service they could en-
dor To the. United States In war with another
nation.
orIv in a naval engagement" h. said, that The
birds would be valuable. In land battles the
telegraph and the field telephone would fur.
nish more rapid means OF transmitting mes
sares But on the sea. where II Is likely that
most OF the fighting between this country and
Spain will be done. II any Is done at all ele.
trjcity cannot be used. FOR reasons which
obvious. Still. 1t is often rus, as inportaa,
that quick communication be had with he shore
and with the Naval officials at Washingta
during n hattie between the warships AZ Be.
tween regiments Of land fighters.
FREE TO THE GOVERNMENT
"Philadelphians have pad more attention yer.
haps TO the raising and training OK homins
pigeons than the people OF any other one 10
caiity in the country AS result there are
and in various stages Of development and train.
ing owned in the city to-day. OF this number
al least ten thousand are flt 10 Dc put 10 work
carving war messages, and five thousand I
have not the least doubt. would be offered free
10 the Navy Department the minute II became
known that they would be used
..So.ne Of these birds hold championship rec.
ords for long distance flights ana all OF them
are good ones Take the loft owned by W.
& TorkingtOn. jr Of West Philadelphia. Tor in.
stance Mr.. Torkington. by the way, wrote 10
Secretary Long only a few days ago Offering
the pick of his flyers to the Government. 10.
cluded in the number are birds that have won
the West Philadelphia district championships
at 200, 800. and 4U miles. and one that finished
second in the .0o-mile race. His lo., Is bred
principally from Kingston and Twilight two Of
the most famous breeders in the world, and III:
birds he would turn over 10 Secretary Long
could be depended upon TO bring home every
time the messages with which they were H.
NOTED ONES AMONG THEM
Charles H. Jones. Of Clifton Heights. tn.
racing secretary of the National Association
of Homng Pigeon Fanc:ers, is another whose
loft Of long distance flyers would be turned
over to the Government He has one hundred
and twenty-five or more birds. Arthur HcGnn
the well-known contractor. has also Offered
100 of his 200 flyers TO the Government, one
of them being the celebrated Gainesville. the
homer that finished second in the world famed
race in which the winner flew GA miles between
sunrise and sunset The loft Of Connei Sloan,
located in West Philadelphia. would furnish
fifty frst-class birds. the most celebrated be.
ing the winner of the JU0-mile West Phadei.
phia district last year Another breeder
whose birds are az the disposal OF the Govern.
ment is Louis A. Mehler. of Twentieth ant
Diamond SITS. who turned over a lot Of the
homers to Secretary Of the Navy Herbert during
Clevelands last Administration. the latter max.
ing a number Of highly satisfactory experi.
ments with them. But the list could De eI.
tended indefinitely"
The method Of utilizing the pigeons by the
Navy would be extremely simple COtes Of
birds would be carried on board each OF the
warshps. one cote from each city OF town viii
which ii might become desirable 10 communicate
These could be coast or inland cities although
the former would be preferable. As al commun-
cations could be forwarded from them to Wash.
ingtou by wire upon the arrival - the mes.
sage-bearing birds more rapidly thar the PIG.
cons themselves could make the trip
SENDING A MESSAGE
Before or after a battle. or even during AZ
engagement. should the commander Of a sh,
or Of the fleet want TO send word 20 the Na;iOni
Capital OF TO any other place he would simp!
cause the message to be written on the Light
paper that is used for the purpose and .a-
tened TO the tail feathers Of the bird who's,
home loft was in the town nearest e. the place
for. which the message was destined once
given its liberty. the intelligent and home-l5,.
ing flyer would do the rest. During 4 war viii
Spain it is probable that a majority Of he
most important naval engagements would b
iousnl "ltnln one hundred and NIFTY Niles
the Florida coast. Under such circumstance
two hours from the time bird was Liberated
from warship It could be in Key West
Jacksonville, and three minutes later It's mes
sage would be In Washington.
The Government has already decided TO ADOPT l
homing pigeons as part OF its Lighthouse l
and IL is altogether likely that thsy l
will become valuable adjancts Of the United
States Navy A war with Spain would or
Iainiy furnish an opportunity to determine .beh
practical worth for purposes and fancxn l
all over the country are sparing no efforts