Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1898-06-04

All that was pure invention. of course;
but 1t was not more incredible than
would have been a truthful description
of the devices for killing with which
modern war-ships are equipped.
1t seems almost like going back tc
ante-telegraph and ante-teIephone
times to read of the efforts of the GOV
eminent Is making to use homing pig
cons for conveying information in
times of war. The experiments. how
ever, that have been made prove chat
these birds can deliver message from
n point POO miles out at sea to the shore
some five Or~siX hours sooner than the
fieetest dispatch boat in the service
could bring it. These birds are to be
used on the swift picket boats chat will
watch the coast, and on sighting IA hos
tile fleet details of it's size and dircc-
ton will be sent TO the shore by these
pigeons. For this purpose hundreds Of
these birds are kept i'll cages on board
the vessels composing the Atlantic
picket fleet. Attached 10 each bird is
a label showing the cote from which 1t
has been taken, so that the officer can
select one for carrying the message
that is from the place at which he
wishes it to be delivered. When IA hos
tile fleet is sighted a message giving
necessary particulars will be attached
TO a pigeon that will fly to the com
mandant of the naval station the Off
Ger desires to notify, or to several such
If the fleet is a large one. When the
bird arrives the orders are that the in
formation IL brings shall be AT once
telegraphed to the navy department,
which can at once give the proper di-
rections for meeting the approaching
enemy. SO much dependence has been
put upon this means Of transmitting in
formation quickly that naval homng
pigeon service has been organized.
which has trained the government
birds to degree Of perfection as mes
sengers that Is little less than marvel
Gus. for they have shown a rapidity Of
flight that Is more than twice the
speed Of the swiftest torpedo or dis
patch boat. In training the birds are
flown singly for distances varying
from ten to ninety miles at a time, and
it has been found that the best results
are obtained by using single birds, as
where several are started at a time
they are apt TO become confused. Tests
have been made for a distance of $50
miles, which the birds have covered at
the rate of from thirty-siX to forty
seven miles an hour. The ocean liners
carry pigeons to be used in giving no
tice of accident or mishap. In recent
case the notice of a rescue at sea was
sent by one Of these birds. The pigeon
did not reach the land, as 1t lighted on
another vessel but the message reach
ed it's destination In time TO pre-
vent much anxiety. 1t was to
the effect that the vessel from
which the bird had been sent
had assisted foreign ship, which had
met with a disaster, and that IT would
delay it's arrival at the port Of destina-
ton. The bird carried its message $50
miles. No one can estimate the posi-
BILE value of these messengers, which
have a sense of direction as unerring
upon the water as 1t Is upon the land,
coupled with rapldity Of flight and
powers Of endurance that aStonish
those familiar with them.
True friendship, like phosphorus