The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-01-16
TO CARRY WAR NEWS.
ANIMAL AGENTS AS MESSENGERS
TO AND FROM THE FRONT.

Camei Experiment.
Washington Letter in Chicago Inter-
Ocean.
Both the war and navy departments are
Investigating certain methods of commu-
nication OF land and sea used in Ger
many and France for war purposes, and
from practical tests which have been
made il seems fair to assume that this
new means of field and ocean biography
viii be put upon a basis which. after a
time, will render it so useful as to be-
come an established institution. The nav
al experiments have been carried some
what further than those of the war de-
partnrent, and the carrer-pigeon lofts
which have been established a Annapolis,
Newport. and other naval stations now
mouse birds that are capable of doing all
mat IS asked of them. The experiments
OF the war department in the use OF
dogs as a means of field communication
for the army have been limited. but stu
dies of the methods of training used in
Germany have been made and it is posi-
Die that before long practical tests may
be made in this country
This is not the first time in the history
other than the horse and OK as a means
OF communication and transportation has
been attempted, for as early as 1853 there
was bill passed in Congress appropriate
ing S5oVU0 for the purchase and importa-
ton of number of camels from Egvpt
ana Arabia for use on the Western des-
erts- The trans-continentaI railroad had
not been built, and as millions of dollars
IN gold were being mined in California
every year, and thousands of persons were
crossing the country from the East to
make their homes in the new Eldorado
Lieut.: Edward f. Beale, afterward Gen.
beale, devised the plan of bringing into
TINS country the ships of the desert" of
the far East
The entire history of this experiment is
set forth at length in document of the
Ihlrty-fourth Congress, which was print-
ed here in 1857. Secretary of War Davis
appointed Maj. c. Wayne to go to Egypt
ana Arabia to buy seventy-five caulels.
AFTER consulting with the prominent mill
starry men of the capitals Of Europe. who
had Deen in campaigns where the animals
mad been under fire, and after informing
himself as to the habits. diet, and uses of
the beasts in warfare, Maj. Wayne went
10 caro- His experiences in collecting
/ the camel herd were somewhat ardous. as
there were many difficulties in the way of
ms getting the beasts out of Egypt and
other eastern countries, which had laws
prohibiting their export but the gallant
major seems to has been undismayed by
the obstacles which presented themselves
ana went about his business seriously. in
gratiating himself in a diplomatic manner
with the high official personages of Egypt
ana Persia. BY reason of the unbOunded
affection which the Viceroy of the Egyp-
tan hhedive bore to the United States he
was content that the major should buy two
camels al Alexandria. Then six drom-
edaries were presented by the Pasha. At
Smyrna the expedition received thirty
three camels from the interior, varying in
price from SIS to $1,000, which seems elias
tic enough for any of the uses of eastern
diplomacy
The Supply, the vessel upon which the
camels had been embarked, reached In
dlanola, Tex, safely. From there thew
We're moved overland at he rate of forty
or fifty day. carrying government stores
Weighing from thousand to fifteen hun
dred pounds each, and it seemed at first
as though the experiment were likely to
be successful, but in a few weeks many of
them died of unknown diseases. andaoth-
ers became unfit for work
The troopers and soldiers seemed to have
taken an ungoVernable dislike for the
beasts, and 1t was a difficult thing to find
hostlers who would look out for them
with any degree of care. The horses dis
liked them, and disorga nization was threat
ened. By twos and threes the camels
died or broke away from their corrals and
wandered away during the night across
the plains.
There seems to be a record of the exist
ence of a part of this herd until the out
break of the civil war. Then in the wild
excitement of the times they were for
gotten officially. The beasts Travelled out
into the desert in small groups of three
or four, and many of them died among
the mountains or were killed by the In
dams. There are few of them left. bur
frpuuentlV during ba Ia far
elers and troopers have noticed some of
the descendants of this original herd wan
dering about the plains. They are wild.
and it is difficult to get near Them but pas
sengers upon the Southern Pacific Railway
have reported them, and two of the beasts
were seen recently running wild in Sonora
county, New Mexico This was the end
OF the governments first attempt at a
popular" experiment.
The use of the carrier pigeons for the
navy Is not new idea; for they have been
a part of the naval and military estab lish-
ments of Italy. Germany and France
since the Franco russian war. 1t has
therefore reached the dignity of an estab-
lished institution, and as such has the con-
sideration of the navy department which
is its due. Secretary Herbert convinced
of the practical results obtained In the
last few years with pigeons from the gov
eminent cote at Annapolis, gave the mat
ter some thought and a board was ap-
pointed, the duties of which were to devise
plan for naval pigeon establishment. |
The station proposed for the main lofts
are are Portsmouth, n. H.. Boston. New |
port New London, Conn; Brooklyn Phil |
adelphia, Washington, Annapolis. Md. (;
Norfolk, Va; Port Royal S. c.. and Key |
West and Pensacola, Fla; Cape Hatteras |
or Wilmington. ST. Augustine Fla; Jul
piter Inlet, Fla; Tampa, Fla. and Calves
ton, Tex. This administration has done |
nothing further upon the matter, but 1t is |
expected that very soon another plan. |
which would make the pigeon establish
ment a part of the lighthouse service, |
will be put in operation.
For six or seven years there has been a |
pigeon establishment at the United States |
Naval Academy at Annapolis conducted I
during most of this period by Prof. Mar
ion, an instructor in French the money |
for which has come from the private
means OF officers at the academy who |
were interested in the work. The tower
Of the new boat house was given to Prof
Marion by the superintendent for thu
work, and il was fitted out after the lat
est approved plans in dove cotes In the
last four or five summers it has been the
custom to take baskets Of these pigeons |
upon the practice cruises of the cadets |