The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1903-01-09
PIGEONS In WARFARE.
HOW THE USE OF THESE BIRDS
BEGAN.
Dutch NavigatOrs First to Bring
Carrier Pigeons TO Europe-DeveIop-
ment of custOm-Esta blIshment of
stations

Carrier Pigeons to EuFope-DeveIop-
ment of Custom-Esta blIshment Of
stations.
According to tradition, the Dutch
naFigators were the first to bring car
rier pigeons to Europe from the East.
AT all events, it was in the sixteenth
century, during the war of the Dutch
republics against the Spanish yoke that
pigeons We're used in Europe for the
first time for military purposes. While
the city of Harlem was besieged by the
spaniards, from December, 1872, to
July, 1913, the garrison was on several
occasions Informed by carrier pigeons
of the approach of the army of relief
under the Prince of Orange, and it was
4 due to this information that it did not
capitulate. By order of the Prince of
. Orange these pigeons were fed to the
end of their lives at the expense of the
state, and after their death were stuff
ed and preserved in the city hall of
i Leyden.
In Europe the use of carrier pigeons
acquired new interest at the begin
ming OF the nineteenth century, espe-
cially for commercial purposes. Thus,
Nathan Rothschild owed a large part
of his fortune to carrier pigeons. He
had his agents follow the armies of
Napoleon I. with carrier pigeons. and
was thus informed quickly of all i'm
portant events of the war by pigeon
post. In his speculations he succeeded
in making valuable use of the infor-
nation he received. He was informed
in London of the defeat of Napoleon at
! Waterloo three days before the British
government, and he could arrange his
affairs according. 1t goes without say
ing that his methods found many imi-
tatOrs.
| Certain banks kept up a pigeon post
between Brussels and Paris, and the
basis of the international reputation of
the Reuter- bureau was a pigeon post
established between Brussels and AK
la-Chapelle, which in 1910 was combin-
ed with an optical telegraphy system
| between Berlin and Aix-la- Chapelle
The Journal, of Cologne, had similar
communication with different towns
! The raising of pigeons in Belgium
| has been of commercial Importance
since the beginning of the eighteenth
century. and in 1S49 it was in very
| f1ourishing state. The interest in breed
| ing these animals spread first in
France then in Germany Especially
recently. The discovery Of the electric
telegraph impeded the propagation of
carrier pigeons, and their breeding for
use in carrying dispatches would prob
ably have ceased altogether had it not
become an element of sport in many
quarters. In Belgium, in Holland in
France there were many amateurs who
owned carrier pigeons, associations of
pigeon fanciers had been formed and
pigeon races had been held from time
to time.
When. in 1870. the Germans advanced
I on Paris the fad of owning carrier
pigeons had found many partisans,
and it was through them that the pig
con post again rose in honor serving
more particularly for military matters.
| AS soon as the hostile army appeared
on the outskirts of the French capital,
and before the encircling trenches had
isolated the great fortress from the
outside world, CASTER. at the head of
the association of carrier pigeon own
ers. then called the Society of Hope,
offered the government 363 pigeons;
but they laughed at him and thanked
him.
When Paris, soon after, was sur
rounded by girdle of cannon not one
of the sixty-two possessors Of carrier
pigeons therein had sent a single one
outside the city. But 200 pigeons had
been brought in. mainly from the de-
partment of the North. yet among
them was but very small number that
could fly well. It was only after every
other means Of communication was cut
off that CASTER succeeded in having
the governor of Paris, General Trochu,
accept his offer The postal service by
carrier pigeon was then established
under the direction Of the director gen.
eral of postoffices
In October, 1870, Cassier mounted in
balloon with thirty-two pigeons
which he took to Tours. which was
then the seat of the French govern
ment The photographer Dragon, who
had also escaped from Paris by bal
, loon, undertook the manufacture of the
/ microscopic dispatches, which, accord
ing to his patent, were prepared with
little coll0dion skins, about 1916 inches
square. Each of these little skins, or
rolls, could hold sixteen foliOs contain
ing about 5000 dispatches. A single
pigeon could easily carry eighteen of
these rolls. which held, therefore, a..
COO dispatches. the whole weighing less
than a gramme and a half.
Two breeds of Belgian pigeons took
charge of the pigeons themselves and
made them take wing. This they did
at the risk of their lives, coming close
up behind the German lines. The total
number of pigeons available for this
service was 2t2 and they carried into
the capital over $4,000 official dis
patches and about million private
ones. Not one of the sixty series of
dispatches prepared after the Dragon
process was lost. although a number of
Others prepared in a different way,
went astray.
This experience caused the armies of
Europe to pay more attention to this
means of communication. This was
particularly evident in France, largely
on account of it's extensive fortifica-
tions, where they seem to come into
play more especially.
The organization and general direc-
ton of the pigeon service was intrust-
ed to the Belgian ornithologist La
Perre de Roy, and on his recommended