Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-06-19
ANIMALS IN WAR
Horses, Dogs and Pigeons Have
Played Important Part.
Even the Elephant and the Sea Gull
Figure In Events Of an Unusual
Nature on Land and Water.

When the historian writes the story
of the world war he will devote several
chapters to the work Of animals and
birds, for they have played their part
In it, and well. Dogs, horses, carriers
pigeons were modified early and even
a use has been found for ELEPHANTS
the work of heavy hauling.
Two stories of on unusual sort tell
how an angry elephant butted into a
skirinish and made both sides retreat,l
stopping the fighting for a time, and
how sea gulls saved a British cruisec,
with 500 men on board from German
submarine. i
The scene of the elephant story wa4
in West Africa. A skirmish had BEEN
going on for some time when SUDDENLY
out of the jungle came an angry ele%i
plant between the two contendinaA
parties. The elephant charged ona
side, then the other. The soldiers on
both sides retreated to await a mor4
favorable opportunity to resume the
fight. 4
The B,Stlsh cruiser which was saved
by flock of sea gulls was proceeding
on it's course when u bluejacket called
the attention of the officer on duty TOD
commotion among the sea gulls mott
far away. When the sea gulls arose "
periscope was seen; moment later q!
zigzag course took the warship out OF
danger. +
Practically all the European nations
now at war have made use of dogs
on the battlefield attached to the ans
bulance corps, as dispatch carriers, on
patrol duty at far-advanced outposts,
as drawers Of quick-firing guns and
as aids in taking their masters fam
lilies out of the line Of invasion and
Into places of refuge.
In their devotion to duty thousands,
upon thousands Of dogs have given up
their lives. Some day, some time,
somewhere, somebody will erect a.
monument to the memory Of the great
work they did in the war.
Although the modern general goes to,
war in an auto, horses still play tre-
, mendous part in the war. How great
has been the wastage Of horse flesh is
told in a brief report of the British
war office, which mentioned that the
life of war horse in the first year
Of the war was ten days. In the Sec
ond year Of the war the mortality was
+ reduced somewhat.
So far as statistics can be gathered
; the first six months of the war called
for the following numbers Of horses
: by the various nations: Germany,
for complete mobilization of the
E army. 100000: French cavalry, 100000
e Figures for the other branches of the
service not available); for the British
-. army, 100000; Austria, 100000, and
p Russia because of her lack of railways,
y 100000.
, Carrier pigeons have done conspicu-
ous work in this war; living up to their
) reputation in the Franco-Prussian and
other wars in which they were en-
ployed. In the siege of Paris, 1t will
be recalled, microphotographs of mill
tary dispatches and even newspapers
were printed upon films of collodion
n and carried by the birds. AS soon as
4 message was received 1t was en-
i larged by photographers and made
t legible.
With telephone and telegraph wires
cut carrier pigeons at times are inval-
4 liable. Spies with carrier pigeons con-
# cealed in fishing baskets, the men
i themselves pretending to be simple
n fishermen, have been numerous.