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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 30, 1914)
The Omaha 1 J-',1" v. Si m p 1'".' ' .t, 'K r--.. IT. ., .!;,--'v--t-4 .1 -isi -? . T fO "let lose the dors of war" has emerged from the figu rative into the literal. As a fea ture of the actual fighting dogs are playing a definite and unique part In the great struggle which has con TUlsed the whole of Europe. It Is not at all unlikely that future dis patches from the war front in Bel glum will mention achievements of King Albert's light artillery made possible through the employment of dogs instead of horses. In the armies of almost every European country dogs are trained either as aples, messengers, or to render aid to the wounded. Ger many, France, Russia, Austria and Italy have their bands of trained dogs, and Prussia has employed them for twelve years. Sheep dogs, span iels and short-haired German point ers are used, two dogs being ap pointed to each company, each dog having its own trainer. First the dogs are taught to carry dispatches, deliver cartridges to the firing line, and then to search for the wounded or fallen soldiers. As soon as one of these Is discovered the dog seta up a loud barking and the ambulance corps is attracted to the spot by the noise. If no help comes, the wise dog takes the man's cap or tears off a bit of his clothing and takes it to the field hospital. Another clever trick of theirs Is to give an alarm at the approach of an enemy. They are trained for this by one of their own soldiers being dressed up in the clothes of a for eign soldier for the purpose. In the early part of their education they are taken out with an old dog who thoroughly understands the work. Another Important part of the work of a war dog is bringing up ammunition during a fight When the battle has commenced, the handler, as the soldiers who train the dogs are called, takes up a stand near the ammunition wagon with the dog. As toon as he sees ammuni tion is wanted, he loads the animal with 150 cartridges, carried in a dou: hie saddle-bag, halt of the cartridges on either aide. Thus loaded, the Intelligent beast does his best to reach the line J sharpshooters, and, if successful, re? turns immediately to the handler fo more ammunition, and so continue, the work until the battle is over, or) as would be certain to happen somei times, b himself is killed. It haa been proved that if he is wounde while carrying out his duties, he cars seldom be Induced to again venture near the place where he has beet hot or cut However, the faithfulness of the) dogs as a rule is wonderful, and, when loaded with ammunition, they will never allow the cartridges to be taken from them by soldiers or an other battalion, and sometimes only by those ot their own company, so well are the dogs taught to know the division to which they belong. When the battle Is over their duty is to search for the wounded and biing the news of their whereabouts to the hospital corps. The aversion which the dogs feel for certain uniforms Is Inculcated into them by some German soldiers putting on French or Russian uni forms. They then tease or maltreat the dog, while the other men caress and pet him. In this manner the dog very soon learns to distinguish between friend and foe. So intense Is that hatred in some ot the dogs for men habited in any uniform other than that of the regi ment to which they belong that they will attack a postman. In order, however, that they shsll not do any Injury whtn on the march, the dogs are rld by the soldiers in a leash. The Russian dogs are chleflr trained to assist the medical corps (n their work, and to help In the hu mane task of bringing aid as rapidly as possible to the wounded soldier. Big, strong dos are selected for this purpose, St. Bernards for preference, !1" -rlsHxr m-v'HIS, Germ The Saving Dops -Trained to Pick Out the Wounded from Among: the Dead on Battlefields. These Animals Form an Import ant Part of the Field Hospital Service in the French and " - German Armie". as being the most Intelligent when left to their own devices, and also the most faithful. The use of dogs as actual -om-batants will have had its origin in the present European war. If the Kaiser had respected the neutrality of Belgium and confined his armies to other routes into France, the spectacle of dogs bringing light ma chine guns into action would have been absent for this, as well as nearly every other development of canine usefulness, is a device ot the Belgians and Dutch. Nowhere else in the world are dogs made useful in so many differ ent ways. Throughout Belgium and the Netherlands these fine, docile, intelligent and powerful creatures are seen in all the streets and roads and about the farms and dairies, drawing laden carts and performing other tasks which in other countries are allotted to horses. One of these animals, when harnessed to a cart, exerts the strength ot two ordinary men. A pair of them Is nearly equal for this purpose to a single horse. Standing no more than half as high as the average horse, these dogs are less than half as liable to in- Each Machine Gun on Its Light Carriage of Bicycle Tub ing Is Drawn by a Team of Two Dogs, Guided by One of the Gun Crew. Photo fJrOsf-oj Jury from the bullets of the en my as artillery horses are. It was therefore quite natural that Queen Wllbelmlna should encourage their adoption for a branch of the artil lery In her army, and that Belgium, her next door neighbor, should be quick to profit by the example. Moreover, In both those countries dogs are numerous and cheap, while horses are rcarce and dear. The method of utilizing dogs for artillery service is indicated In the photographs reproduced on this page. They were taken during re cent army manoeuvres In Holland, in which the dog artillery more than Justified Its existence. The photo graphs show them manoeuverlng machine guns up and down fend along a sandy hillside, where horses would be practically useless. It Is found thst the use of these doits adds an entirely new element to artillery evolution, adding many fold to the destructive possibilities of the lighter order of rapid-fire guns. By the use of a specially designed gun-carriage the piece Is quickly re moved therefrom and set up for ; : ;H Jvi . iffy : t Sunday Bee Magazine Pag i 1 - T X- (C) woo . Yam m Vfu v iU UUV jUUVV UJU' i".T. I t ' : X. ,M'V-1 V'.iv '.!."'.' f ' " Hiuv vv Visa I r'v i" r7f' At - -kv; tsu ,v The Light Artillery Dogs Resting With the Gun Carriages Out Dismounted Guns Are in Action at the Crest of a Eidge. action from a ridge or the crest above a trench, the dogs and the carriage meanwhile being out ot the enemy's range. The gun, for dog artillery use, is mounted on a frame of bicycle tub ing, to which pneumatic-tired bicy cle wheels are affixed. The frame IncUrdes mechanism for anchoring tl the ground quickly when the piece Is to be fired from Us carriage, and, of course, carries ammunition as well as gun. As In the case of other light artillery, there is a gun crew of an officer snd four men. One of the crew leads the near dog of the team as he would ride the near horse, If horsis instead of dogs were used. enhvrl.ht 1914 1 I . . The others are ready to put their bands to the light carriage wheels and help the dogs up a steep hill or steady the outfit where the going Is rough. The Dutch manoeuvres demon strated that dog-drown machine guns were quickly available In crossing sandy and bummocky stretches ot ground Impracticable for horses. Also, by employing the ruse of men and dogs falling frequently to the ground, It was possible to bring the guns Into close action lie for a the enemy could have opportunity of be coming awsre of their existence. While the funs are In action whether on their carriages or dis mounted the dogx are seldom In danger from the enemy's tire. At tiv th Star Comuativ. Orsat Britain 1 3 AA1 The Elaborate Use of "The Best Friend of Man" on the Bloody Battlefields of Europe -4 A of the Enemy's range, While th the word of command they lie down instantly, either while still harnessed to the gun carriage or when un hitched to find concealment of a more perfect character In hollows or be hind hummocks. Although the dogs cannot make the speed of horses in these circum stances, they are more quickly started and halted and turned, per forming useful evolutions that could be managed In no other way. These dogs are so intelligent, too, and so eager to succeed at "new tricks" that it Is found possible to send them through quilo complicated manoeuvres with the guns, without the presence of any member ot the human gun crew. Thus, recltig across a bullet-swept Mights Koservel stretch of country, with bellies close to the ground, they enn bring up the guns to a new position, quite un injured whoro how nnd mon would have been Hhot to l'leces. ijik Thus far the bnt- . 7 i i..ii . The Killing Dogs These Photographs of Army Manoeuveri in the Netherlands Show How Dogs Have Become Actual Combatants in the Present War. The Belgians, as Well as the! Dutch, Have a Light Artillery Service in Which Machine Guns on Bicycle Wheeled Carnages Are Manoeuvered and Go Into Action Drawn by Dogs. The Animals Are Easier Handled Than Horses and Fur nish Much Smaller Targets for the Enemy. ground have been fought mainly with heavy field artillery, the ob ject being to silence the guns of the fortresses. When actions occur with the French and Belgians occupying exposed positions it Is quite prob nble that tbelr "iIokh of war ' will be heard from as giving good accounts of themselves. This use of dog? In warfare is not to be confused with their employ- ment In the sanitary corps ot the No Excuse for Hot Boxes s ERIOUS delays and accidents to trains are often due to over heated bearings or, as they are known In railroad parlance, "hot boxes." A "hot box" is the result of rank carelessness on the part of employees In not keeping a good vigil for ths condition of the car wheels, or rather the rare of the Journals of the trucks under the car where the "hot box" Is found. A "hot box" Is a sign that the Safety First rule is not prac tised by some car-department men. . There Is no excuse for a "hot box" after a car Is sent out If the train Is carefully looked over at each termin al. Primarily, a "hot box'' Is caused by poor waste and an lnsuffUlont "greasing" at the time it should have been doue, and there Is no excuse for one. A "hot box" n liable to cause a wreck, and a wreck on most railroads costs money, much more ofWar" French army, as was noted in the columns ot this newspaper several months ago. The latter take no part In the fighting, bring part of the field hospital equipment and trained to search out the still living from among the dond on the battle-field. Several other of the European armies have followed the example of France and are using dogs for this humane purpose. Each animal wwira a blanket marked with a lurge red cross, which proclaims lilm n nonconibtitsnt. A nm II sack hangs from his neck containing eotton, bnniiices, brnndy nnd drugs useful to the wounded. When one of these dogs finds a soldier who Is too badly wounded to help himself to any of these "first aids," the ani mal runs to the nearest ambulance and brings human assistance. As dogs are able to discriminate unerr ingly between the dead and those In whom the breath of life remains, their use in this way la highly com mended as a humane measure. than the price of sufficient quantity of waste and oil and grease to pro tect the Journals of the car wheels. The farmer who buys a new buggy has a pretty good Idea ot what & "hot box" meana, and the ways to prevent It. He sees to it that the swindle is well greased so It will not get hot. He watches it closely, and does not take any chances on the wheels running hot. If they did tho -wheels would stick, and If the far mer persisted In driving ahead, he would soon have a bad spindle and a bud wheel. However, tho results would not be ho disastrous as they would be in a trtiln of curs running at a speed of Pft-jen or twenty miles an hour.. It"s uo wonder thst trainmen use lan guage unlit for a Sunday-school class, when they find a "hot box" In their train. They know that .jme inn has been careless and shirking In his work, and that he Is to blame.