Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1855-06-27
"reminiscences of Rattlesnakes and
Bald Eagles.

From communication of j Sullivan, to
the Ohio State Journal, we extract the fol
lowing:
On the Scioto river, near Columbus are
the celebrated rattlesnake dens, which in
early times were terror to the neighbor-
hood and the special dread Of the boys
who visited the mills. These dens were
opening in the face of the rocky cliff; one
was large enough to admit man in a
STOPPING posture. Here not only the rat
tieshake but many other species resorted
lof winter quarters In great numbers: and
Tue entrance iloor OF one of these openings
was not only worn smooth. but was ouite
pollshed by the gliding in and out Of these
vcnomous reptiles.
have heard my father saw that lono
before the settlement even of Frankl;ng,
ton, white engaged in surveying, he had
occasion to ascend the river with his
party which they did in two canoes. about
the middle Of April; it was warm day
with gentle breeze blowing down the
river. When about half mile below this
loca ity they were assailed by most Pc
cullar odor, which as they proceeded in
creased to so intolerable a degree that
two OF the men were taken violently sick.
and were obliged to lie down in the canoe.
Soon the cause became apparent. for ON
arriving opposite to these dens, thousands
OF snakes which had just left their winter
quarters were seen covering the banks in
all directions, and basking in the genial
warmth of the sun.
A pair of bald eagles whom Mr.. B. care
fully prevented from being disturbed,
built their nest in the top of an old cedar
tree browning the overhanging cliff and
preyed upon these reptiles. The hog is
believed to be invulnerable to the bite of
the rattlesnake, and in the fall pen was
built around the entrance to these dens,
and the hogs confined there intercepted
the return of the snakes to their winter
quarters, and were said to have DESTROYED
great numbers of them.
One hard winter when the snakes had
retired to the inner recesses of their re-
treat, or were torpid with the cold, an at
tempt was made to break up this resort.
A quantity of gunpowder was carried
into the cave and train laid: the en-
trance was blocked up and the powder
fired. Not much was accomplished by
the explosion. The charge found vent
upon the top of the hill, half mile away,
and made an opening of several feet square
alongside of the old mill road; proving
that there exists a large cavern which
may sometime reward the bold adventurer
with extraordinary subterranean discov-
cries. As yet none have been able to
explore it. With the settlement and i'm
provement OF the country the snakes have
almost entirely disappeared.
The last appearance of a rattlesnake
that have heard of, occurred about 7
years ago, when a person engaged in
quarrying stone in the neighborhood of
the dens, entered the largest one sultry
day He had passed in but short way
when ne was alarmed by the warning rat
tie OF the snake in his fright he rushed
past it further into the cave, so that it
was between him and the entrance every
time he moved the threatening rattle gave
forth its peculiar sound. His retreat
| Stf no o'tU On, anu urrdIu 10 penetrate tur-
Their within, he was in a most uncomfort-
able fix. He yelled Justly for his COM
panions, but they were too far away to
hear him. At length, wondering at his
long absence, one went to the cave, where
he found the poor fellow as blue as indigo,
and shivering as if in an ague fit, proba-
bly, from the combined effect of fright and
the GOODNESS of the cave. Upon being
encouraged, he made rush for the day
light and warm sunshine, where he arri-
we'd safely.