The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1869-06-19
Information.
a Shower Of Snakes.

A shower Of Snakes.
FINN thu Illinois state Register. Jane2.
The great storm of last Friday night will be
long remembered in this state. In addition to
the details heretofore given, We haye ipforma-
tion from reliable citizen Of great damage at
Tayloryille. The storm burst in its full fury at
that place about dark, and the rain fell in tor
rents The electric storm presented the same
general features as here. The wind, however,
was much more violent. and with intermissions,
blew in great strength from every direction.
Several buildings were damaged, and young
hickory trees actually twisted off by the wind.
The growing crops were Frustrated by the wind,
and beaten into the ground by the rain and hail.
But the most singular phenomenon, and one
which was not vouchsafed to any other commn.
nifty, was a shower of snakes. We have hereto.
fore read of showers of sand, of fish, and some-
times of flesh, but never before of shower of
snakes; and yet we are well assured that the
phenomenon which occurred on last Friday
night can be described in no more fitting terms
On Saturday and Sunday last every ditch,
brook, and pool on the prairie north of Taylor
vile was alive with nondescript creatures, which
have been described to us as being from one-and-
a-half to two feet long, and three-fourths Of an
inch to an inch in diameter. The diameter is
very slightly lessened at the head and tail. Yhe
tail is fat, like that of an eel, but has caudal
In shape that of an eel, but the mouth is that of
Q sucker. The eyes are small, and the ears are
SIMPLY orifioes Immediately behind the head
on each side, is a fpper, like that Of TURTLE say
three-fourths of an inch to inch in length, in
GLIDING the limb which has a perfectly develop
ed Joint. In color these snakes, or whatever they
are, are dark hue.
The number Of these creatures is beyond all
estimate. They swim in every branch and pud-
H. q ~ oof,, - 4
dition to the undulatory motion of snake in
the water, is by the use Of the ripper described
above, and they swim entirely under the water
or with the head and few inches of the body
above the surface, thus indicating that the flip
pers are not absolutely essential to motion They
are perfectly harmless Boys and men take them
from the pools by hundreds, and they are brought
TO town for inspection.
We are willing to admit that our knowledge
Of ichthyology is,not sufficient to determine
what they are. Feels have teeth, are carniver-
GUS, and some species are very voracious and
belligerent These creatures are of the genius
oyclopterus. or suckers, having no teeth, and are
evidently unprepared for attack, and except by
fight, are defenseless. Furthermore they have
no fins, and their fippers are only adjuncts, and
not their principal means of progression. They
are not se.pents, as they want fangs, either
hooded or naked, which invariably distinguished
the order of ophidians
We will not worry our readers with auy spec
ulation on subject confessedly beyond our
knowledge. We are promised some specimens,
which will be submitted to naturalsts of
acknowledged ability, whose opinions we shall
lay before the public
It is the universal testimony of all the people
of the country that no creature anything like
those was ever before seen by them. The size
renders it certain that they have not been devel-
oped there, as it is practically impossible that
they could have grown to that size without
having been seen. 1t is quite certain they were
never there before the storm, and it is almost
equally certain the storm brought them there
This storm, which passed over so largo an ex-
tent of country and was 80 violent, undoubted-
" gathered, as do most of such storms, in the
vast plains of the northwest 1t was tornado,
and, in passing throught the country, disturbed
me usual atmospheric and electrical conditions,
% as to produce, in addition to the central tor.
ado, high wind heavy rain, and electric
storm. The most plausible theory which occurs
to us as accounting tor the presence of these
fishes, is that the tornado in passing over some
lake or river in the immense unknown region
Of the northwest drew up water, and with it
these animals, which are evidently amphibious:
The tornado then sped on its mission of destruc-
ton, passing perhaps, miles above the earth, and
occasionally, AS at Shipman, striking the earth.
Near Taylorville the central body of the storm
was dissipated, as is shown by the fact that the
wind blew in gusts from all directions, and these
creatures fell to the earth to astonish the peo-
pie, and perplex the scientific.