Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1875-09-23
An Extraordinary Rat
Story.
Tho ('Or-v,o;I DIR

.
The Council Bluffs 0owa)
Globe says: A Globe repor..
visited the city building TO- av
In search of police and religions
news, and while in conyersa-
ton with his honor, Recorder
Burke, and the chaplain Of the
City Council, he was startled bv
a loud sounding report, followed
by a shaking and trembling Of
the building, resembling the
shockOf aminiature earthquak2.
Rushing out Of the building- to
see what was the cause Of this
terrible reminder Of death and
the grave, his attention We as
once called to the condition Of
the southeast corner OF tpa
building, from which he had
just emerged. Upon inspec-
ton it was found that the rats
and mice had been at work ex-
cavating q hole undernca.N
that corner Of the building. r.
SENS that they had commenced
their operations at OF near the
east end of the engine-house. o.
bout fifty feet in the rear Of the
city building. The grcatozt
mystery of this whole affai. IS
the absence of any signs OF the
dirt they took from their tin
mel. And it was no inconsidcg-
able amount, as the excavation
which they made is large enough
for a man and q wheel-borror-
to pass through; that is by tic
man STOPPING q little. W11c
this remains a mystery, it is
plain to be seen that they have
accomplished the ruin and dcs-
tructiOn of the only remaining
monument Of the city's pride.
The excavation at the corner Of
the building is about SIX feet
wide, and extends along under
the east wall about fifteen feet.
the width diminishing as it con-
tines northward. The buiidine,
remained firm and the foundp-
ton secure, until the dirt waa
removed from under the lower
sill which supports the heavy
partition wall that separates the
prison cell from the main office.
When this was removed there
was nothing to support the i'm
nensc weight Of that corner Of
the building, and it naturally
enough broke loose from the
main part and was prccipifatcd
into the terrible abyss below
prepared by the rats and mice.
1t was, however, 4 severe Joke
1H the poor rats, as they were
argely in the ascendancy. Some
fifty or a hundred were seen 10
sscape, and how many remain
buried beneath the ruins oftheir
OWN folly, no one has knowledge
II information sufficient to form
belief. But one thing is cy;-
lent, it would be Impossible lov
hem all to escape unharmed. as
he building dropped almost III
'tantly when it fell. This oc-
cured about four o'clock, and
It this writing the Marshal and
police force are at work remov-
no the books and city furni-
ure from the building. Aside
rom the damage done the
uilding the loss to the city is
comparatively nothing. One o.
wO tables and several chairs
n the council chamber above
'ere cGrreddOW Wlththeruius,
nd are now more valuable for
ghtIng fires than for restinr
ne weary bones Of belaborcd
'OunciImen on. The buildino.
cost the city $12,000.
' neither the City Council will
ave the building repaired OF
AXE arrangements for the
Of a new and more sub
antial one is not known, but
&c popular sentiment is that
le city will build new one.
Policeman McFadden just in
rms us that the men at work
the debris have taken
1t 2JO rats and about 200 mice.