The Morning herald., 1876-06-08
RODENTS ON THE RAMPAGE.
How stOyepipe Trousers and zint
PetticOat saved Two Ltves-An Un
prOtected Babe Eaten Up.

From the Pueblo Uol Ghleftain, May o..
The number of rats inhabiting the rocky
crevices of Pixies Peak, have recently be-
come formidable and dangerous. These
animals are known to feed upon a saccha-
rine gum that percolates through the pores
of the rocks, apparently upheaved by some
volcanic action. Since the establishment of
the government signal station on the sum-
miU of the peak, at an altitude of nearly
fifteen thousand feet, these animals have
acquired a voracious appetite for raw and
uncooked meat, the scent of which seems to
impart to them ierocity rivaling the fierce
ness of the starved Siberian wolf. The
most singular trait in the character of these
animals is that they are never seen in the
day time. When the moon pours down her
queenly light upon the summit they may be
seen in countless numbers trooping around
among the rocky boulders that crown the
months they may be seen swimming and
sporting in the waters OF the lake, short
distance below the Peak, and OF dark
cloudy night their trail in the wateris mark
ed by sparkling light, giving the waters
of the lake bright and silvery appearance.
A few days ago Mr.. John L. O'Keefe, one OF
the government operators at the signal sta
tion upon the Peak, returned to his post,
taking with him upon pack animal, a
quarter of beef. 1t being late in the after
| noon, bis colleague, Mr.. Hobbs, immediate
lv left with the pack animal for the springs.
Soon after dark, while Mr.. O'Keefe was en-
gagged in the Office forwarding night dis
patches to Denver and Washington, he was
startled by a,loud:scream from Mrs. O'Keefe,
who had retired for the night to an adjsin-
ing bedrood, and who came rushing into the
office screaming, "The ratsl the rats" Mr..
O'Keefe, with great presence OF
mind immediately drew around his wife a
scroll zinc plating, which prevented the an
imals from climbing upon her person, and,
although his own person was almost literal
ly covered with them, he succeeded IN
incasing both of his legs each in joint OF
stove pipe, when he commenced fierce and
desperate struggle for the preservation Of
life, being armed with heavy cane. Hun
dreds were destroyed on every side, while
they seemed to pour in with increasing
numbers from the bed room, the door Of
which had been left open. The entire quar-
ter of beef was eaten In less than fiVe min
utes, which seemed to only sharpen their
appetites for an attack upon Mr.. O'keefe,
whose lan06, heck anu lace were teIIloiy
llacera.ed. In the midst Of the warfare,
Mrs. O'Keefe managed to reach the office
from which she threw coil of electric wive
over her husband that sprang outward and
spread itself over the room, then grasping
the valve of the battery. she poured all its
terrible power upon the wire. In an instant
the room was all ablaze with electric light,
and hundreds were killed by the shock,
when the sudden appearance Of daylight,
made such by the coruscation OF the heavily
charged wire, caused them to take lrefuge
among the creviccs and caverns' of the
mountain, by way of the bedroom window,
through which they had forced their way
But the saddest part of this nights advsn-
ture upon the Peak is the destroying Of their
infant child which Mrs. O'Keefe thought
she had made secure by heavy covering OF
bed clothing. But the rats had found Their
way to the infant (only two months old J
and left nothing Of 1t but the peeled and
naked skull. Drs. Horn and Anderson have
lust returned to Colorado springs from the
Peake. 1t was thought at tirst that the left
arm of Sergeant O'Keefe would have to be
amputated, but they now believe 1t can b<
saved.