The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-09-13
ChtGntelti9eItt1si,'r.
MILLIONS OF BATS.
one Of the Most Extraordinary
stories on Record.

Il loa, GIobe-Demoent. Sept ..
4 curious story comes from Dog Para.
rie St. Charles County, concerning the
manner in which the house Of Mr.. 7. ].
McAiee has recently become infested
Nth bats. McAtee lives in n double log
ll,e, the outside Of which ia weather.
53lrtled. About two weeks ago he motto.
ed large number Of bats flying in the
direction Of his house, and ConceaIing
.hemaelves in the corners Of the windows
sad under the weather. boarding. He i'm.
nediatelY began an onslaught on them,
sad in few minutes had killed seventy,
tia number being all that he could reach
With such weapons as be then had at
hand. Next morning none were to be
zen, but at twilight they returned in such
vat numbers as to appal him. His at.
teation was first directed to the neigh
lorhood Of his front gate, at which point
he heard innumerable fitting noises like
1 storm in the distance. Looking that
wty, he saw what at first he took to be a
black cloud approaching, but as it got
nearer he realized that it was
A HORDE OF BATS
~ the swarm neared the house, it low.
cred, a. ii making ready 10 alight, and
McAtee instiuctively reiterated from the
formidable enemy, rushed through the
door, closed the shutter, and lowered the
window sashes. BY some means con-
siderable number found entrance into the
room and McAtee and u hired man sue.
cceded, with brooms, in killing about
one hundred. On the outside could be
heard tremendous commotion, IS il the
his were swarming and lighting among
themselves. After the bats that had got.
Ten into the room had been disposed Of,
MaAtee went through the back door into
the back yard, aud around to the south
AIDE OF the house, where the hords had
aggregated. The scene at the window ia
it.cribed by him to have been OF the most
extraordinary character. The air was
f..sl with myriads of bats, flying and cir
cling about in all directions. and darting
against each other with audible force. A
slge and whitening mass had settled on
a- window.sill, and the entire frame, as
Ntl A the wooden part Of the sash, was
covered with them. The weather boar.
ding, Tor at least FIVE feet on each side oil
the window, and from the lower logs tc
The top Of the house, was covered with
the black thrOng. A bright light shoue
through the window.panes, and every
hing on the outside was plainly Yiaible
though the greater part Of the INVADER
'hoEed preference for this window, a
general inspection showed that they were
distributed over the entire premises
Hearing
AGREAT uPRoAR
10 hi' hen.house, Mr.. McAtee rushed in
IN that direction, and found his entire
loTI yard, in which were $50 fowls, inclu.
dug chickens, turkeys, and guineas, in
iae most extraordinary state OF pertur.
b',ton. An army Of bats had made their
EyihrOugh the crevices, and were indul.
!lns III such desperate demonstrations OIL
lifting and circllng, that every feathered
'aHabitant had been frightened from itS
'o't, and the disturbed chanticIeer, the
s1fEIlng hen and the shrill guinea made
1isht hdeous with their notes Of alarm
Every clubhouse on the place was either
iaruied or surrounded. In the stable,
shere three horses were munching their
evening oats, there was a dread paving
sad whinnyiug, and an examination re.
'elicd the fact that every stall and
trough was iniested with bats, and Nc
Nee deemed it matter Of prudence to
urn the horses loose into the pasture
The dogS-ot which there were six on the
placement around bowling in diImay
At the strange spectacle. As McAtet
'i.SrdIhrough the yard the air was thick
vim bats, and he had to keep up a con-
unaoHs lighting with his hands and arm.
% Keep them from striking him in the
lace.
Overcome and confused by this phe
aomlnal visitation, McAtee at first did
not Know what TO do, but finally concei'
'sd plan which resulted in the capture
''l death OF very large number OIL
,aen' An hour had passed away, and
Ne pests were as numerous at the south
'!hdnT A. they were at first. He pro,
P''ed 10 his hired man that they raise
ihe sash and
LEr THE RATS IN,
'hen close the window shutters from III,
''sIte. and having thus trapped the gamt
yr2Srrd to dispatch It in the most expe
'illoH' manner. This plan was at one,
"mncxtcntion, As soon IA the win.
VIZ Ssh was raised thousands rushed in,
va In i've minutes there waG not a Va,
.'G' spot on ceiling, wall, floor, table
'"po't, beRureau or chair. The window
'"e'o'ed and McAtee and his hires
nan began the work OF destruction
some Of the bats seemed to realise tn,
S,fe late to which they were doomed, ant
-''e desperate efforts to find egres
'ato0Gh the window panes. Others mad
"[ on the assNulting party
wa the hired man was bitter
.ISe on his face and twice on hi
.s'' hand. The two men were armed wit
iN0rlves and they made fearful havo
,l1ni the foe. The daughter continue,
40 hour and half, many otthe bats beinl
tt'cAed at points OF the ceiling difficult
70 reach. The result, by actual count
sl' 4,iOS dead bats, and their carca,se
a'td large barrel, which holds over fy
Il'hcis. Though this onslaught great
a'Rnnlutshed the number OF Invader
Mere we're still hundreds, and perhap
aoa.1nds, Of them left, though, owing
zoe Oar knees, it was found impracticSbI
~ make further war on them. Nel
Sa'n'ng when McAtee awoke nOta b.
y" 10 be seen, all the survivors haviu
'n'pPeared as mysteriously as the
!''eems, however, that the bats We,
ge'n'ned to make McAtee's house the
Unit and the following night the
'Sned IA iormidably as on their fir
'''t and over
THREE THOUSAND WE'RE KILLED.
'Sey still persist in coming, and up
i ill., Tine there have been upwards
Ws'ain, and though there is Wis
\. !. SGG gratifying falling of in the nun
n. :, o. invaders, they YET inlest the nreu
,,o. Y sufficient numbers 10 Be yer
,pJ '' Si Where they come iroL