Ottumwa weekly courier., 1878-07-24
FIERY sERPENTS.
Strange Spectacle Presented attho
Burning Of Quincy Ice e-house.
The Quincy (Ill.) Whiy says:

Inc quincy (lil.) " Niy says.
"a curious and thrilling spectacle
was witnessed, Sunday evening, by
persons who were early at the scene
of the burning of McDade's ice house,
on the bay. 1t was caused by the es-
cape of probably hundreds of snakes,
which seemed to wiggle and crawl
and bound directly out of the flames,
and then run for the bay, creating 4
continuous splash, splash, splash, as
one after another of the reptiles went
headlODg into the water. The whole
country for mile around was light
as day. The snakes seemed TO come
from every crack and corner Of the
building, and, writhing in agony
from the intense heat, instantly
made directly for the hay, and maim-
ed and burned as undoubtedly many
of them were, they plunged in pro-
miscnously, the larger ones--sOme Of
them OF tremendous size-throwing
great volumes of water high into the
air. The watchinan at one of the 9TH
er icc-houses says that when he first
saw the flames, they enveloped near
ly the entire building. He ran to the
door and attempted to enter. but was
driven back by the fire and smoke.
Nothing whatever could be done to
save the ice-house. Il had, no doubt,
been set on fire by tramps, several of
whom were subsequently found ly-
ing near the ruins, fast asleep. One
of these very graphically describes
| the rush of snakes from the burning
building, which was sight as terri
BILE as it was was wonderful. Out of
the doorway, through the roof, in the
midst of dense volumes OF smoke they
came by scores; large snakes aud
small, OF almost every specie known
to this latitude, their eyes extended,
and their forked tongues darting de-
fance at the blaze, they actually raced
through the air for a place of safety.
They hissed with madness, and
pounded the earth with their tails in
| fury, and seemed to screech in the
agony they experienced in coming
through the fire. The number OF
them appeared to be endless, until
the whole structure was 80 fully con-
snmed that no more could escape
from il, If any there were. Great
rattlesn axes, blow snakes, moccasins,
| garter-snakes, water-snakes of every
possible description and age were
huddled together rs they came forth,
apparently borne by the flames. The
creeping things were horrible to be-
hold. No one dared attempt to kill
them after they had successfully pass
ed through such furnace. Wild
with rage and tossing venom iuto the
fire, which seemed only to increase
Ill volume, they coiled upon the
ground with arched necks, ready to
strike the foe that approached them.
Some Of them even seemed to stand
upon the edge of the ice-house, as if
bidding defiance to the devouring
elements, and lick up the flames with
their tongues before giving up what
had been their home. 1t is declared
upon good authority that some of
these reptiles were ten feet in length,
with bodies Of enormous size, which
made large swaths on the earth when
they crawled, and as to their number,
no one could give more accurste
idea than that there were hundreds.
One OF the largest, Of bright green
and gold color, which was rendered
beautifully brilliant by the freight,
appeared through the side of the
house, which was in full blaze, bear
ing in its mouth two of its young
and scales fell from its body like
hailstones as 1t hurried away, utter
ing tones of torture rs it proceeded
Some of the snakes took refuge in a
large pile of lumber near the ice.
house, underneath which several
dead carcasses were found when the
lumber was removed to a place OF
safety. The house was built with
thin boards, by which vacant space
WAS made in siding, creating an air
chamber; and it is supposed that the
snakes had taken possession of thii
for a home. The tramps who en-.
deavored to stay in the ice-house
Sunday night, probably discovered
some of the snakes, and attempted to
smoke them out, but the effort re-
suited in the destruction of the build
inpv ~