The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1878-07-19
Great Snakes.
From the Quincy (m.) Wing.

A curious ana tlrllll0g 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 escape of probably hundreds
of snakes which seemed to wiggle
and crawl and bound directly out of
the flames, and to then run for the
bay, creating a continuous splash.
splash, splash, as one after another
of the reptiles went headlong into
the water. The whole country for
a mile around was as light as day.
The snakes seemed to come from
every nook and corner of the build
ing, and writhing in agony from the
intense heat, instinctiYelY made di-
rectly for the bay, and MANNED and
burned, as many of them undoubt-
eddy were, they plunged in promis-
cuously, the larger ones-some of
them of tremendous size-throwing
great volumes of the water high in
to the air. The Waterman at one of
the other ice-houses says that when
he first saw the flames they envel-
oped nearly 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.
1t had, no doubt, been set on fire by
tramps, several of whom were sub
sequently found lying near the ru-
ms, fast asleep. One of these very
graphically described the rush of
snakes from the burning building,
| which was a sight as terrible as it
was wonderful. Out of the door
way, through the roof, In the midst
of dense volumes of smoke, they
came by scores; large snakes and
small, of every species known to
this latitude, their eyes extended
and their forked tongues darling
defiance at the blaze, they actually
raced through the air for place of
safety. They Kissed 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 num-
Der of them appeared to be endless,
until the whole structure was SO
fully consumed that no more could
escape from it, if any there were.
Great rattle-snakes, blew snakes,
moccssons, garter-snakes, water
snakes of every possible description
and age were huddled and hustlsd
together as they came forth, appar-
, entity borne by the flames. The
creeping things were horrible to be-
hold. No one dared to kill them
after they had passed successfully
through such a furnace. Wild with
rage and tossing venom into the fire
, which seemed only to increase in
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 bid
, ding defiance to the deVouring ele-
ments, and to lick up the flames
with their tongues before giving up
what had been their home. 1t is
: declared upon good authority that
= some of the reptiles were ton feet in
, length, with bodies of enormous
size, which made large sWaths on
' the earth when they crawIed, >snd "a
D to their number, no oHe could give
= q more accurate idea than that there
, were hundreds. One of the largest,
of a bright green and gold color
: which was rendered beautifully
D brilliant by the fire light, appeared
. x
a was in full blaze, bearing in its
4 mouth two of it's young, and scales
fell from its body like hailstones 81
3 it hurried away. uttering tones Of
b torture as it proceeded. Some OF
# the snakes took refuge in g large
:, pile of lumber near the ice-houses
underneath which several dead car
casses were found when the lumber
T was removed to place of safety
|. The house was built of thin boards
n by which vacant space was made
in the siding, creating an air cham
Der, and it is supposed that thu
q snakes had taken possession of Thu
for home. The tramps who en-
deavored to stay In the ice-hous'
7 Sunday night probably discovered
It some of the snakes, and attempted
il to smoke them out, but the effor
q resulted in the destruction of tn,
a building.