The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-08-08
THE SNAKE OF THE SEASON.
A Huge Monster Fifty Feet in Length At
tacks Farmer Millers Hogs.
[St. Louis Post Dispatch.I

4
| 4 gentleman who 10 ordinarily truthful
sends us the following extraordinary snak'
story from Lebanon, Mo, the reader bens
/ left to Judge OF It's accuracy.
Last Friday terrible havoc was done on tht
farm Of Henry Miller, in the vicinity OF lie
banon. About O'Clock in tho afternoon VT
| Miller, VINO WIS cOnversing with the Rev
James Albery, Il Methodist minister. heard 9
| tremendous uproar in the direction 81 hog
| pen In which was confined a SOW with litte1
OF ten young ones. The preacher and farmer
| rushed out TO the pen. when they were thtln-
| derstruck with amazement. a gigantic snake,
apparently fifty feet long, had raised itself
erect AID was looking down on the terror
| stricken hogs. Presently nineteen young
snakes, ranging from foot to q foot and u
half IN length, .sprang from the sna Il, 2
mouth aud began attacking the litter. The
monster, with continuous Kissing roar,
stretched out three frightful looking fangs,
which were from four to five feet Ii length,
and advanced toward the hog, which stood In
n corner trembling In every limb, unable 70
move, as II fascinated by the immense snake.
Meanwhile Mr.. Miller had rushed to his
house, seized his shot gun, and, just as the
gigantic beast WAS about to dart on his prey,
fired. The shot did not appear to have any
effect, but the monster quickly raised Itself,
turned in the direction OF the shot, stretched
forth his formidable faDgs and emitted a nOx-
ious vapor almost as nauseating as asafe-
tida. Then it gave low Kissing wall, upon
which signal the nineteen young snakes
leaped into the maternal NAV, and the huge
serpent took to flight. Mr.. Miller fired again.
The snake trailed itself with immense rap
idity. The two men followed the trail and
called for assistance, but when they got to
the wood they lost all trace Or 1t. A body OF
men surrounded the wood an hour later with
guns and revolvers, and beat the bush thor
oughly. The snake had disappeared. Great
alarm is felt in the vicinity. -Four Of the lit
ter We're killed BY the young snakes. MI.
Albery, the Methodist preacher, was LII town
and was interviewed by your cor
He affirmed the correctness Of the above
story. He described the monster as between
forty and fifty feet in length with fattened
head the size Of a large beer keg, two lus-
trOus. flaming eyes and three terrible looking
fangs. The body was ali covered with sort
Of scales, resembling those OF q fish, which
giistened like silver The tail was about
nine feet long, was divided into two parts, |
and apparently extremely flexible. When
The snake was agltated 1T gave forth Kissing
roar. But the most striking feature was two |
the serpent like a very long umbrella, about !
fifteen feet in length. Neither Mr.. Albery nor
Mr. Miller knew there were wings until In |
making it's escape the Gnimal extended them.
They were something similar to the wings Of
! bat, and were almost transparent Each |
wing, when extended, must have had sur
ace of at least one hundred and forty feet
With their aid the animal leaped over J. fence
seven feet high. 1t was at this point that the
snake became lost to view, and only his trail
vas discernible In the tall reeds. Both the
Rev Mr.. Albery and farmer Miller are
equitable, honest and trnth-lOving persons,
Who stand high In the community, and they
oth vouch for the truth Of this story. In
eed, Mr.. Miller has made an affidavit there