Daily Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1876-1884, 1880-08-18
Cos ausrles Aemld.
AN EIGHT POUND RAT.
Bang Ono Of $40 Killed in Beer vault'

0olng Uno OF 6lg Nj led in Beer Vault
IN FRANKLIN, Pa, Aug. S-Twenty
YEARS or so ago Herman Minnich
{9Wned q brewery along French
\ Greek, In this place. A storage
vault or tunnel belonging to the
Z bre very was excavated in the side
Mil nearly 200 feetin length. There
. Wns . great flood in the creek in
1913. aud the water threatened to
I. 4tl the vault. A largo quantity OF
1bed4 was stored there at the time.
IL attempting to save the beer from
being carried away Brewer MIN
nich was drowned. Phillip Gross
man now keeps saloon near the
vault, which he uses to store cheese,
bologna and beer in. The vault
for some time has been overrun
with rats of an enormous size.
They frequent the tunnel in such
mum ers and are so bold aud ag-
greesive that Grossman has long
found It necessary to take some
one with him to fight the rats away
while he takes out cheese or beer.
The cheese Is covered with tin cases
through which the rats cannot
gnaw.
Among Grossman's children are
tWo boys-Pnilly, Ii, and Eddie, s
years old. They ARE both extreme
II fond OF Swiss cheese. A fe "
days ago they determined to make
d raid on the stores OF their favor
~ chsess In the old brewery vault.
They knew 1t would be necessary
~ - in. Il, .
s escure the prize they coveted, but
Z that did not deter them. Philly
3 armed himself with q heavy piece
o. hoop iron. and the two boys on
6 terod the vault. the youngest one
carrying lantern. They had gone
but few feet only when the rats
bsgan to dispute their passage
< Rats scampersd about them on ev-
\ cry eide, and 1t was with difficulty
that Philly kept them off himself
and brother by the active welding
Of his piece of iron. Snme of the
rats were Of enormous size, and the
army kept the boys entirely sur
rounded, moving along toward the
further end Of the tunnel with
them, and keeping up large aud
0eroe Outcry AS they marched.
Several lines one of the rats, more
bold than his companions, would
8 Jump savagely at one or the other
Of the boys; but these invariably
met death or were disabled by
blows from PHILIPS iron. The
younger boy wanted to go back af-
ter rat had leapsd up and caught
4 h.m by the slesve with its teeth /;
but his brother quieted his fears,
and told him the rats were only
. playing.
By the time the boy had reached
the sud Of the tunueI, where the
s seheese was kept, the rats had gath
cred by hundreds around the child
rem. covering the cheese boxes and
running over the boys. IN spite Of
the efforts of the elder to K eep then
Of. Philly took off his coat anC
wrapped it around his little broth
Or. to protect him from the rats
Y and then proceeded to uncover ,
cheese. The rats piled upon hin
and all about him, as though fran
Ito with the prospect of gettint
pOsssssiOn OF the cheese themselves
Phllly beat about him right AM
left, but finding it impossible t.
drive The rats away, SO that b
could get a box raised, he told hi
= little brother to 20 back and tie!
his father to come into the vault a
soon as possible. The little fellow
FASTENED out, leaving Pnilly alon
Z In The dark battling with the rats
which were gradually getting tn
better Of him. He placed his oacl
against one side Of the tunnel, anC
welding his weapon continually
killing or disabling a rat at almos
every blow.
When the younger child carried
the news to his father that Philly
WAS in the vault surrounded by rats
Grossmsn and two neigbbors arme,
themselves with clubs and hurrie'
to the rescue of the boy. The arm,
Of rats seemed to number thousand
when they reached the scene. TIL,
men Joined in the contest, but 8
rs numerous and PERSISTENT were tn
rats that they were more than al
hour in ccs, 1iering them. Deaf
rate late flied OH every side, an
fheL Dumber was so greatly re
duced that the survivors wer
Z nnsl,y driven 10 their holes. Eigh
hundred and nineteen dead rat
were carried from the vault. On
Of them weighed over eight pounds
The carcasses filed two horse DO,
wagon, and were good load for I
team TO draw away. The combined
weight of the rats was over u ton