The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1880-10-14
manitouof pilot.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER IA, 1880.
I'm THE INTEREST OF SCI
ENCE."

The following account OF a sclen-
tifc killing of a rattlesnake appears
in the Philadelphia Times: every
thing being in readiness, three gen.
tlemen in their shirt sleeves came
up to the box, and, by natural
impulse, there was scattering of
visitors. Some of the gentlemen,
absurdly timid, went up short
flight of stairs and looked at the
proceedings from trap door thus
getting better view. The three
scientists at once began operations.
The sliding lid was unscrewed. One
of the coatless men had a stick with
sponge as big as an apple tied to
it, and a bottle of chloroform. An
other had pair of long pincers,
while the other acted as the snakes
door keeper. The word "Allready,"
was said, the lid was slowly moved
back a little, the end of the pincers
was inserted in the aperture. Bump,
bump, bump went the snakes head
against the top of the box and the
tail sang a merry song. The man
with the pincers knew what he was
about, and cautiously he thrust his
pincers III. Snap. and everybody
shuddered. Then what rafting,
what twisting! 1t seemed as if the
reptile would burst his slender cage.
How he pulled and coiled and with
ed. But the pincers man was strong,
and in a second or two Mr.. Snake S
nose was through the aperture. The
lid man was cool and watched sharp
that larger opening was not forced
than was necessary. Finally the
cold eyes came out, and plump. his
whole head was out of the box, and
the pincers held his neck like a vice.
How he writhed and ratified Quick
as lightning the man with the sponge
and bottle was doing his part. He
poured the chloroform upon the
sponge and jammed the sponge in
the monsters great red mouth.
The mouth closed, and it was forced
open again and more chloroform put
into it. Then the pincers man with
his left hand seized the reptile by
the neck and released the pincers
which fell with a rattle on the stone
floor. Horror! 1t was not pretty
sight, a man holding monster by
the throat whose bite was instant
death, but he held him nevertheless
it was in the interest of science. Their
more chloroform was poured into
him. At about this time everybody
was pretty well excited but the pin
GERS man. He very cody took ;
small pair of pincers from the table
put his head down so he could see
and with the little pincers he pulled
out the big fangs of the reptile anC
laid them, one after the other, on {
white sheet of paper. They were
nearly an inch long! By this time
the snake did not seem to be par
ticularly interested in the science
or anything else, so they pulled hin
out of his box and Strengthened hin
out on the floor, the pincers maj
keeping his grip at the neck. The
reptile was measured, but he haC
lost over a foot in length. 1t wa
explained that he had shrunk il
length from the effect of the chloro
form, and so 1t seemed, for his body
seemed double its former size. III,
seemed dead snake sure enough
His writings had stopped, his rat
ties were still. So he was put bacl
in his l;.sB box and the lid screwed
down. He deliberately coiled him
self up, but the pincers man told m'
the snake was dead, and didn't NEAR
anything by tin fact, didn't know
that he had coiled himself up. A
plaster cast is the ultimate end o
this Florida monster"