The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1880-09-02
nisarming A Rattlesnnke.

The Philadelphia Times allows its
Washington correspondent to talk in the
following blood -curdling manner con-
cerning snakes:
assisted at snake-killing on We'd
nesday in the laboratory of the Smith
sonian institution. l was very glad 10
be called on by Mr.. Rhees for this pur-
pose-first, because the killing was sup
posed to be in the interest of science, 10
which l am warmly devoted; second,
because 1 hate snakes, and third, be-
cause there was no danger. A rattle
snake eight feet long had arrived at the
institution. A dozen gentlemen, mostly
of scientific turn of mind like myself,
were present. The box was placed on
the floor and all had an opportunity to
view the monster before the entertain
meng began. He lay coiled up in bis
box and looked like bolt of gray cloth
His rattle was sticking straight up and
trembling with warning. His nose
rested on his tail and his cold eyes set
back in his head had an awful look. His
body, should think, was fifteen inches
in circumference. His head was about
the size of kittens and the spread 0
his jaw was enormous. Everything be-
ing in readiness three scientists at once
began operations. The sliding lid was
unscrewed. One of the coatless men
had q stick with sponge as big as an
apple tied to it, and bottle of chloro-
form. Another had pair of long pin
GERS, while the other acted as the snakes
doorkeeper. The lid was slowly moved
back little and the end OF the pincers
was inserted in the aperture. Bump,
bump, bump went the snakes head
against the top of his box and the tail
sang merry song. The man with the
pincers knew what he was about and
cautiously he thrust his pincers in.
Snap! and everybody shuddered. Then
what rafting, what twisting! 1t seemed
IS If the reptile would burst his slender
cage. How he pulled and coiled and
writhed! But the pincers and man was
strong, and in a second or two the
snakes 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 wise. How
he writhed and ratified! Quick as
lightning the man with the sponge and
bottle was doing his part. lie poured
the chloroform upon the sponge and lam
med the sponge in the monsters great
red mouth. The mouth closed, and it
was forced open again and more chloro-
form 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. 1t
was not Il pretty sight, man holding Il
monster by the throat whose bite was
instant death, but he held him neverthe-
less, for it was in the interest of science.
Then more chloroform was poured into
him. AT about this time everybod was
pretty well excited but the pincers man.
He very coolly,took small pair OF pin
GERS from the table, put his head down
so he could see and with the little pin
GERS he pulled out the big fangs of the
reptile and laid them one after the 9th er
on a white sheet OF paper. They were
nearly an inch long. BY this time the
snake did not seem to be particularly
interested in science or anything else, SC
they pulled him out of his box and
Strengthened him on the floor, the pin
GERS man keeping his grip at the neck
The reptile was measured, but he had
lost over foot in length. 1t was ex.
planned that he had shrnuk from the
effects of the chloroform. His writll.
ings had stopped, his rattes were still
w ~ Nbo pun betSh III HIS llllIc uOA dllt
the lid screwed down. He deliberately
coiled himself up, but the pincers man
told me the snake was dead and didn't
mean anything by it-in fact, didn't
know that he had coiled himself nr. A
plas ter cast is the ultimate end OF the
Florida monster. / am devoted &c
science and would like to have it gel
along, but shall never kill snake that
way.