Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-07-23
Adventure with Monster Rattlesnakt
In a Mine.

DIR, BARTLBsON, Of this city, says the
Tombstone (Arizona) Epitaph, had quite
q thrilling experience last week. While
at Socorro on business he thought he
would take look al the mines near
town. The object of interest is the old
mine-we have forgotten the name
worked ages ago for aught any one now
living knows, and which has two shafts,
one recently reopened TO a depth of
forty-five feet, where drifts indicate the
first level. No explorations beyond a
few feet from the depth named have
been made, though it is evident that the
two shafts mentioned are connected at
this level. DESTROYS of a iaunt under
ground, and at the same time express
ing astonishment that none of the min.
ers OF the camp or owners of the mine
had worked up sufficient curiosity TO ex-
tend the discovery, the Doctor was low
cred into the shaft. Emerging from the
bucket, a taper was lighted, and the
drift along the vein entered upon. A
chamber 10xl2K8 was soon entered by
crawling distance on all fours, after an
examination of which and the selection
OF some ores the tour of discovery was
continued. To proceed It was again
necessary to crawl, and the Doctor once
more assumed the infantile position Of
locomotion. An advance of few feet
had been made, when a cold, clammy
substance was touched by the hand, and
two bright, glistening orbs gradually
rose in air and flashed back with inten-
sifed brightness the feeble rays of the
taper. Almost instantly a Kissing, rat
tling sound startled the hearing, and
the Doctor realized that he had en-
countered rattlesnake. To retreat was
the work of a second, and the chamber
just left was soon Tegained. Assuming
an upright position, the Doctor cast a
hasty glance at the aperture from
whence he had emerged, and 10 and be-
hold, there approached his adver-
sary, which, when seeing the disturber
of his quiet, coiled himself for spring.
A look was sufficient to satisfy the Doctor
that the snake was one of the largest of
his species and determined foe. I'm
mediate action was necessary. To re-
treat was to invite and hasten the at
tack, with the chances in favor of the
snake. To take the aggressive, then,
was the work of another second, and,
picking up a chunk of ore, the Doctor
hurled it with all his might at the pro-
truded, vibrating head of the snake Just
as he was in the act of springing. The
eXertion of throwing the ore extin-
guished the taper, and the horror of the
then situation can well be imagined but
never accurately desoribed-the dark
ness, the dread uncertainty of the To-
cality of the reptile; the torturing ignor-
ance of the success or failure of the
blow, the fear to move, all combined to
hasten the hair-raising, chilling terror
of the situation. To relight the taper
was determined upon, though not with
out the realization of the dread fact that
the snake would take advantage of the
first ray of light and spring upon its
foe. With fear and trembling the Doc
tor eagerly followed the advancing rays
of the taper as they lit up the chamber,
and his feelings of relief and joy can
well be imagined as he saw stretched
before him, not three feet distant, the
stunned body of the snake-the aim
with the rock had been a success. At
this time the Doctor bethought himself
of his revolver, and, placing it near the
reptiles head, effecually dispatched
him. The snake was six feet in length,
very large around, and numbered nine.
teen rattles. The Doctor had explored
sufficiently, and regained the surface as
soon as possible. We imagine his hair
is a shade grayer than before going to
SOcOrrO