The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1882-07-29
SNAKES AND WHISKY.
The Narrow Escape of f. M.
Worth from an Awful Death
..Nearlv Sharing the Fate of
DIR. Wainwrighf.


Mr.. +. M. Worth, who was bitten
by rattlesnake at his museum on
the Bowery is now out of danger.
About three months ago Mr.. Worth
succeeded in securing colony of
fifty-four live rattlesnakes, which
we're captured while just making for
their winter nap at Long Eddy. The
hunters of that neighborhood knew
of the existence of the den for long
time before they were able to locate
them, and were fortunate enough to
capture them alive. The "speckled
beauties" are confined in glass
case in the basement, and to those
who do not admire snakes are dis
gusting mass of wriggling loathe-
someness, though spoken of by the
proprietor as the finest in the land.
Some of them are eight feet long, and
the reporter counted thirteen rattles
on one tail, which, as the snake is
three years old before it has rattle
would make the snake sixteen years
old. They ALLURE toads and are fond
of fresh meat. Mr.. Worth has been
in the habit of feeding them in per-
son every night. He does not pro
TESS to be snake charmer, but he
has never had any fear of them, and
opened the cage at all times without
fear of evil consequences. On Fri
day evening about eleven o'clock, af-
ter the audience had retired and the
doors were closed he descended to
the basement, opened the cage and
began feeding the snakes. Some
times the reptiles were greedy, and
when this was the case he would rap
them on the head with the fork and
compel them to retire and wait their
turn. On this occasion one of the
big rattlers pushed himself to the
front aud pushed his head mp greed
lily. Mr.. Worth promptly raped him
on the head and the angry snake
quite as promptly coiled himself for
spring and simultaneously with his
warning rattle he fastened his
FANGs IN THE THUMB
OF the man who was feeding him.
1t was done with the rap;dity Of
lightning, and Mr. Worth. realizing
his danger. thrust the wounded
thumb into his mouth and began
sucking and splitting out the poison
vigorously. This action probably
save his life. Immediately upon
realizing his danger. Mr.. Worth
called the janitor Of the establish
ment, who had retired to the rear of
the stage, and after getting HIM to
tie cord firmly about the base of
the thumb, asked him to 90 for wills
ky. A half pint of the best that
ncighboring drug store could pro
duce was brought and swallowed
at gulp. The bitten man was un-
used to liquor and it speedily began
to neutrallze the poison, though the
man became unnerved and limp. and
was compelled to lie down. There
was no swelling of the arm as had
been anticipated, but another half
pint was brought and taken and then
Inconsistencies supervened. An
ambulance was procured, and the
victim was taken to the hospital
where he did not come out of his
comatose state until ten O'Clock in
the morning. In the meantime the
doctors had decided that the poison
of the snakes fangs had been subdu-
ed, and that there was more trouble
to be apprehended from the whisky
than from the virus. After a consul
tation a stomach pump was applied
and the
wHfsKEY THUS PUMPED OUT,
And the man recovered conscious
ness, but only to fall into dclirium
The hand and arm still showed no
evidence Of poisoning, and this was
taken as an indication that he was
suffering from an overdose of whisky.
Early in the afternoon an ambulance
was summoned and Mr. Worth was
removed to Bellevue Hospital. The
physicians said that he was doing
well, and that there need be no APP
prehenslon Of fatal rcsultb from the
poisoning, though it might take
day or two to get over the nnpIeas-
ant effects of the antidote The man
waswild with dclrium until he was
removed, but quieted down on his way
to the hospital. New Workers can
recall
FATAL CASE OF SNAKE BITE,
Which created great sensation here
some thirty-fiye years ago. A DR..
wainwright, who was connected with
the United States navy, had brought
a pet rattlesnake with him from the
South, and had it in his room at the
City Hotel, which then stood at the
west side of Broadway below Cedar
street, and was one of the fashiona-
BILE hotels of the day. After dinner
one afternoon, the doctor invited
some friends to his room, to see the
reptile. and drawing it ont of the
box he proceeded to demonstrate that
it might be handled with impunity.
The snake stood the operation for
some time, but finally made a spring
and fixed his fangs in the doctors
arm. As soon as help could be pro-
cured, the wound was cauterized and
other remedies were applied, but all
precautions proved to be of no avail. |
The unfortunate mans arm swelled |
to an enormous size, turned to the
mettled hue Of the rattlesnake, and !