The daily gazette., 1882-12-20
FROZEN SNAKES.
conseaied Reptiles Thswed Into Life and
n. Activity.
rMAN Ynrk auul


oonrealed Reptiles Thawed Into Life and
d, Activity.
rMew York SUM-
A python, 10 feet long, and fve cobras
and black snakes were brought TO the Cen
trail Park menaweFie on Saturday afternoon.
They had lust arrived from Europe. No
blankets had been provided by the exporter.
The serpents had been merely tossed into
large wooden box, with some loose hay at
the bottom and air holes at the top. Dur
ing the voyage out the hay got wet, and the
box became soaked. When the snakes were
landed they were found to be rigid, and so
strongly Knit together in common mass
that It seemed impossible TO separate them.
| The big case was put on q truck and the
| truckman drove the snakes to the Park in
| the intense cold of Saturday.
| When Superintendent Conklin got the
consignment he was naturally indignant at
receiving concealed serpents. How TO sepa-
rate them seemed puzzle. They'll have
To be thawed out" said Superintendent
ConlSlin.
Tobias Lypess Ia the Park meDagerle en-
ginecr. He has charge OF the great furnaces
that consume 800 tons Of coal in season.
Tobias Lyness has been may years In the
employ Of the Park. He is an American.
Broad shouldered, muscular, curly haired,
cool. Lyness has no fear In him. He is no
conjurer, charmer, or tanner, merely brave
engineer. -. -,
these sarpcnts for me, said Superintendent
Conklin, who supposed they were dead
!, and when you have them uncoiled pul
I them in bags where can find them and
have them sent to the taxidermist's on
Monday" =,
Gan right, sir" replied Lyncss, and. call
ing the menagerie hands, he said DUNN
} those serpents In the engine ioom.'
II Tobias Lyuess had a roaring fire in hi
. half ton furnace. He raked down the coal
: put on the blast, and when the fire was al
white heat he threw open the furnace door
7 | Then he seized the coil of frozen pythons
Z cobras, and black snakes and dragged Il
a close to the fire.
Lyness lighted his pipe and sat reading {
paper In front Of the iunace, waiting for TN
|, serpents TO thaw out. After while, hap
d pening to look down, he saw six great ser
a pent's heads, with lustrous eyes and dartini
j. tongues. Lyness put down his pipe ant
: paper. AS he did so the coil OF serpent
9 uuadrupled in size, showing plainly enougl
!, that they were reyiving.
e "Come here, Tom," shouted Lyness t
"a Donohoe, the night watchman. "Brin
" that box along, and shut up your dogs
We're going TO have circus"
le1 Tom Donohue ran up. He looked
le through the engine room window aud said
10 "Wait til get The net, and we'll hat
., them in."
o. "Net be darned," said Lyness.
ie The serpents kept wrlggling and uncoi
h ing themselves gradually Finally III
~ python began slipping from the mas
Il lyuess stepped forward and caught Il
python near the head with one hand, an
~ lower down about the body with the othei
s. Then he PLAYED with the snake lie choke
be him and manipulated him. I'm ihaw hi
1t. out WE'LL" he said laughing Finally
4, threw the snake into the box, which WI
!. quickly closed.
Ct Lyness then turned his attention 10 Il
s. other snakes, and thoroughly thawed al
&C. boxed them all. Then he and Tom Don
lv hue carried the box to the great glass hou
n. and dumped the newcomers among the re
tiles already there.
III Last night the new snakes were doll
ot we'll Three young rabbits and four pigeo
v. are being fattened for them, aud they VI
mr. be fed in few days.