The evening light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1881-1883, 1882-12-26
CONCEALED SERPENTS.
How Roll of Deadly Vipers Were Thawed
Before a Fire.

How Roll of Deadly vipers Were Thawet
| Before a Fire.
From the Post-Dispatch.
A python sixteen feet long and five cobra:
and blacksnakes were Brought to the Contra
Park managers. They had just arrived from
Europe, no blankets had been provided by
the exporter. The serpents had been merely
tossed into a large wooden box with some
loose hay at the bottom and air holes at the
top. During 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 COM
mon mass that it seemed impossible to sepa,-
rate them. The big case was put on truck
and the truckman drove the snakes to the
park in the intense cold. When Superintend-
ent Conkling saw the consignment he was
naturally indignant at receiving concealed SER
penis. How to separate them seemed to be a
puzzle. They'll have to be thawed out"
said Superintendent Conkling. Tobias Lyness
i, the park menagerie engineer. He has
charge of the great furnace that consumed
5000 tons of coal season. He is no con-
jurer, charmer or tanner.
"Lyness, l wish you would thaw out these
serpents for me-" said Superintendent Conk
ling, who supposed they were dead, land
when you have them uncoiled put them in
bags where l can find them and have them
sent to the taxidermist."
"All right, SIR" replied Lyness, and calling
the menagerie hands, he said:
dump those serpents in the engine-room."
LyneSs had a roaring fire in his haf-ton
furnace. He raked down the coal, put on the
blast and when the fire was at white heat he
threw open the furnace door. Then he seized
the coil of
FROZEN PYTHONS,
cobras and blacksnakes and dragged it close
to the fire. Lyness lighted his pipe and sat
readinga paper in front of the furnace waiting
for the serpents to thaw out After a while, |
happening to look down, he saw six great
serpents' heads with lustrous eyes and darting
tongues Lyness put down his paper and |
pipe; as he did so, the coil of serpents
luadrupled in size, showing plainly that they
were reviving. "Come here, Tom," shouted
Lyness to Donohue, the night Waterman.
- Bring that box along and shut up your dogs
We're going to have circus.' Tom Dono-
nue. ran up. He looked in through the
engine room window and said: "Wait till
get the net and we'll haul them in"
met be DID," said Lyness. The SER
DENTS kept wriggling and uncoiling them
selves gradually. Finally the python BEGAN
slipping from the mass. Lyness STEPPED for
ward and caught the python near the head
With one hand and lower down about the body
With the other. Then he played with the
make. He choked him and manipulated
lin. "I'll thaw him out wel," he said,
aughing. Finally he threw the snake into
he box, which was quickly closed. Lyness
hen turned his attention to the other snakes
nd thoroughly thawed and boxed them all
Then he and Tom Donohue carried the box
o the great glass snake house and dumped
he newcomers among the reptiles already
here. The new snakes are doing well.
three young rabbits and four pigeons are be-
ng fattened for them and they will be fed in a
ew days.