Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-01-09
IN WARNING.
Frozen Reptiles Revive by the
New York Central Park
Menagerie Engineer.
Ner York Sum-.

A python, sixteen feet long, and i've
eobras and black snakes were brought
to the Central Park ~menagerie on Sat
urday afternoon, They had just ar
rived from Europe. No blankets had
been provided by the exporter. The
serpents had been merely tassed into
/ large wooden box. with some loose
hay at the bottom and air holes at the
to,p. During the voyage out the hay
got wet, and the box became soaked.
When the snakes we're landed they
we're found to BIO rigid, and so strongly
knit together in a common mass that
it seemed impossible to separate them
The big case was put on a truck and
the truckmaniTove the snakes to the
park in the intense cold of Saturday
When Superintendent Oonklin got
the consignment he was naturally in
dignant at receiving CONCEALED ser
pents. How to separate them seemed
a puzzle. They'll have to be thawed
OUT said Superintendent Conklin.
Tobias Lynpss is the park mensgerie
engineer. He has charge Of the great
furnaces that consume three hundred
tons. OF coal in a season. Tobias
Lyness has been many years in the
employ of the park, He is an Ameri-
can. Broadshouldered, muscular,
curly haired, cool, Lyness has no
fear in him. He rs no conjurer,
charmer, or tanner, merely q brave
engineer.
"Lyness. | wish you would thaw out
these serpents for me- said Superin-
tendent Conklin, who supposed they
we're dead, "and when you have them
uncoiled, put them in bags where |
can find them and have them sent to
the taxidermist's on Monday.
"All right, sir" replied Lyness, and
calling the menagerie hands, he said.
dump those serpents in the engine
ROOM"
Tobias Lyness had a roaring fire in
his half ton furnace. He raked down
The coal, put on the blast, and when.
he fire was at white heat he threw
open the furnace door. Then he seized
the coil Of frozen pythons, cobrls and
black snakes and dragged it close to
the FIRE.
Lyness lighted his pipe and sat
reading a paper in front of the fur
oace, waiting for the serpents to thaw
3ut. After a while, happening to look
down, he Ia six great serpents' heads,
with lustrous eyes and darling tongues.
Lyness put Down his pipe and paper.
As he did so the coil of serpents
Quadrupled in sizs, showing plainly
enough that they were reviving.
Come here, Tom, shouted Lyness
TO Donohue, the night watchman.
li'Bringt that box along and shut up your
dogs; were going to have a circus
Tom Donobue ran up. He looked
in through the engine room window,
and said:
/, Wait till get the net, and Wen
haul them it."
"Net be 1arned," said Lynoss.
The serpents kept ~wriggling and
uncoiling themselves gradually. Final
" the python began slipping from the
mass, Lyness stepped forward and
caught the python near the head with
one hand. aud lower down about the
body with the other. Then he played
with the snake, He choked him and
manipulated him. I'm thaw him
out well" he said, laughing. Finally
he threw the snake into the box,
which was quickly closed.
Lyness then turned his attention to
the other snakes, and thoroughly
thawed and boxed them all, Then he
aud Tom Donohue carried the box tc
the great glass snake house and
dumped the new corners among the
reptiles already there.