The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1885-10-02
Enormous Rattle.Snakes.

Probably the largest and Oldest rat
tlesnakes ever killed in Pennsylvania
was killed near Msuch Chunk, on the
Switchback Railroad, on Tuesday
of last week, by Mr.. John
l,osche, one of the employees OF the
Mumford Brothers, lessees OF the
Switchback. On the cup trip" in the
afternoon, as the car was nearing the
Ne.quehoning path, Bosche saw on the
track ahead of the swiftly moving train
two enormous snakes, partly coiled,
lying between the rails and seemingly
engaged in play. As the car neared
them the two reptiles started down the
track ahead of it. Bosche let off the
breaks and the car shot ahead and was
overtaking the snakes When one OF
them began to grow tired aud TO fall
behind the other, unable to keep up the
rate at which they were running. The
stronger one deliberately seized the
other one by the neck with its jaws,
and with a sud len vigorous bound at
tempted to spring outside the rails with
| it. The first one cleared the rail, but
the wheels passed over the second one
and cut it in several pieces. The un-
harmed one coiled itself and sprang at
the car, which was now nearly stopped,
and its fangs with a sharp click enter
ed the timber and held the wriggling
monster fast. The car ran few yards
further, dragging the captive snake,
which ratified horribly and threw its
body first mp on the car and then 10
the ground. The fangs broke off and
the snake dropped down and struck an
attitude for fight just as the car stop.
ped, and Bosche aud Mr.. Mumford
sprang to the ground. The snake
sprang at Bosche repeatedly, but he
was not afraid of it, rs he could plainly
see that the fangs were broken off and
imbedded in the wood of the car. A
little skirmishing with a cobblestona
settled the fate of the snake. Bosche
measured his body and found it TO be
six feet and nine inches long. There
were sixteen rattles on the tail, but sew
eral had evidently been broken off, so
that, counting one rattle for each year,
and adding the year required for the
formation of the rattle, the monster
must have reached the age of at least
twenty years, AN aye never surpassed
by the rattlesnake, according TO the
traditions and wood lore of the old
trappers hereabouts.
Bosche went back and picked up the
pieces of the one cut by the wheels.
When placed together, the snake was
nearly as long as the first one. 1t was
male and female These snakes al
ways mate and stay mated during their
lives. 1t was intended to stuff the
skin of the whole one and send it to
the Smithsonian Institution, but the
skin Was found to be broken so badly
as to render it only poor specimen.
and the carcasses were given to an old
. backwoodsman, who "fried out" the
grease and bottled it, intending to use
it as medicine in certain cases. The
combined weight of the two snakes
was about nineteen pounds. They
were of the ''black rattler" variety, a
> dull, slaty black, with irregular mark
ings and nothing, and their bodies
were symmetrical. 1t is thought that
: these two snakes have been seen al
: various times by persons who were
i roaming or picking berries in the woods
p near the Switchback. The skins will
B. probably be displayed to tourists a
: the engine house on the summit o
+. Mount Pisgah.