Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-10-12
A BOA ON THE SIDEWALK.
How a Huge Constructor Frightened
New York Crowd.


NEW YORK, Oct. ga hungry boa con-
| strictor, twenty-seven feet long and
weighing nearly 200 pounds, lay coiled
up near the police station in the City
Hall Park about 10 O'Clock this morning.
1T reared it's head angrily in the air and
darted its tongue out VicioNsly. A grea
crowd assembled in a short time, but
took extremely good care to keen at a re-
spectful distance. The snake was from
the animal importing house of Charles
! Reiche Il Brother, in Park Row, and was
started this morning for Hoboken on a
handcart, there to be fed for a
week or so, and then to be given a warm
bath TO infuse little African heat into it.
The snake Is the largest one in captivity
in America, and was brought here last
week on the steamer Fulda from Reiche
& Brothers. Bremen headquarters. 1t was
taken by one OF their travellers in the Sou
dan.
The huge reptile had not had anything
to eat for several weeks and this morning
Mr.. Reiche resolved TO send it to Hoboken,
where he has sort OF a boarding house
Tor anacondas. just how it happened
probably never will be known, but as the
boy and handcart were near the police
station the boy slipped on piece of apple
skin. AS he fell he let go of the cart ham
dies. Up they went. The cart tipped
backward, the box rolled out on the walk
and the great snake burst through the
Stats on top. In an instant it was spread
over the walk.
The boy stood palsied with fright. He
was Immediately hemmed in by curious
crowd, which grew larger momentarily.
very quickly several policemen were on
the scene, bat they needed to exercise no
effort to keep the crowd back. Word was
at once sent to Mr.. ReIche, but it was
fully twenty minutes before he appeared
he was accompanied by seven men. In
the meantime the hot rays OF the sun beat
ing down on the tar walk rapidly thawed
out any torpidity that remained in the
snake, and he began to move about. The
boy courageously kept in front of the rep
tile, and with the aid of missiles furnished
him by the crowd, he succeeded in keep
ing 1t within circle of fifty feet, from
where the box was broken open. But it
was evident he could not control the SER
pent much longer when MIR. Reiche's men
appeared. They were afraid the police
men would shoot the reptile, and made all
possible haste to capture it.
Inc serpent was now resting on its coils.
with its huge head elevated more than
eight feet in the air. IL was thoroughly
angry. Its eyes seemed to dart flashes of
lightning; it's great mouth was wide open,
sDo"lug lCs Wnlte Ceeth, ana It's tongue
darted forth viciously. 1t also gave a
series OF Kisses which served to keep the
crowd still further off.
1t was beginning to make ready for a
spring for about half its length. The
leader OF the men advanced, and by Ju-
dicious throwing of cloths, after Ave at
tempts, succeeded in covering the reptiles
head, and then the seven men quickly sat
down on Its body. Then the eight men
picked it 1t up and carried it to the store.
The snake Is very old and ia worth 81. 900.
That 1t would have bitten any person IN
Its reach, one OF Mr.. Reiche's men said,
was beyond doubt. He was much afraid
the reptile would get into the trees, where
1t would have been still more dangerous.