Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-10
CAPTURING A BIG SNAKE.

An Ugly Monster Creates Wild Excitement
In New York's Central Park.
Some time in February, 1885, Director
Conklin, of the Central Park Menagerie.
imported three whopping big snakes, writes
Night Watchman Donohue, in the New
York Herald The largest of them was over
20 feet long and every bit of 80 inches In
circumference. He was an ugly monster,
with head shaped not unlike that OF
bull terrier, and most ferocious looking
eyes.
When the snakes were received at the
arsenal they were placed temporarily in the
small boiler room. The big fellow was
valued at $500, and was kept In box by
himself OF this box Mr.. Conklin kept the
key. One day he forgot to lock it. You
can imagine his feelings when he found the
box empty. It was no laughing matter to
have 20foot snake, capable OF squeezing
the life out of anybody in no time loatlng
around loose.
There was deuce of hunt. It was sur
missed, and correctly, too, as it afterward
turned out, that his S25-a-foot snakeship
had crawled through big hole where one
of the steam pipes was laid across the MI
teen inch wall which separated the small
boiler room from the store room. A carpen-
ter was called in and the flooring was rip
ped up, but no trace was discovered OF the
snake.
Five or six weeks rolled by. One night
was eating my lunch between 10 and II
o'clock. I had locked my two dogs in the
store room as was my custom when attend
ing TO the needs OF the inner man. All of a
sudden the dogs began to bark like fury.
1 picked up my lantern, ran to the door,
unlocked it and flashed my light around.
There was the big snake, or two-thirds ot
him, extending down the brick wall, the
rest of him being hidden in the hole where
the steam pipe was laid. His eyes flashed IRE
on the two dogs, which, not one bit scared,
were Just dying to get at him.
But o. course that wouldn't be good for
the snake or good for the dogs. / got them
outside and made tracks for Mr.. Conklin's
house. He lived at Sixty-frst street and
Second avenue. We procured reinforce
ments in the person of Tim Shannon on
our way back. When we got there we
found that the snake had orawled into the
small boiler room and was coiled up in o
corner, apparently enjoying quiet nap.
Mr.. Conklin sent me to his Office for a
couple Of the large blankets. These Shan
non and Tapped together. We didn't sue
ceed in catching the snake mapping. he
was very wide awake as soon as we drew
near him. He glared at us out of his big
vicious looking eyes and swayed his head to
aud fro in a manner which indicated that he
was in no mood for fooling, and proposed to
resent any attempt to take liberties with his
person.
When we made for him the first time he
compelled US to retreat before we got q
chance to come to close quarters and grab
him.. He was prepared for us the second
time, too. He raised his head until it was
several feet above the ground, and when we
ran at him he shot it out just like pugilist
striking straight from the shoulder. We
lodged and fell back again.
The third time we had better luck. He
was prepared for another lunge, but Shan
non upset his calculations and nonplussed
him by chucking blanket over him and
grabbing him behind the gills. caught on
close by, and, exerting all our strength, we
succeeded in landing him in the box.