The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-09-21
DUEL TO THE DEATH.
Sanguinary Encounter Between
an Alligator and a Turtle.
The Two Participants in One Of the Gamest
Fights Ever Seen Were Buried
Side by Side

Incidentally with the breakup of the
Fair Ground geological collection little stor-
les of the peculiarities Of some of the ami
mails are cropping out. Many Of these
contain some very amusing features. but
probably the most interesting and exciting
by far is that of a mortal combat between a
ten-foot alligator and a huge turtle of
the snapper species. The story is told
by Captain c. w. Bellairs, the superin-
tendent of the grounds, and the combat was
witnessed by that gentleman and several
of the employees of the association, who were
prevented from interfering by the terrific
struggles of the saurian. The Fair Assoeia-
ton has a large, circular-shaped tank in
which there has reposed peaceably for g
number of years sort of happy family OF
alligators and large turtles. There were
four of the former, the largest being little
over four feet long. OF the latter there
were six, five of medium size, and the sixth
great big horn-back snapper, measuring
nearly two feet from head to tail. This last
was very vicious old fellow, and never
missed chance to impress it upon the
keeper that he was dangerous fellow TO
fool with. He assumed entire control of the
territory inside the tank, and when his
turteshlp was in bad hum0r, or his dinner
did not agree with him, he would make
things hum.
This state of absolute monarchy he en-
joyed for long time, and 1t only ended
about the middle of last year. The Fair
Association was presented about that time
with large alligator nearly ten feet long.
He was shipped to the association direct
from Florida, and was Grated up In long
narrow box. The forced confinement did
not improve his naturally vicious DISPOSE
ton, aud he would viciously resent any I'M
due familiarity on the part of the keepers
who had charge of him. He was so bad that
Captain Bellairs was for a long time ayerse
TO keeping him, and in the meantime he lay
In the shipping crate. Eventually he was
transferred to the tank, and job It
was too. The old fellows eyes snapped
with rage and his h0arse bellows
of fury could be heard half mile away as
the attendants passed a rope around his
body and hauled him out of his box. once
In the tank, matters underwent change.
His turtleship at once resigned and AL
lowed Mr.. Alligator to lord it over the
roOst The big fellow had been in the tank
about week, when one day the smallest of
the turtles was missed. 1t was thought that
the fellow had escaped, and the matter was
passed over until two days later, when
second one disappeared. This weDton, one
going each night, until there was only the
huge snapper left. On the morning of the
last disappearance the remains of part OF
the shellback was found, and the conclu-
sion was at once reached that the turtles
had all been eaten by the alligator.
ne rest OF lle STORY IS UeSt toiu III
Captain Bellairs' own words: II was
sitting on my front lawn one evening, L
forget the date, when my attention was sud-
denly attracted to the alligator tank by
fiendish uproar. Sharp, h0arse bellows and
swapping jaws quickly intimated to me
what was Transporting. Summoning two of
my animal men, l fastened to the tank, and
beheld one of the most fiercely fought bat
ties that l ever witnessed. Out on the
bank, among the weeds and grass, was the
large alligator, his eyes fairly luminous
with rage. and opposite him was the huge
snapper. They had already been at it, tor
Before my men could put in their
nets the two were together again.
Advancing with rush the alligator
seized the turtle squarely across the
body, and quickly brought his jaws together
with a snap. The crunching sound told that
the turtles back was broken, but while this
was going on the latter was not idle. and
when they again drew apart the alligator
was minus one eye and a long strip of hide
hung between his front legs from under his
lower jaw. All the efforts of my men to
separate them were useless. Beating them
with iron rods did no good, and when they
tried to step nto the Enclosure both combat
ants, with one accord. turned upon and
drove them out. 1t was distinctly duel to
the death and so it ended. When at last
both dropped from exhaustion | found that
both had received injuries from which they
could scarcely recover. We separated them,
and, despite our attentions and all the ex-
traordinary vitality with which 1t is credit
ed, the turtle died the next day. The alliga-
tor did not long survive him, and the two
participants in one of the gamest fights |
ever saw were buried side by side.
Louis Globe-DemOcrat.