The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1892-07-04
FIRE ExT1NaU1sHHRs.
Remarkable Snakes and Their Extraor-
dinary Instinct,

Remarkable Snakes and Their Extraor-
dinary Instinct.
AS to the truth of this extraordinary
story we can only refer to the Baptist
Recorder. Coming from such a source IL
should be true;
In Central Dakota on the Missouri
bottoms" there exists one of nature's s
strangest freaks. The settlers term it the
pump snake" How it came there and
where it came from is yet unknown 1t
first made It's appearance in Emmous
county in the spring Of 1886. A full
grown pump snake measures about sixteen
feet in length and about three inches in
diameter. They are Of greGarious habits,
roaming the prairies in large herds, rs
many as three hundred haYing been
counted in single flock. In dissecting one
of these reptiles there is found a tube
which extends from the root Of the jaw tc
the extremity of the tail and terminates in
an opening. This tube is about two inches
in diameter and lined with tough, yield
ing substance similar to rubber. The
pump snake is easily trained to answer the
call of man. The inhabitants of this sec
tion trap them in large numbers.
A farmer on Cat Tail Creek has a 1ock
of twenty pump snake, trained to re.
marksble degree of proficiency. At the
blast of whistle the snakes assemble on
the banks of the creek. The leader (there
il always leader to herd of these snakes
who is elected Dy two-third majority
dashes into the water of the creek, leaving
only the extremity Of his tail on the bank
Another snake Immediately Rrssps the end
Of the leaders tail in his jaws, third snake
takes hold of the second snakes tail in :
similar manner, and so on, extending tC
the water troughs in the cattle yards, three
hundred feet away. The leading snake
begins to swallow or pump the water q
the creek, which passes through the long
line of snakes as it would through host
and falls In heavy stream into the trough
The agriculturiat told Of an extraordinary
circumstances which occurred short tim'
ago. While working in the field near hi
home he observed flames issuing from tn,
roof OF his barn. wild with excitement
he hurried to the burning building only tC
see that it was hopeless Ia k for himsel
alone TO attempt to extingush the flames
In despair he gszed on the destruction
Suddenly he heard loud rustling in the
tall grass, whence issued his herd of pumT
snakes on the run. The leader hurled
himself into the creek, the rest instantly
adjusting themselves heads and tails from
the creek to the burning building. The
last snake, standing on its head, waived it,
long and flexible body from the tail ot
which issued a stream of water that was
thrown with terrific force on the burning
building, Back and forth dashed the tai
end of the living hose, squirting the water
where it would do the most good, while
the loud pumping of the leader could be
heard above the conhsgration. Within
fifteen minutes the last spark was out
Then, and not until then, did the pumI
snakes quit work. They we're completely
exhausted, the leader having tainted deac
away. The main part of the building snC
its contents were saved. Thanks to th,
presence of mind of these wonderful
snakes