Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-03-02
THE ELECTRICAL SNAKE LOOSE
It Is a Fiery Monster and Leaves Behind
n Track OF Icy Siime-Has Power &c

1t a a Fiery Monster and Leaves Bentnu
n Track OF Icy Slime-Has Power TO
retrify.
DELPHI, IND, February sS.-Mark
Weston, farmer living near the small
town OF Alexander, southeast OF this
CITY. relates most wonderful phenom-
epon which occurred at his place, which
is to-day being visited by hundreds OF
people anxious tc see for themselves the
evidences of what Mr.. Weston oeheid.
He SAYS: Just after dark night be-
fore last had occasion TO go out 70 the
harm 10 look after the horses. A pubic
highway passes within two hundred
yards Of my house, and the barn Is OuhS
about twenty rods from the house que
south and somewhat nearer the ROAD. l
started from the house IN the dlreetioh
of the barn and had gone perhaps nan
the distance when / noticed somstnlng
playing along the ground that looked
like 4 tremendous fiery snake.
"The object crossed my path, ana as
II did so. l felt the air growing much
colder. and peculiar, moaning souho
arose. like the signing OF the vino
through the trees, only II was iouo
enough 10 drown 2 mans voice when ne
Uorld shout. Then / felt something
come over me like electricity, and be-
came motionless. as though had grown
fast to the ground.
'.I was terribly scared, but never
lost the use of my hands or legs through
fear. though there was something pc
culiar in the air that simply paraiyzed
me. When the thing had got perhaps
~
and came back, and as u ala so, the
moaning sound changed TO snTlI
whistle, something like q locomotive
would make, and when ii got just In
front OF me, II took course directly
away from me and toward the barn.
1T Travelled very rapidly and looked
Ike a large, ragged streak OF
fire. perhaps thirty feet long and eigh-
teen inches in diameter. The thing
reached the barn and in almost an In
slant ran directly up the front OF the
building and onto the roof. l expected
every moment 10 see the barn burst IN
10 flames. but il did not. The great
fiery snake ran with great rapidly all
over the building, in almost every d.
rection, up and down, crOSSwise ana
every way, l suppose q thousand times.
Ii then came 20 the front OF the Oulil-
ing and elevated itself straight on us
tail fully thirty feet in the air.
Al was perfectly conscious ali the
time, but try as would could not
move from the spot After the th!ng
had remained IN an upright position
for. / presume. three or four minutes,
there was a sudden explosion like the
discharge Of cannon, aud the thing
disappeared entirely. With the disap-
pearance of tho strange phenomenon l
felt n shock like the first one l had felt
and at the same time l gained control
OF my limbs. I FASTENED to the house,
told my wife what / had seen, and she
thought was crazy, but upon my in
sisting she consented TO accompany me
10 investigate the matter.
"YOu can imagine our surprise upon
reaching the barn 10 find 1t covered
with a remarkable network resembling
large ropes of ice. They appeared TO
mass around the building in exactly the
same way the fiery monster had passed.
1t was not ice, however, but seemed 10
be more of q crystal, for II would not
melt even when we held flame 10 1t
and when struck with a Ratchet NJ
simply gave a dull-like sound aud did
not break.
Upon entering tbs barn we were
amazed, as two good horses stood In
their s.saa immoyable. They were
--al 20 neither could move muscle.
They seemed to be paralyzed and stood
there more like statues than anything
else. They were warm and breathed
ali right, but aside from this you could
not tell they were alive. / applied the
whip and they never finched. "A dog
that sleeps in the barn was dead and
appeared completely petriied. He was
living on the ground with his head on
his paws Just like he was sleeping.
When I left home this afternoon every
thing was just as have described 1t to
YOU"