The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1893-04-28
TAPPED A DEN OF SNAKES.
There Were la Of them in Ball in
the Bottom OF the Old Well.

with Frank Baker Of Montville, in the
country, six miles south OF the city, went
to the extreme end Of Henry's house lot
In the morning to clean an old we'll there,
and after ten minutes work in the well
tapped the most extraordinary subterran-
can snake reservoir noted in tho annals
of eastern Connecticut. The well was q
deep, dry one, and for years Dolbearc
and his family aud other people had fiupg
all sorts of rubbish into it. There were
stones and rails, and sticks, old boots,
hoopskirts, and tin pans in it, but nobody
su pected that away down in the bowels
of it was sccthing colony Of serpents.
With their coats off, crowbar in hand,
the two men stepped into the rubbish
heap, which reached almost to the mouth
of the shaft, and with vigorous thrusts
loosened the pieces Of debris and tipped
them out on the ground. Alter ten min
utes they were almost ut the bottom OF
the W, II, tw nty feet below the surface
Of the house lot. Then they removed a
couple of br> al boards. an Of a sudden
the bottom of tn, WILL rose up, heaving
aud billowing b, nc ,th their feet
The phenomenon hal come SO sudden
ly and mystcriously that their eyes bulg.
cd with awe and ter-o-, and they hopp; d
about with trembling legs on their SER
pentinc perch. They saw at once that
they had struck n sort of q solid stratum
Of wei snakes, deep, CO .volutcd, aud in
braided, & cat round ball, as big as q
school globe, of hibcrnating reptiles.
Worse still. the spheres of slim snake
strands, which had been wound into q
hard mass, like bali OF wrap ping twine
in ,iss cross fashion during the winter,
had instantly burst into multitudinous
and nimb!c consciousness and actlv ty
under the tread of the farmers cowhide
boots; then it began TO unravel itself,
and scores of scrpen. tails and red forke
jaws detached themselves from the mass
and shot upward, twiniug themselves
about the mems legs an slapping them
viciously. In moment the whole ball
was dissolved into its component parts.
which first Strengthened themselves, 70 M
ing a pnlpitatin; aud h,aviny batter of
scrpcnts two feet thick or more, and then
the wra hull reptiles, bi.sing aud ceiling
themselves iuto swift loops, turned upon
the fc.l full intruders in their den.
Those scared p rsons, now fairly wal.
loving in snakes, had been stepping
lively in order to maintain their unstable
foot ng, and the instant the scrpen's at
tackled them they were seized with a
panic of fright and loathing and made O
break to get out of the well; but their
feet slipped on the undulating we'll bot
tom, and losing their hold on their lad
der, which had been set up against the
side of the shaft, and which both essayed
to climb at the same time, they foil back
into the pit and resumed the business of
treading serpents again at the same old
stand. Then spasm of desperate cour-
age took possession of them, and with
their short iron pinch bars they sailed
into the attacking army of vipers with a
vengeance, regardless Of style and form.
The combat was brief aud decisive as it
was extraordinary.
For eight minutes the old we'll seemed
to be full of flying snakes, arms and legs,
and gesticultatipg pinch bars, and the
whole undergrouuds business went on
amid steady rhythmic purring or swish
ing uproar, and an accompaniment of
intermittent but regular dull thuds. The
we'll buzzed like hive of swarming
bees. The farmers we're spry and muscu.
lar, however, and they fiaally got the
best of the battle. Then they fought
more leisurely. The enemy had weaken.
cd. The attacking column of serpents,
the first onset of which was like the roar
of a mad river advancing from sub
terrancan regions, had dribbled away to
mere rivulet of reptiles. and the men
as speedily disposed of the riynlet.
The we'll was now knee deep in dead
SNAKES. Not n serpent got away. Then
the farmers, who were tired out with
their exertions and bathed with pcrspira-
ton, took short rest, after which they
climbed out of the shaft. At Mr.. Dol.
beare's home they procured couple of
stable forks and basket. Then return
ed to the well, and drew all the dead
serpents out of it. There were just ia
of them. and the men placed them in q
row in the tunnel at the mouth of the
pit. All of them were full grown black
snakes. except three venomoua, fiat headed
adders, and tho blacks ave aged five feet
in lcugth. Some of the largest ones were
seven feet long and rs thick as mans
for; arm 1t was the most remarkable
single priv.tc exhibit Of snakes, pro-
baby, in the record of the State. So
Mr.. Dolbcare kept them in line at the
well until most Of tho farmers in Mont
Vi. G cam, and saw them. Some farmers
drove eight mics to see the show. One
of the biggest blacks Mr.. Dolbeare
broug to this city and displayed it in
the office of the Norwich Evening Re.
cord, caying:
"Now, this amt no fish story I'm Civ.
ing you. and, if any one still doubts my
word, I'll engage to take him in my team
and show him the we'll and the hull
| snake collection"
The sides of the we'll, said Mr.. Dol
bearc, in the neighb 'Ih od of the snake
nest, were perforated with deep, round
tunnels the serpents had bored, aud into
which tn might retreat in case they
were attacked and did not feel like fight
ing in wint;r, s y, when serpents ir
Connecticut are in comatose state.
Mr. Dolbearc resume d work in the vel
purposing to deepen it until he reaches
water, but, said he, "I'm going SLOW
now, and Keeping on my guard, for
suppose I'r liable to tap another den o.
'em any moment"
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