The morning call., 1894-09-09
THE HAMBURGER COMP1B,y
Market and Taylor SITS
GREAT SNAKES.
In Java They Have Some Size About
the SCaIY Monsters.


For the last 100 years there have been tradi-
tiOns OF huge snakes in the interior of Java 100
feet long and as big around as a hOgshead and
our native hunters report these from time to
time. Fifty years ago a man named TAFT, d
ScOtchman, started with party of natives 10
hunt up the python. He never returned and
was supposed to have been killed by some Wild
animal. He must have been a giant, for l have
seen one of his guns, weighing thirty pounds
and carrying twOOunce balls writes CORE
SpOndenJ OF the Philadelphia Times.
About year ago a captain in the English
army named Coles landed here, accompanied
by party OF Sikh soldiers. He was soon
joined by Lieutenant Ayres of The British navy
and il was announced that they were after the
big snakes. Captain Coles was remarka bic
shot, and at 400 yards would knock over par
rOtt every time.
Their course was up the Dowau, a stream
running clear for nifty miles and then spread
ing over swamp for 100 miles. almost to The
south coast, and alive with man-eatiUg crOco-
dlleS. They had with them several donkeyS,
and one night, encamped on the river bank,
one OF these animals gave tremendous sQueaI,
ana the Ensl1Shmen, looking OUT, saw a huge
gray mass sliding over the ground and gave
the alarm. Two crOcodileS had come ashore
and seized the donkey. Both were shot. They
were hideous reptiles, thirty ieet long, with
Jaws capable of cutting man in two. Next
morning they went to work and killed thirteen,
one thirty-siX feet long.
In few days they reached the heart OF the
submeI Ged region SnaN eS thirIy-five feet long
were sDOt, but the giants kept out of sight.
On land the brush was very thick, and wild
hogs and deer make weltdefned pa lis from
one watercourse To The other, and along these
the pythonS watch for game.
one morning native hunter came IN and
reported big snake near. Two hundred yards
away the Engisbmen saw swinging tetween
Inc trees serpent almost as big IN the middle
as barrel. Its backbone was broken by
shot, ard after much trouble it was taken IN
and skinned. 1t was Al feet long. Such
a nah m i'm va
They had now reached the end OF their Jour
ney; the river ended in mass OF vegetation so
dense as To make further progress impossiole,
so a camp was made on the river bank and the
next day guides brought in the head ana Iew
feet OF the trunk of a serpent that had evidently
been ealen by crocodiles. Inc heaa was nearly
three feet long and Indicated an enormous
length II weighed sixty POUNDS ana was
hideouS object. II had no doubt Deeu caught
In the wafer and bitten 10 death.
Early one morning an alarm was given Oy
one of the Sikh soldiers. He pointed TO some
thing glistening In the water half mile away.
Through the glass ii was seen TO DC SnaHe
swimming The raft was at once manned by
the TWO EngIishmen ana the gunDearers.
Seen above the water the reptiles head was
AS large as barrel and ShOne like bright
copper IL was evidently making for a fiat
sandy place near the shore, and the hunters
waited. Part of the body was now exposed
and the men were amazed. lt was al e1sE
Inree feet thicK, and as the long coils glided
over the sand 1t seemed to get bigger.
Nov men, break its back"
Four shots were 1red, and three went throuoh
the body of The snake. A hiss like a steam
ESCAPE and the head arose twenty feet in the
air while its tail beat the air like a fall sud
denly II turned, and the next moment tTe-
mendOuS blow struck thr raft. All got into the
water and made for the shore but one Sikh.
He stopped TO secure his rifle. and again the
tail descended and he was struck fairly. mis-
back and ribs being crushed into fragments.
lie never maae sound. Another shot back OF
Ihe head and The monster dropped. II took six
hours TO get The body TO land, and its leugth
was nlnety-four feet. The skin was treated
WIN PAIN ashes by the natives, an excellent
pIeSetValFe. lhere Is no record OF such Il
snake ever being Killed before
FeVer now attacked the party and it took
tnen tnIee weeks TO get home. They had been