Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-02-28
THE CHA MONSTERS BITE.
Cases Showing the Terrific Power Of
Its Venom.

Cases Showing the Terrific Power Of
Its Venom.
California Letter to the New York Sun.
The death Of three persons. one a nat
uralist from Chicago University, in Ari-
IONA in the last few weeks from the bite
of the ella monster has renewed discus
sion In this region concerning the terrible,
venomous nature Of the reptile. Without
doubt the ella monster Of the alkali plains
and the hot. dry mountain canons of Ari-
zona and the state of Sonora in Mexico, is
the deadliest venomous creature known to
the natural history Of North America.
ella monster Is a ridiculous misnomer
The reptile is a combination of the basIlisk
of India and Java and the common rattle
snake of this country. 1t has q counter
part in reptile found in the lava beds of
the Hawaiian Islands, but is much the
deadlier OF the two. 1t is about twenty
inches in length, and in girth about the
size of a boys eIm.
One Of the few authentic cases Of re-
covery from the bite of a ella monster is
that OF Walter H. Vail Of Phoenix. Ariz.
who is one of the best known and wealth.
lest cattlemen In the territory. While
Mr.. Vail was engaged in supervising a
roundup of his cattle in the ella river
one day in chaparal. He went to re-
saddle his horse, after the meal, and. while
picking up saddle cloth from the hot
earth, his hand was bitten by ella mon
ster that had crawled there moment be-
fore. OF course Mr.. Vail knew instantly
that he was probably a doomed man. His
ranchmen came to his aid at once. The
reptile was killed and the jaws were cut
away from Mr.. Wallis hand. Quicker than
1t takes to pen these words the mans arm
was bound tight at the elbow to check the
flow OF blood. the wound was cut open and
strong ammonia poured in, while very CO.
mir dRoN rnhf ne I.tzYrxr
down Mr.. Wallis throat. He was put on
horse. and. accompanied by his cowboys,
rode like mad for fifteen miles to the home
of a physician in Tucson. Several brief
Mr.. Wallis threat and to pour ammonia on
the wourd ON the hand. For three weeks
Mr. Vail lay almost between life and
death at the home Of a physician in Tue
sultation from Phoenix and even from Los
Angeles. Everything that money could buy
or science suggest was done for the patient.
He had strong. vigorous constitution, and
we'll as ever He Is still in the cattle bust
ness in the territory. Every one in the
southwest has heard of the wonderful re-
covery of Walter Vail from the bite of a
ella monster.
Several years ago Chinese laundryman
was poking his fingers through the wires
Of little cage that imprisoned ella
monster in a saloon at Tempe. Ariz. The
celestial thought the reptile asleep but
When he had forced his finger too far in
the cage the sluggish ella monster bit him
wrenched his finger loose. making a severe
wound clear to the bone. He refused
whisky or any help from physician. and
took a powerful dose of opium in order to
Tempe expected the heather to die, and
when he lived until the next day 1t was
the biggest kind of surprise. The China
mans friends gave him opium hourly for
several days. The poor fellow suffered. in
spite of the powerful drug. unspeakable
agony. but he recovered He was practi-
cally physical wreck for nearly q year
after the ella monster poison went into
his system, ana was only able to sit or lie
about his wash house. He said his back
bone was paralyzed.