Marble Hill press. (Marbel [sic] Hill, Mo.) 1881-1923, 1896-02-20

~ It's a generally general . &C,
cepted belief that
all things are created for definite ana
necessary purpose, but this is the first
time the snake has been brought to
practical basis of usefulness.
The recent march of General Go
mez's troops through the sugar district
was for the ayowed purpose OF destroy
ing the plantations, and well has the
purpose been achieved. Perhaps,
however, if it had not been for the in
genuity of his men, he might not have
done SO well.
Snakes are very plenty in Cuba, but
none more so than The varieties known
as the maia and JUDO. These the In
surgents would catch by the hundred.
Not being poisonous snakes at all, the
effort was not fraughj with danger to
! the soldiers.
The manner in which these whole
sale reptile captures were made is pc
culiar. The men would divide into
squads, and form something like skir-
mish lines, only in closer order. These
lines would Slowly advance, beating
bushes and ground as they progressed,
AS fast as one Of the snakes was discOv-
/ cred, a soldier would cleverly capture
! it and throw it into a sack ne carried
for the purpose. This hunt would be
| kept up until q sufficient number of
snakes had been secured. Then the
men would return to camp, depositinS
their wriggling catch in a safe place,
where the snakes remained until
wanted.
If the intention was to use the snakes
at once, and this was generally the case,
the insurgents would dip them i'll crude
petroleum grease, cans of which had
been secured for the purpose; set them
on fire and then release them in the
cane fields. To fully appreciate the eff
feet Of this it is necessary TO consider
the fact that at this time of year dry
leaves cover the ground in the cane
llSIuo W tuC uCplA VI SCNcl al lSGl, dllN
these leaves are ordinarily as dry as
finder
The blazing snakes, as soon as re.
leased, would make their way as rap.
idly as possible AMID these leaves. to-
ward the center of the plantation, leav
Ing a trail of fire in their wake. Imag
1,,,n1roH nf -hnrn
almost simultaneously into the fields o
great plantations, and the havoc the!
would cause can better be imagined
than described.
Each of these snakes. which act q
frebrands, will. under ordinary circum
stances, crawl distance of several hun
bred feet before either Kidding them
selves of the fire or being roasted t
death 1t can easily be seen that hun
dred streaks of fire. each passing 20
feet through a substance like tindel
can cause a conflagration of almost lin
itless extent.
Of course, the intensity of the hea
to the petroleum covered and blazin
snake is such as to cause it to fairl
shoot through the cane, the stalks {
which are as infiammable as the leave
beneath Accordingly, each snak
leaves behind him sheet of fame thu
, spreads with marvellous rapidity. Tn
cane itself is full of juice and alcohol {
this season, and burns like a torch {
= pine shavings. What could Campos
men do against fire started in tn
. fashion? 1t would be like attemptin
y 10 stem Niagara.
Il If the Spanish troops should reac
e the vicinity of one of these mammot
: cane fires, they would be inclined
g think battle was going on, fer, as tt
Il cane burns fiercely, there is a roarir
q and popping that, even to the traine
! ear, would seem like the rattle of mu
4 kerry. This phenomenon is caused |
q the almost instant generation of e;
from the cane by the heat, which caus
"a the cane to burst.
t. Another peculiar feature of fire In Il
cane field is that the nature of the cal
is such that there is nothing about
that will not feed the flames, and Il
Of longer 1t burns the fiercer the heat b
A. comes. The sap from sugar cane, e
ii udes, boils and is converted by the he
- into alcohol. Naturally, the alcoh
10 only adds fresh fuel to the flames. a,
is the result is that the fire continues u
We til there isn't stick OF cane left In d
ut field.
10 So 1t will he seen that, unlike the m
81, chete, the snake In the hands OF the c
is ban insurgent is most formidat
Id weapon. With II he can accompll
more ruin In few moments than liz
and money can repair In many years.