The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-02-17
MAD RATS ATTACK A MAN.
New Workers. Awful Experience in
Lonely Woods.
From the New York Press.

From the New York Press.
Binghampton, Feb. S.-George Simonds
of Harlem had an adventure while hunt
ing last week that nearly cost him his
life. Simonds, who is employed in large
dry goods store in New York, is an ar
dent huntsman, and, obtaining a weeks
vacation, went to visit some relatives at
Germans Hole" a cluster of houses in
the cOlliery region.
The dense, wood-covered hfllsides af-
forded an excellent field for sport, and
Simonds was in the habit of shoulderinG
his gun and spending a day in the woods.
FOR several years past the few residents
in the vicinity have been annoyed by dep
relations of rats, which swarmed into
their barns and houses during the cold
weather from an abandoned working near
by. The severe cold of the last few months
has made them more audacious and so
used were the residents to seeing the
creatures skurrying about the premises
that little or no attention was paid them.
Simonds started for the hills on a hunt
ing tour week ago. He was not very
successful and it was nearly dusk when
he turned toward home. He was descend
ing a narrow footpath, when a rustine
in the leaves beside the path startled him
and a large, gray rat of the wharf species
darted out of sight. Soon two more re-
crossed into the pile of brush. Then a
large, gray patriarch, that Simonds says
was as large as a half-grown kitten, ran
past him and he kicked ii.
With squeal of rage the rodent turned,
and his cry seemed to be a signal for the
D SWaTmen
twos, threes and half dozens from every
Granny, brush pile and rock in sight. cir
cling about Simonds and trying to min his
heels. Al first their antics amused him
Then he came to view their attacks more
seriously, and finally, when a shot from
his gun failed to disperse them, became
alarmed.
Alone in the dense woods. two miles
from civilization, and surrounded by an
army OF fierce rats, his situation appeared
desperate. He exhausted his supply of am
irving 70 tt.ah 49,
away, and. though a score were killed it
only served to make the remainder more
fierce. Gradually they We're closing in on
him from all sides, when he determined
to make a rush and attempt to scale an
old tree, whose gnarled limbs nearly
reached the ground short distance from
his path. Dropping his gun, he turned and
ran toward his place OF refuge but had
taken only few steps when his footing
gave way and he was precipitated some
distance into an excavation.
The fright and shock from his fall dazed
him for some time. He could not hear a
sound. The death-like stiffness and dark
ness were oppressive. Gradually from out
the iuky blackness in a remote corner he
could see two shining eyes glarins unWnk-
ingly at him. and he at once surmised he
had fallen into the den of some wild ami
NAL, probably panther
just how long Simonds lay there. scarce
daring to breathe, he is not able TO even
estimate. The friends with whom he was
staying, becoming alarmed at his pro-
longed absence tracked his fOotpri uts in
the snow TO the spot where he fell. ana
the millions of tiny tracks surrounding
the place caused them great alarm. When
they shouted. he had scarcely strength
enough to answer. and it was found nee
essary to send down a man and rope to
bring him up. Investigation Of the two
shining eyes proved them to be pieces of
phosphorescent wood that had been used
as props in the disused mining excavation
into which ne had fallen. The working
had been abandoned years ago. shortly
after it was begun, and was only eigh-
"a
cealed with brush, which gave way when
Simonds stepped on it. Fortunately, he
dropped on pile of leaves, which broke
the force of his fall and saved him from
fractured bones. The severity of the
shock to his nervous system from the
fright may be judged by the fact that
his hair and moustache which before his
adventure were a dark brown, are now
streaked with gray.