Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1897-07-14
A Cow Lifted by Her Horns.

A COW broke through the hatch in
the top of cistern ct the barn of the
editor Of the SENTINEL AND REPUBLI-
CAN, east of town last Wednesday ev-
ening The cistern is large one,
being about Is feet deep and 9 feet
wide, and when the animal was down
she found herself in for swim in 8
to 10 feet Of water. How to get the
beast out WAS perplexing question,
but everyone first thought the
best thing to do was to lower the
water so that the animal could stand
on her feet, and then devise some
plan to lift her out of the dangerous
predicamsnt. To keep her from
drowning q rope was fastened around
her horns and her head Was tied up
high enough to keep her nose out Of
the water. The pump was vigorous
ly worked. and in the excitement
worked in such q jerking way that
the sucker was broken, and thereby
the means of getting the water ou.
OF the pit was destroyed. "Put straw
into ths cIstern aud the cow will
tramp it under her and in that way
she can be cotton out" said some
one, and at the first suggestion it
seemed feasible. Willing neighbors
began to fork straw into the well,
but it did not take long to prove that
thai method could not rescue the an
imul. 1t was clearly manifest that
with the amount of water then IN the
cistern, the COW would soon be under
the straw a drowned creature instead
of on top a rescued animal. Some
other methods of getting her out
must be adopted. I'D, as has often
been done in taking cattle off and on
ship board" suggested a resourceful
young man of not only thorough
professional training, but of wide
miscellaneons reading, "Lift her out
by n rope around her horns"
"That will break off her horns.
said one; "Yes," said another, "if it
don't break off her horns it will
break her back;" eyes," chimed in
another "or break her neck" "She's
a goner,' said a lother, II don't be-
lievs that such a thing was ever done
any where" said another.
A hundred remarks of all kinds
followed in rapid succession in the
kindliess of spirit, and all were sym.
| pathetic and wanted to do something
Mr.. Tobias Auker & Son, the en-
terpris:ng dealers in marble aud 9th
er stones, aud tomb stones and mon
uments We're present, and they said il
the COW could endure to be lifted by
her horns their stone lifting derrick
with lifting capacity of four tons,
could lift her nicely out of the hole
Their business place is not far away
on Washington street, and a number
of neighbors soon had the derrick
cree; ed under the direction of Mr.
Auker
When all things were ready; when
a rope had been fastened securely
around the animals horns and when
the derrick chain had been lowered
and hooked into the rope about the
cows horns, the derrick puliies were
worked and every click of the ratchet
raised the beast an inch. Click,
click, up comes the COW, her horns
pointing skyward, and her spinal col
umn stretched as straight as line.
No animal of the bovine kind hung
more gracefully than she. She did
not move muscle that could be
seen, except wink, till she was lifted
clear of the cistern and laid cut on
the bank where she soon regained
courage and strength enough to get
up and walk away as if no unusual
thing had taken place. She was
placed in stable over night, and the
next morning chewed her cud and
"was all right" I. was the first. and
only sight ever witnessed by people
in thi. part of the United States of
lifting a 1000 pound COW by the
horns distance of 20 feet, and was
an object lesson for all spectators,
and may serve good purpose in
days to come.