The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1898-12-09
RATS ABOARD SHIPS.
THREE FERoCloUs SPECIES THAT
TRAVEL BY SEA.

Nature originally intended that the
brown rat should have one part of the
earth for its habitation, the black rat an
other section and the white bellied rodents
, third division While these great ma
tions overlapped each other little, their
boundaries were pretty arbitrarily fixed by
the great oceans and other large bodies of
water A colony of powerful rats might
swim across the straits and channels sep
| arating two islands and thus take posses
| sion of "a new country for their descend
ants but they could not hope to cross the
Atlantic or Pacific and journey unaided
| from England to America or from this
country to Australia.
So it was that the ships of men brought
! about the flrst great change in the dstri
| button of rats From the first the rats
| took to ships as ducks take to water. They
| found grain, provisions and water in the
! hulls of the old wooden ships of two cen
turies ago, and ever since then they have
reared a race of hardy seamen that know
| the ways of the ocean as well as any Jack
| Tar. They have been travelling back and
forth to all parts Of the earth for many
centuries now, and they have created great
changes in the rat population of the globe
This country never had any typical rats
until the old black English rat came over
here on the ships of the early colonists
According to the best authorities, this ro-
dent originally came from India from
/ which it has penetrated to every part of
1 the habitable globe. Wherever ships go
these black rats are found. In three cen
turies they have penetrated TO every main
land and island of the tropical temperate
and arctic zones. They have become IA
miliar objects on all ships that traverse the
seas, and they are the wharf rats of every
seaport. In temperate regions the English
black rat is of blush black, but in trop-
ical countries it is often several shades
lighter. 1t is about seven or eight inches
long, with tail about one inch longer
than it's body.
For two centuries this English black
rat held undisputed sway on the ships of
the worlds commercial navies, and they
distributed themselves over the greater
part of the world surface. Then gradu-
ally there appeared upon the seas another
rat differing materially from the black
rat. This alien creature had a black body
with white belly. Sometimes the body
was a reddish gray, which made the crea-
ture look larger and fiercer than it really
was. A trifle larger and stronger than the
black rat, the white bellied or Alexandrian
rat made war upon the English rodents.
The two would never ship upon the same
vessel. There would be war to the death
before the ship left port, and after that
the successful race would hold undisputed
sway on that particular vessel. This new
race of rats came from the tropical coun
tries. Every ship that started from Gala
pagos, Keeling or Ascension island wa
sure to carry away with it a company o
the white bellied rats They would boart
the ship as soon as she was tied up at tht
wharf, and the English black rats would
be ruthlessly destroyed. Then the fercel
Alexandrian rats would sail away to un
known ports. 1t soon became evident
that they liked warm countries, and they
refused to land at any except tropical
port. Thus they have spread to nearly all
tropical countries, especially in South
America and our southern states, leaving
the colder countries for their black rivals.
But more recently third race of rats
has appeared upon the ships, and these
threaten to eXterminate and displace both
the black and Alexandrian rodents This
, brown or Norway rat is native of China
! and the interior of Asia 1t is huge
: ferocious creature, and wherever it goes il
destroys all competitors and takes com
plete possession of the ships or wharfs
,, In its native land it is a large, powerful
rodent, and upon the ships it attains ever
a larger size. Its length is from eight tt
nine inches and it's body is built on heavy
lines. Neither the black nor AlexandriaI
rat is any match for it. So far this larg,
brown rat has extended its dominion
largely over cold countries, and it ha
come in contact chiefly with the Englisl
black rat. But in the warm countrie
where 1t has been artifcially introduced
has quickly supplanted all rivals.
Today the black rats are not found 1
numbers on vessels sailing from any port
where the brown or Norway rats have bt
come established Gradually they are be
ing forced inland by their more powerful
enemies, and, while we find the brow
rats mostly on ships along wharfs an,
In the sewers, the black rats are met witt
in houses under rafters and ceilings
Ships leaving port for long cruise ex
tending over period of year or two hav
been known to come into port again witt
a cargo of rats so large that the seamel
were unable to put them down. Other
have been taken possession of by the rat
\ and the sailors forced to abandon thei
vessel at sea. So voracious and ferociou
: are the big brown rats that they do nc
hesitate to attack the sailors when pinche
\ for food. Consequently, while the sailor
2 like to have rats as company on board th
! snip, Uhey exercise precautlon TO Dml
their numbers. On sailing vessels that ar
, out at sea for long time there are ra
killing days, when all the sailors joi
y forces to destroy the too numerous rodents
: The rats not only prove dangerous t
human life when allowed to multiply a
will on shipboard, but they are a oonstan
d menace to the cargo
There is relentless cannibalism praC
ticed among the rats themselves, and thi
also helps to keep down their numbers
= The largest rats do not hesitate to kill an
devour the weaker ones. Thus If tn
English black rats were shipped aboar
with the big brown rats the latter woul
d. soon kill the former and eat them. Sim
ilarly If a dozen brown rats were confine
! in a cage the stronger would soon devou
Ia the weaker and then fight savagely anon
W themselves for supremacy. When driftin
D. about upon the seas on disabled wreck
the sailors face a danger from the shi
ip rats that grows more menacing as tn
Ia days go by If the ship becomes water
49, logged, the rats are forced To seek safet
y on the upper decks, and, thus cut off froI
au their food in the hold, they watch eagerl
m the starving sailors. They become boldt
I'd and fiercer as the men grow weaker an
q one day II relief does not come fearfl
On tragedy is enacted on the wreck. Me-
. York Sun.
nd Robbed the Grave.
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