The sun., 1900-10-06
RATS SEIZE AN ISLAND.
A Colony Established In Boston Harbor by
Former Seafarers.

Boston, Oct I'm Hull Bay. the southern
portion OF Boston hnrboT, Is Sheep Island,
which is now uninhablted by anything but rats
Within the last year they have multiplied 40
fact that II IL common 10 see thirty OF them
running together on the beach. They are not
like common house rats but are great gaunt
wharf rats that will put up q good fight with
dog and make cat think twice before she
tackles one OF them. They live almost entirely
on clans and other shellhsh that abound on
tho shores of tho island A yachtsman who
does a good deal Of shooting in the fall found
them 80 naulstive while he was on the island
this month that he had to shoot number Of
them. He saw one OF them tackle good-slzed
crab and in spite OF It's claws haul II out OF Its
hole. Along the shore OF the island there are
hundreds OF empty horseshoe crab shells, the
meat having been eaten out by the rats.
On the south end Of the island there are
number Of low sumac bushes and blackberry
brambles, and in tho midst OF these the rats
have made their nosts The north side OF the
island Is sand blun about eight feet high, and
IN this bluff allows used TO dig nests. but since
the title OF the island has passed TO rats they
have entirely deserted 1t. going TO Long and
Peddocks Islands TO Join the colonies there
Some two months ago a forty-foot sloop was
sailing from bingham to South Boston. on the
way she was anchored about two hundred feet
from the east beach Of Sheep Island over night.
About II O'Clock ono OF the crew heard
cratching noise on the bow. That night good
deal OF the food left on open shelves forward
was destroyed by rats. thou gh before that time
no one had ever seen sign OF even a mouse on
the boat. Those rats gave no end OF trouble.
I'LL at last two were caught In trap and they
were evidently the only ones on board. How
did they get on the YACHT Doubtless they swan
of from Sheep Island and came aboard up the
anchor cable thus accounting for the scratch
ing noise that night.
But how did the rata come TO be on Sheep
Island. for the other islands In the harbor are
not 30 infested7 An old fisherman advances the
theory that they went there on ths Lewiston
She was an old Down East steamer afterward
used as an excursion boat out OF Boston harbor.
Some Boston people chartered her % go to
Camp Wikoff at Montauk Point, just after tho
Spanish war; 10 bring home some Of the sick Of
the Massa saohusetts regiments. She was loaded
with sick soldiers, but In trying to get into
Newport she struck Point judith breakwator
and was wrecked She was patched up and
brought here for repairs. but II was found that
she was In such bad shape that II would cost
more TO repair her than she was worth, so the
Job was abandoned and she was towed TO
Hough's Neck 10 be burned for her metal.
She was not hauled out very far and only
part Of the stripping work had been
done when tho November gale came along She
was torn from her anchorage and carried of to
the South. 1t Is thought that when she went
by PIG Rocks she struck and began to leak
badly, and that her rats sand she was full OF
them-made ur their minds TO desert the ship.
Sheep Island was almost dire 'tly in her course
and she must have hung up there for a while
I II the flooding tide and increasing gale carried
her away again 10 find a permanent resting
place on the westhcr shore OF Grape Island. II
is probable that when the Lewiston brought up
at Sheep Island the rats decided to get on dry
land and so left her. And they must have all
gone too, for there iS no plague OF rats on Grape
Island
In confirmation OF this theory, the fishermen
say they are regular ship rats, only bigger; pos
sby. because thev have almost unlimited
quantity OF food within easy reach,