Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1900-10-11
PLAGUE OF DEADLY VlPERS.
Northern kentucky Towns Overrun
With Kissing Reptiles.


With Kissing Reptiles.
A great fear has seized upon the
residents of Boone and Campbell
counties, in the northern part of Ken
/ lucky, because of the sudden appear
ance Of venomous snakes known as
the Kissing viper or enormously called
the spreading adder. These danger
Gus reptiles have not been seen in
this locality for many years until
now, but formerly they We're very
numerous, and old settlers tell thrill
ing tales concerning their viciousness.
Unlike the majority of venomous ser
penis, they do not wait to be dis
turbed, but attack persons without
provocation and their bite is said to
mean death.
In appearance these kissing vipors
are different from any of the snake
family common to Kentucky. The
name is given owing to the peculiar
sound. resembling the kissing of a
gose, made by the reptile when dis
turbed. The sound is very shTill and
penetrating and can be heard plainly
at a distance of 200 feet lust before
the attack the snake puffs up just
back of the head and from this char
acteristic has been called the spread
ing adder The swelling back of the
head attains the size of a hens egg.
and is said by country people to be
filled with deadly poison, a portion of
which is emitted when the snakes
fangs are extended, and if any of this
venom comes in contact with per
sons bare skin, whether the fangs
strike or not. death is almost certain
to ensue. 1t is probable that this is
an exaggeration.
The viper does not resemble either
the RATHER or oopperhead in any par
ticuar. 1t gives no warning of its
presence until ready to strike. and it
is much shorter when full grown, the
longest specimens being only about
SO inches in length, the thickness,
however, of one of this size being
about that of a mans wrist The tail
is short and stubby and the reptile
stands almost erect upon it before
springing to an attack. The head is
large and of a triangular shape and
the mouth is very large. The body is
| CT a dark copper color and is appar-
emily covered with scales similar to
those Of fish The head differs
materially in color, being of a bright
red hue.
! How these yenomous snakes made
their sudden appearance here is
matter of conjecture II is claimed
by some that they were brought here
! I'm the drift on the Ohio river from
| Virginia. while others claim they
were brought here in cars OF logs ana
| lumber from Tennessee.
AS yet only one nest of these pois-
onous serpents has been found, their
custom being 10 travel in pairs. Last
week at Fort Thomas, near the scene
/ of the Pearl Bryan tragedy, a mum
] Der Of soldiers Who We're taking a
stroll were attracted by the Kissing
/ sound In a clump Of bushes they were
/ passing. Approaching the spot, they
( Ing reptiles all splitting forth
/ volume Of what appeared to be blue
yapor. They summoned assistance,
and with the aid Of several shotune,
succeeded in killing the entire lot,
amounting TO tweutythrce.
The first Of these species Of snakes
| discovered at Erlanger was by Mrs.
. J.. c. Yeagcr. wife Of the cashier Of
the firm OF LoBouhlller & Simpson
company OF this city AS she was
working about the garden her atten.
ton was attracted by a strange. hiss
ing sound She procured a hoe, and,
pushing aside some potato vines, be-
held one Of these frightful-looking
reptiles Unlike the most Of women.
she stood and fought the poisonous
snake in its wild efforts to strike her
and finally succeeded in killing It.
When her husband returned home
at night she told him OF her exper-
fence and on investigation lie learned
that his wife had encountered one Of
the most dangerous snakes known In
modern times Other people at Erlan-
ger who have encountered and killed
snakes o. this same family are
Squire webb. cashier Of the Erlanecr |
bank; Postmaster Edward Riggs and I
Charles Hilker, all Of whom live in l
the Same vicinity, and all had thrill
ing experiences IN their encounters.