Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-11-29
FLIES STOP A NApTHA LAuNcn.

The screen Leaders" of Lower New Jersey
Show wonderful Attacking Powers.
New York sun.
"Talk about green headed f1ies,"
said DR.. Emlen Physick at Cane May
the other day, "they simply own the
meadows and seemingly enjoy making
fight upon the slightest provocation.
Every spear of meadow grass has cling
ing upon it, as it sways in the morning
breeze, from 10 to 30 poisonous green
headers of exceptionally large size and
quite rs eager to show fight as the
Chinese Boxers. These flies, unlike the
Boxers, remain IN their own territory
and mind their own business until
some unsuspecting mundane creature
invades theii home and tramples the
tough, sword-like blades of grass upon
which they hold their political pow.
vows and plan attacks upon their ices.
Then the fun begins and the unTor.
tunate man or boy, with unprotected
hands or face, is made to realize how
savage and cruelty the insects can bite
and draw blood. But the bitinJ pro.
clivities of the green header are only
component parts of the many sided dis
positioned fly, whose bite is as keen as
| the keenest razor"
Last week Commodore Louis A. Scot
of Philadelphia, who has the speediest
launch at Cape May in the Frances,
which is 30 feet long, invited Dir.
| Physok to take run with him over
to Holly Beach. The trip from Cape
MAY was made without unusual Incl
dent, as the broad thoroughfares with
water from bank to bank, kept the
green header closely confined to his
| field, hut upon the return trip, when
the tide had fallen, the blood. thirsty
| fly got in his inning and actually
stopped the naptha engines from
running. The flies decendad upon the
commodore in veritable swarms and
clamored for blood every time the
jannty craft would sweep against the
nodding grass in her swift passage. At
every point whore the green blades of
seaweed grew down to the edge OF the
water, hundreds Of flies wonld be taken
on board. The white foam in the wake
of the boat grew rreceptibly less as the
craft took in these new passengers,
until DIR. Physick jokiugly said:
~ believe the green headers are
stopping the engines by sucking the
naptha through the iron cylinders.
1.-THE devil" reiterated Commodore
Scott laughing, "who ever heard OF
such nonsense?'
Nonsense or not" retorted the
doctor, 1.-The flies are not only devour.
ing mo and my blood, but they are
mastering the mechanism of your
launch See She is stopping already "
"We'll see about thai" rejoined the
commodore, as he turned on more
power.
| nlo.n ,v,, 4, ,,,or,a,t,,,, a,,+tos rs +bo
propeller which vas followed by a
peculiar whirrine sound and the engine
refused to run. The force was turned oil
ami an investigation instituted forth.
with which resulted in the finding oil
: about two gallons of green headers
!. tightly packed into one of the air
} chambers which fed the Hume with
oxygen. The flies had been drawn in
by the suction until thcy where at
: solidly packed rs powder and shot in q
gun barrel. 1t required an hour o.
: patient work to. remove the ma s Of
dead flies fom the hot cylinder Gnt
get the boat in working order again
During this hour the commodore auc
his companion were almost deVOured
for they were entirely at the mercy o
thousands of blood thirsty and angry
flies that seemed TO understand hnN
TO mete out revenge for the murder o
their companions. After the cylinder
had been relieved of its foreign sub
stance, Commodore Scott tied sill
. handkerchief over the air passage
turned on all the power and loft til,
! flies guessing Mt the sudden burst o
! speed of the boat, which was main
tanned until she arrived at her dock u
: Scheilenger's Landing. Commodol'
Soott's summer homo is in Columhii
avenue, Cape May, while DIR. Physicl
occupies the handsomest villa there.