The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1902-06-27

The devastated island OF Martinique I
has suffered from something beside
volcanic eruptions. The stupcndous
explosions have undoubtedly killed
tens OF thousands OF the deadly snakes
known as the fer de lance. or iron
lance In English but enough probably |
remain To make the work Of succor
one OF great peril The negro labor
ers. who know the haunts OF these ser
penis. decline TO toll In the localities
where they were known to abound. |
This is why many of them refuse TO
work for three or four times the or.
binary pay to bury the dead at 81. |
Pierre. for they believe the snakes |
have been driven to the coast by the
volcanic eruption OF Mount Pelec. |
Even In India there il nothing more |
vonomous than the crawling monster
OF Martinique and last year over 1000 |
persons succumbed to the virus In.
jected into them from the fangs OF
this serpent. This is a higher ratio
OF mortality from this source. popula.
tlon considered. than anything India
can show.
The fer dc lance is an importation
from Trinidad. The reptiles were In.
ken to Martinique to extermlnate the
ugly tropical rats which made life mis-.
cradle there. The snakes soon sue.
ceeded In their mission. but the cure
proved as bad as the disease. Thou.
sands OF persons were fatally bitten
by the snakes until terror relgned
among those exposed to the crawling
fury. To overcome the reptiles large
number OF secretary birds were
brought from South America and let
loose over the island. The birds arc
ravenous snake eaters and soon
rounded up the scrpents and made hui
man life tolerably certain again.
When this had been accomplished.
Dame fashion ordained that the rich
ly colored feathers Of the birds should
be worn as an adornment 10 women's
headgear. Under this decree the vul-
lures steadily disappeared before the
shotguns Of the Islanders until their
usefulness was destroyed. Then the
fer dc lance came forth from his hid
ing place and the mountains and re-
sumed his attacks upon human beings
until terrorism prevails once more.
The snake Ia apt TO reach down from
the caves OF the house or shack and
strike when least expected. The trop-
ical vegetation. 80 luxurious, Is an aid
to the concealment Of his Shiny pres
ence, and helps him In HIS attack
upon man ana beast In the lawn or
park he is nesting In shady places and
| -
He attains growth OF seven feet
and some have been known TO length
on TO twelve. His color is generally
yellow, sometimes graylsh, and again
brown. The head Ii large and 70
markable for triangular space the
thin angles OF which are occupied by
tho muzzle and the eyes. II darta aft
or It's prey with the speed OF lightning
II Is a game species. II never gcti
out OF the way OF any obstacle. human
or otherwise. II fights til II dies,
neither asking nor giving quarter. II
will attack an OK or horse as readily
as a lizard or rat. upon which II
chiefly feeds, and II always comes on
victor. It's poison is deadly at some
seasons OF the year moro than at 9TH
ers. Children have been bitten by
them and have died in few minutes.
putrefactlon setting In so rapidly that
burial had to follow In two hours. The
sugar cane field Is favorite place for
the viper. The negroes working In
them are often attacked and some
times one snake will bite dozen be-
fore II concludes to quit. Usually the
poison kills every one who is bitten.
II is a pitiable sight when negroes are
thus waylaid. Their screams for help
can be heard a long way on and their
appeals touch the heart. Work for the
day is stopped. as apart from the aor
row for the stricken, safety urges that
that part of the field should be dc
serted for some days afterward.
The snake is hunted with shotgun
Any other weapon would be hazardous
10 the man who attempted 10 dispute
the passage OF the crawling monster
He would have 10 get uncomfortable,
near TO use pole or alung shot o.
hook and would be apt TO get tn
worst OF the ARRAY Long diBtanc
warfare is safer. The snake has grea
: strength and when attacking an o