The Savannah morning news., 1903-01-04
FOUGHT A 7-FOOTER
GAIT. BYWATER'S ENCOUNTER
WITH A BIG RATHER.
FEET 4 INCHES IN LENGTH.
SHOT HIM THROUGH HEAD as HE
COILED To SPRING.

The Snake Vow on Exhibition Mt the
PuIaski-WiH BE shipped to Liver
pool 1Iuseum-Capt. Bywater En-
cOuntered the Rather While
Riding His wheeI-Though Snake
Attacked Him, His Only Fear, He
Said, Was That the Rather Would
Get Avay-DeadIy Aim Saved His
Life.
While leisureiy riding along the old
Thunderbolt road on his bicycle Capt.
p. D. Bywater, of Liverpool who is
spending the winter in Savannah. was
attacked by a rattlesnake. and but for
his unerring aim with his revolver
would probably have been struck by
the reptile.
The huge snake was preparing to
spring when shot to death. He
was brought to the city by
his captor. and his skin. stuffed,
is now on exhibition at the Pulaski
House. All who have seen. the rep
tiles skin pronounce it the largest ever
seen in this section of the country.
The snakes measurement was feet
and 4 inches in length and over a foot
in maximum circumference. He had
fourteen rattlers and a button.
The skin will be left on exhibition
for several days. after which it will
be shipped to Liverpool and placed in
Browns Museum. The snakes captor,
who has seen the largest specimens of
snakes to be found in any of the mu-
seums, says that the Thunderbolt EEL
| low is the largest he has ever seen.
Not only was he a fine specimen as
to size. but his skin beautifully col
ored.
The attack and capture was Friday
| afternoon, as Capt. Bywater was re-
| turning to Savannah. AS he was rid
| ing leisurely along stretch
of road, which leads through
a swamp, he spied the snake
directly in front of him in the
road, only few yards away. Before
he could stop his wheel he was al
most upon the reptile. AS he dis
mounted, the snake gave a sim
| gle warning with the ominous
music of his rattlers, and coiling quick
| ly threw his head high in the air.
Almost Ran Over Him.
The sensation which seized Capt. BY
| water was one of mingled fear and de-
light. Whipping out his revolver he
| fired, just as the snake sprang for
ward. The shot entered the serpent's
head between the eyes, and the huge
| fellow fell backward for a second, and
then attempting to recover attempted
again to spring at his enemy. Instead
of taking to the woods the captain,
eager TO capture such an enormous
crotalus horridus, fired again. AS he
did Sc the snake fell, his huge and
powerful body writhing in pain, his
head raised and his venomous fangs
shining. in defiance. Then his captor
emptied the remaining four chambers
into his head, tearing it almost entire
| ~ away.
Capt. Bywater brought the snake to
the city. AS he made his way down
Bull street with the serpent hung over
his shoulders, passers-by stared after
him in wonderment, and many stopped
him.
VIII De Taken to Liverpool.
The snake was an object of curiosity
at the Pulaski. His skin was stuffed,
and though, as a natural consequence,
the body was made smaller, all who
saw 1t said that it was much the
| largest specimen which they had ever
! seen.
Capt. Bywater has for years been a
| STUDENT OF natural science, MS VlSlt 10
Savannah being one purely of pleas
IRE. He has travelled widely and has
hunted in the large forests. He has
| furnished numerous curiosites to the
| museums, and has presented to the
Liverpool museum several specimens
Of black bear, and other wild beasts
and snakes.
The RATHER is one of the proudest OF
his possessions. He will ship 1t during
the early part of the week, and it will
soon occupy a place in the museum,
where Capt. Bywater will tell of his
capture by card bearing the inscrip-
ton: "Crotalus Horridus, from the
woods near Savannah, Ga, U. S. A.
Lrass..t -.