Bisbee daily review., 1903-08-02
ENGAGES IN THRILL
 ING FIGHT WITH ESNAKG
Finally Brings his Engine to Safe Stoa and Dispatches Reptile in un,que Manner

Finally Brings his Engine to Safe stoa
 and Dispatches Reptile in un,que
 Manner.
 Louisville, Ky, July 31.-With a big rattlesnake coiled around hi sleft arm and his right hand gripping the rep tile just back of the head. which, spread agape. showed the pink forked tongue ard the poison fangs that held certain and agonizing death. Enpineer Johnnie Clark, of the louisville 6 Nashville railroad guided his train over the Kentucky Central branch cf the Louisville & Nashville. The brave engineer knew that to quit his post would mean a wreck and endanger the lives of the passengers. so he held the reptile at bay with one hand while he manipulated the lever with the other. despite the fact that the heavy coils of the reptile wound about his arm made it difficult for him to move. | Finally he brought the train safely t) it's next station. and after stopping it put his dreaded companion to death | in a uniqne manner.
 Clark was bringing No. ii down 1 from Paris to Rowland. Between i Lancaster and Paint Lick are two tur- nels, both located in a remote and rocky section. In the high ledges and crags the rattlesnake. or, as the sci enlist terms it. the crotalus herridus makes its loathsome den.
 | A rattlesnake apreciating the hv gienic value of a sun bath. coiled F. | self on one of the rocks just above the longest tunnel. Clark brought No. II through, and just as his cak passed, the snake. dislodged from its post hv the jar ar having fallen in fright land- ed in the cab. Seeking to escape. .s ran up the reverse lever. and before Clark had ralized its presence had coiled about the engineers left arm. It was fortunate for Clark that the reptile did not attempt at once to strike If it had it would have meant the end of Clark and the probable co. struction of the train But the snake, after wrapping around Clarks arm, swayed to and fro a moment. fixing it's stony eyes on the engineer. The coils tightened. the neck archad. the jaws slowly opened ard Clark heard the buzz of the retLles.
 At that sound Clark realized trst 1t was time to do som ethine srd grinned the snake just below the hes 1 with his free hand
 His first thought was to tear the reptile of and throw it from the cab. but with one arm held by the snake he could not do this His train was also jumping over the rails at a rapid speed on rough part of the road and he knew he could not take any , chances
 Mile after mile sped by with Clark keeping of the snake and running his train Rowland was near. and if he could reach the station and stop the train he would be able to finish the rattler The fireman. terror stricken by the very sight of the rattler. was hack on the tender. not daring to enter Ithe cab
 Rowland drew near and CIari, re. !versed the lever The train slaciSene5 its speed and the engineer brought 1t to aston at the station The fireman leaned from the cab and fled
 Then with his left hand Clark opened a stop cock. while with his right he brought the snakes head Into the steam that poured forth The ugly body writhed as the snake under the pain of it's execution. tried with all it's strength to get away But Clark. a.. thouph his hand suffered some fror, the frey stream. doeeedly held on un- til the snakes vrithines grew more ard more feeble and finally ended. The rattler measures three fee. si, inches and had eight rattIes Clark took the body to Cincinnati. where he will have it mounted and hung in Su. perintendent Hoods office The rat. ties will be used for watch charm.