The evening world., 1904-05-27
One Mans Thumb Bitten to the
Bone and Another's Leg A.
most Crushed in Fight with
Reptiles.
EXCITING STRUGGLE IN
CAGE IN CENTRAL PARK.
Men Were Giving the Snakes
Anti-Parasitic Medicine When
a Twelve.Foot Python Seized
One in His Coils.

Three of the keepers at the Central
Park nenagerie had battle with eleven
pythons in the large cage In Central
Park to-day and one OF the men. jacob
Cook. an assistant keeper. had the
thumb OF mis- right hand badly bittcH.
and Keeper H. Is Shannon had hts
right leg badly squeezed before the
work OF giving the pythons medicine
wns satisfactorily accomplished Tnc
bite al. The python IS not poisonous,
however, hut The teeth NJ the infurated
reptile sa1S to the tone In Cooks
thumb.
Recently two NJ the thirteen pythons
y, the MenaEerie died under peculiar
circumstances. and John w. Smith, the
superintendent. had an autopsy per
formed, lie found that the snakes had
died Of parasltIS. This was the first time
the trouble had ever appeared among
the snakes. and was found to be due to
ne dead rats and mice with which they
had been fed.
Three Men Enter Cage.
1t was decided TO give them ap anti
parasitic medicine. and Supt. Smith or
dered Keepers Cook. Shannon and
Snyder to give the snakes the medicine
early to-day before the every day
crowds arrived.
Accordingly the three men entered
the cage locking the doors after them
Of the eleven snakes some were swim
ming about in the two tanks and others
were coiling about In the two trees In
Tie cage. All OF tho snakes are from
eight TO twelve feet long.
Keeper Snyder was armed with a long
syringe filed with the medicine. Keeper
Shannon would catch one OF the pythons
by the neck and Cook by the tail, so
that the snake could not coil about tho
men and crush them. and then Shannon
would open tho mouth with a stick and
Snyder would force the medicine down
the snnko's throat.
After the medicine had been given the
snake was placed In a gunny-sack and
icft Ia n corner, II being thought advis-
iblc to keep them covered until all had
been given the medicine.
snake Springs from Tree.
Thrce of tho snakes had becn given
lie jn,dlcino and the others were be-
coming greatly excited. The largest OF
The snakes n twelve-foot specimen.
was colllng about in the trees. He ap-
lf.lifu 10 HluCn ltlhn
The others and two or three times had
,l.d down the trunk OF the tree toward
the men, hut had been drivea back.
f'iually this python swung from tho
;rce and struck at shannon shnnnon
ulew back IN time to escape the snake
.tiid also prevented him from coiling
ahout him. COOK reached the snake
aad grabbed !iim by the neck. but too
Lw sack and before lie could do any
tGiug the snake had twisted his head
,1d fastened his teeth IN Cooks thumb.
COOK shouted for help. and Shannon
ran Up to pull the snake away. AS he
I'D 80 the snake coiled himself from
the tail abnut Shannon's right leg. The
!Gtl,nn hcznH to squec3o the log and
Slrnnnu was also shouting for aid,
vince S1vd'r iruprcd the syringe and
fH'l III" nd of tho tail and prevented
iic sn,tl'c from drawing the coils tight
tr Slowly tho tail unwound, and then
ShNd"r t1ok a stick und pricd opcn the
mouth, 'hus loosening the fangs from
conk's thumb
Shnnror in The moan time. after tho
co'S Wor" nnwnunh. had held the py-
thcH's head tightly and tho others
fnuIly forced the medicine down tho
snnke's tiront md placed him also in n
Fnnnysack. The remaining snakes werc
then captured one by one and given the
medicine and left to recover from their
excitement
Cooks thumb was dressed by the park
Ambulance surgeon. Shannons leg was
not crushed. hut was tightly squeezed,
and u moment or Two longer II would
probably have been crushed by the coils
which were tightening every moment