The daily silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1903-1907, 1904-07-25
ATTACKED BY HUGE
RATTLE SNAKE
The Horrible Experience OF a
Well-knOwn Mining
Man
LIFE SAVED BY APET LIZARD
Most Remarkable Story Which
Is F.ily Corroborated by
Witnesses

One of the strangest and most weird
stories of modern times was given to the
writer this morning.
But truth is stranger than fiction"
Early Sunday morning l.. p. Hemer.
weil-known mining man. was brought to
Winnemucca from the Auburn mine.
which is located about three miles from
Dun Glenn. for medical treatment.
The injured man was taken to the Win
nemucca hotel and DR.. Giroux hastily
summoned.
The news soon spread that the man
had met with a horrible accident and was
the victim of a cavern. Others had II
that he had fallen into den of rattle
snakes. while another party was equally
positive that the accident was caused by
a large boulder ling down upon him
while at work.
When the Silver State representative
facts. which very few men have passed
through. were given.
Mr.. Helmer stated that having an OPP
tion on the Auburn mine. he was doing
some prospecting in a cut at the mouth
of the tunnel. He was so engaged Satur-
day morning. lie was working on a ledge
which gave good promise.
While chiseling out some rock he no.
tIced some Loose gravel coming down, but
paid little attention to 1t at the time.
He kept at his work unil about O'CLOCK,
when he was startled by huge mass OF
dirt coming down directly upon him. lie
was abcut TO leap to one side when he
was struck on the head by large roc.
which knocked him down.
Before he could extrieate himself
large boulder rolled down upon his left
leg. together with the gravel, and he was
caught like rat in trap.
Being a large and powerful man. ana
being possessed of unusual grit and pres
self His entire left side. including his
arm and leg. were hemmed in. He pro-
ceeded with his right hand to dig away
the debris from his shoulder anu arm.
After wcr rking for some time he succeed
ed in getting the arm free. and the next
move was to get the boulder from off his
leg, which he knew was broken.
BY superhuman strength he finally sue
ceeded In getting the boulder Df, but he
could not move muscle Ct the limb.
Then 1t was that he commenced to get
faint from the loss of blood. lie so n
discovered that his boot was full OF bio d,
and he could feel ii trickling down his
leg
He knew to give up then meant sure
death. and procuring a jacknife from his
pocket he exerted his remaining strength
In cutting open his trousers and boots.
After accomplishing this he dragged
himself away about ten feet to where his
canteen was lying.
He stripped the covering from the can
teen. and procuring two small sticks he
manufactured small windlass upon
which to rest his leg. No sooner had he
gone through this trying ordeal tnan ne
tainted
Il must have been unconscious for two
hours" said the man. but when / did
open my eyes. what little hope | had
cherished was soon dispelled. AS | took
a glance at my leg l beliele a huge rat
,lesnake colled up, his head as If ready
for a spring. My moving had evidently
disturbed him. His mouth was full OF
blood, and / observed that he had been
slipping the blood that had run from my
mangled leg. l had nothing but my knife.
and knew that l was helpless. l made
up my mind that / was doomed. and re-
solved to die game. intended. as soon
as he struck me. to cut out the flesh with
my knife.
rolling down. and my first impression was
that there was more dirt coming.
Il glanced up and saw large black
lizzard. which l had made great pei
of. He was coming down the side CT taS
cut pretty lively.
He went for that snake In great shape
and the rattler lost no time in gettinl
away. Would you believe Il? After tn'
snake went into hole between two