The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-01
PHTLADELPHTA'S WILD CATS.
Progeny OF Pair introduced Int City Hail
Years Ago 20 KIN RATS.


Almost as wild as were their ancestors
OF the Jungle. a pack Of ,Ats roam the cavern
Gus recesses OF the cellar OF city hall.
Foraging for their own provender and
scampering. snarling and splitting at the
approach Of any Of the employees Of the
municipal building. the cats. which are the
pro geny of a pair introduced some YEAR,
ago TO exte- inmate rats. have Increased to
such numbers that steps are being considered
10 drive them out.
Although their exact number il not known,
II is gstimated that there are at least twenty
in the Sck. and with a few exceptions hone
has felt the touch OF human hand. Left
to themseiy res. they have responded to the
call of the Wild.
II has beer about two yea rs since the frat
pair Of cats were put in the city hall cellar.
The stork visited them and the mother cat
hid the litter Of kilt ems away in one Of he
many unused passaq 80 between the founda-
tons. The kittens were half grown before
any Of the men who work in the basement
got a glimpse Of any OF them.
While the parent cats still came to the
workmen for food and passed considerable
time about the boiler rooms. the young on les,
unaccustomed TO human company, did not
follow their lead. The vorkmen occasionally
in leisure hours organized hunts for the half
grown kittens. There were four OF them
and several times the men had them cor
nered. but the little fellows, wild with ter
ror. could not be picked up any more than
a piece Of red hot iron. They few at their
captors with tooth and claw and when sew
eral of the men had been badly torn In the
vicious attacks they left the cats to thu cir own
resources.
Since then the cats have increased in num-
bers rapidly and have grown more savage as
they multiplied. In the city hall cellar there
are parts which have never been explored
since the building was erected, dark as pitch
and filled with all manner OF debris. IL Ia
there that the pack Of wild cats have made
their home. They find their own food in the
rats in the cellar and make no attempt to
venture into any Of the inhabited portions.
keeping strictly to themselves as long as
left unmolested.
So wild and ferocious have they become
that there Is positive danger in any ones
attempting to penetrate their haunts.
curiosity to see the strange breed Of cats has
led workmen ~ times TO pick their way into
the retreats where they have entrenched
themselves. None who made the attem IT
went far. The angry caterwauIinRs that
their approach proved too strong for
their nerves and they were glad enough TO
heat a reteat. The men say that all they
could see OF the cats were their eyes blazing
like Goals as they reluctantly backed farther
into the gloom. Such an invasion Of their
worked the cats into such a state OF
terror that their angry wailings could be heard
for half an hour after the men had gone away.
One Of the strange features Of the relapse
Of the cats into a wild state is that they regard
The two domestic cats from whom they sprung (!
as their enemies Since the brood waxed
strong the domestic cats cannot be Induced
10 leave the Inhabited portion Of the cellar and
go among the savage brood.