New-York tribune., 1911-09-23
BEES INVADE 9TH AVENUE
Queen Leads Swarm to Box in
Front of GoeIet House.
SEVERAL PEOPLE STUNG
Laborer with Snsudge Kills In
sects, Which May Have
Flown from Jersey.

Bees numbering many thousand swarmcd
at Fifth avenue and 49th street late ycster-
day afternoon and took possession OF a
soap box I'm front of the house OF Mrs.
ogden Goelet. No. COS Fifth avenue. The
bees had flown through West 18th street
and were thought to have come from New
Jersey. Michael Mcdonald, night watch
man OF the contracting company making
alterations I'm the Goelet home. closed inc
box I'm which they had taken refuge, but
later they were released by Thomas VII
son. caretaker for Mrs. Goeet. The bees
soon returned to the box. and were kiiIed
by fire and suffocation
Mcdonald and Wilson were talking "hen
the former saw what appeared 10 pe
heavy cloud in tie west. extending across
the street and apparently many yards III
length.
Looks like rain" remarked Mcdonald
az he lighted red lantern preparatory 10
placing il upon pile Of building materiai
I'm the street.
Maybe it's an acroplsne,' suggested
Wilson.
The cloud descended to the street leFei
with an ever increasing hummng sounu.
Its substance was soon made Known anu
the men were surprised to see the oecs
alight on pile of sand and buildihs ma
tcrial.
According to the carctaker and the hlsh.
watchman. the bees few In pyra''u''a
formation. the queen bee at the apex ic'"-
ing the migration.
The queen bee entered an empty DON
which had been nailed to wooden hors''
and was followed by thousands ol t"e IL
scots. until the box was filled and the out
side as well as the horse Atseli, was
covered by them.
"yye,u make prisoners Of the bees Me-
Donald suggested at the same tme en-
casing his hands IN gloves.
Wilson. the caretaker, showed little en-
thusiasm over the idea. and ran INTO 'he
Goelet home.
Where are you going?' called Mcdonald.
"To notify the police shouted Dack
Wilson.
Wilson teephoned Police Headquarters
while Mcdonald turned the box oil pees
down on a pile of sand. making the'h
prisoners. The bees that had settled on
the outside of the box and on the wooden
! horse" flew away and 1t was learned
that numbers Of them later were smoked
out of chimneys Of Fifth avenue residences.
Lieutenant Heffernan, Of the East 5lst
! street station. sent PatrOlman Lawlor 10
the Goelet home. with instructions TO get
specimens Of the insects and bring them
back to the station house
Meantime Wilson. moved by the plea oil
a woman who was interested in the prison.
| ers in the box released them.
The bees disappeared. but in few min
/ utes returned and again entered the box.
( A laborer then got a sheet Of tarred paper
and some kerosene. The oi-soaked paper
/ was placed close 10 the box, and in a short
while the majority OF the bees had been
/ killed, either by the fire or by suffocation.
/ When Patrolman LawlOr arrived all that
remained was a charred soap box and
| thousands of dead bees. Lieutenant Hefer-
nan was disappointed when the patrolman
/ returned with dead specimens.
! Hundreds OF the bees entered the open
/ windows Of the Hotel Buckingham and
! stung several of the guests. People on
! their way to Temple EMANUEL at 43d
street and Fifth avenue, were stung, also,
! ii was said.