Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 December 1892 — IN A MASS OF SNAKES. [ARTICLE]

IN A MASS OF SNAKES.

Thrilling Experience of a Farm Hand In a Well In Connecticut. The long drought in the Connecticut valley, during whioh the farmers have been compelled to get their water from the river, induced Farmer Alexander Penfield, living near Middletown, to clean up a long dissued well on his premises. For this purpose he sent his hired man, a Pole, to the bottom of it in a bucket. The Pole had not labored long before he was disturbed by a singular buzzing sound like the humming of a swarm of bees, and a moment later he began to see snakes. From every crevice in the stone curb of the well serpents thrust forth their heads, hissing loudly, then advanced their bodies, little by little, into the well, which were followed instantly by still more snakes, all crowding on the frightened workman and tumbling on each other into the bottom of the dimly lighted shaft. There were black snakes, water snakes, striped snakes and adders. For awhile the Pole waged a desperate battle against the serpents with his shovel, simply to protect himself from their attack, but in a few moments he was completely invested with a hissing, writhing, squirming, tossing tangle of serpents in the bottom of the pit, while a shower of snakes was continually falling upon him from the walls above his head. Finally he called for aid and was hauled to the surface. Subsequent examination revealed the fact that he had killed thirty-four snakes with his shovel.