In the autumn of 1913, newspapers across America carried a startling report that sounded more like frontier folklore than modern industry.
As crews pushed a massive pipeline through the rugged countryside of Greene County, they allegedly disturbed a hidden den of venomous copperheads. What followed was described as a desperate battle between men armed with picks and shovels and a writhing mass of deadly snakes.
Whether exaggerated through the lens of sensational journalism or rooted in genuine terror, the account reflects the dangers that often accompanied industrial expansion in rural America.
Fight With 100 Reptiles
WASHINGTON, Pa. — A gang of 150 men laying a big pipe line for the Philadelphia Company in Greene County engaged more than 100 venomous copperheads in battle. The copperhead lair was encountered on the farm of Madison Scott.
James Notts, a pipe line worker, was surrounded by the reptiles before he could get away, and was badly bitten. His screams brought fellow workers, who engaged in one of the most remarkable contests ever waged with a horde of vipers.
The copperheads fought with deadly precision and bit several other men before they were finally routed.
A count after the battle showed 58 dead reptiles. The bitten men were given aid at the Waynesburg Hospital, but several are in a critical condition.
Source: Turner County Herald Hurley. S.D. October 2, 1913.
