The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1855-08-30
The Monster Snake Taken,


This part of the country is wild with
excitement. The immense snake, with
various descriptions of which the papers
have been crowded for two weeks back,
is at length captured. You have un-
doubtedly heard all the particulars of his
appearance, the many doubts and sneers
as to the existence of a htSuS nature of
this character in lake but four miles
long and not quite three quarters of a
mile in width. At any rate it has never
been doubted Daniel Smith, an old
whalcman, came here about two weeks
since, after hearing of the appearance Of
the creature, and while here had the good
fortune to see him. He Immediately sent
to New York for an old shipmate Of his
and his irons, and on Friday last both
arrived with harpoons, cordage and eve
/ rythipg necessary to catch a monster
Many strangers who are stopping at the
Walker House in this city, attracted to
this part of the country by the excite
ment in regard to the monster, and who
had obtained no glimpse of him, laughed
at them for their pains; but they kept on
with their preparations all over the lake
for upward of eight days, and the two
whalemen had sharp look out kept all
the time beside watching themselves.
- The lake has several outlets, the largest
of which runs through this village and
finally empties into or becomes Genesee
River In the vicinity of this outlet he
was seen first. and on Sunday he care
to the surface, displaying about so feet of
bis long, sinuous body, remaining, how
ever, but few moments. The boats
were on the watch all Sunday night
The whalemen had l, 200 feet of strong
whale line in their boat, the end Of which
ran ashore and fastened to tree. On
Monday morning everything was on the
alert The shores were lined with towns
people and strangers, and every body
seemed very much excited. About 8
o'clock the animal made his appearance
between the wbaleman's boat and the
shore revealing twenty or thirty feet Of
his length. He lay quiescent upon the
surface, when the whalemen's boat moved
slowly toward him-Mr. Smith of Gov
ington poising a Lilly-iron in the air, "a
Lilly-irOn is a patent barpoon, heavy
cutting knife being attached by the mid
die to the end Of the iron BY a rivet. As
soon as the knife enters the body of an
animal this movable blade turns at right
angles to the wound and being entirely
blunt and fat on one side it is impossible
20 extricate it except by cutting out. -
When they had got about ten feet from
the animal the iron whistled through the
air and went deep into his body. In
moment the whole length of the monster
was lashing the air, at bound revealing
bis whole enormous length, and then ma
king the water boil in every direction, he
described rapid, foaming circles and areas
of circles, with such swiftness the eye
could scarcely follow him. Then he dart
ed off in another direction toward the up
per part of the lake, the suddenness of
his movement almost dragging the boat
under water. Line was gradually given
him, and after the space Of half an hour,
it was plain that bis strength was almost
exhausted. The whalemen then came a.
shore and gradually hauled the line in
The body was within fifty feet of the
shore, when renewed life appeared to have
been given him, and with one dart be
carried nearly all the line out. This was
his last, great effort. He was slowly
dragged ashore, amid the widest excite
ment and tumult ever known in the vicin-
ity Of Silver Lake. Four or five ladies
tainted upon seeing the monster, who al
though ashore was lashing his body into
tremendous folds, and then Strengthening
himself out in his agony, with noise and
power that made the very earth tremble
around him. The harpoon had gone en-
tirely through a thick muscular part of
him about eight feet from his head.
The snake, or animal. is fifty-nine feet
FIVE inches in length, and is a most dis
gusting- looking creature. A thick slime
covers his hidious length quarter of an
inch thick, which, after being removed, is
almost instantly replaced by oxidation
The body of this creature is variable in
size The head is about the size of full
grown calfs; within eight feet of the head
the neck gradually swellS up to the thick
ness of foot in diameter, which continues
for fifteen inches, and then tapers down
the other way, constantly increasing in
size, however, as it recedes from the head
until the body of the monster has a d.
ameter of over t1c0 feet in the center, Civ
ing a girth of over six feet 1t then ta-
pers off toward the tail, which ends in
In which can be expanded in the shape
of fan until it is three feet across,
or closed in a sheath. Along the belly,
from the head to the tail, are double rows
of fms, foot in length--not opposite each
other, but alternately placed. The head
is most singular affair. The eyes are
very large, white, staring and terrific.
Attached to the edge of the upper and
lower lids, which are like those Of hu-
man being, transparent film, or mem
brane is seen, which, while it protects the
eye of the animal, does not interfere with
/ It's vision. He has no nostrils or gills,
( rapfly Ubo mouth IF fbic carpput