The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1855-08-20
Correspondence of the Buffalo Republc.l
The Monster Snake Captured Alive


is wild with excitement. The immense
snake, with various descriptions of which the
papers have been crowded :Or two weeks
back, is at length captured. You lave un-
doubtedly heard all the particulars OF his ap-
pearance, the many doubts and sneers as to
the existence of LuSuS nature of this char
acter in lake but four miles long and not
quite three quarters of mile in width At
any rate it has never been doubted. Daniel
Smith, an old whalesman, came here about
two weeks since, ate hearing of the appear
ance OF the creature, and while here had the
good fortune TO him. He Immediately
sent to New York for an old shipmale of his
and his "irons,'' and on Friday last, both ar
rived with harpoons, cordage, and everything
necessary TO catch a nonster.-Many stran-
rs who are stopping at the Walker Hou
in this city, attracted TO this part of the
country by the excitement in regard to the
monster, and who had obtained 40 glm pse
o: him, laughed at them for their pains; but
they kept on with their preparations in spite
of sneers and ieers. Boats have been sta
toned all over the lake for upwards of eight
days, and the two whaemen had sharp
To- k out kept all the time besides watching
themselves.
The lake has several outlets, the largest of
which runs through this village and finally
emptes into or becomes Genessee river. In
the vicinity of this outlet he was seen first,
and on Sunday he came TO the surface, dis
blazing about thirty feet of his long, siuous
body, remaining, however, but very few
moments. The boats were on the watch all
Sunday night. The whalemen had 1900
feet of strong whale line in their boat, the
end oil which ran ashore and fastened TO a
tree. On Monday morning everything was
on tie alert. The shores were lined with
town people aud strangers, and every body
seemed very much excited. About 9U'clock
the animal made his appears nee between the
wha boat and the shore, revealing
twenty or thirty feet OF his length. He lay
quescent upon the surface, whe n the whales
mems boat moved slowly towards him. Mr.
Smith OF Covington, posing LII ly iron IN
the air, "a Lilly iron is a patent harpOon, a
heavy ca ting knife being attached by the
middle 10 The end OF the iron by a rlvit. As
soon as the knife enters the body OF an al l.
nal, III movable blade turns at right angles
to the wound, and b, ing entirely buut and
fiat on one side, it is impose ole TO extrlcate
it except by cutting OUT When they had
got about ten feet from the animal, the IRON
whisled though The air and went deep la, o
the monster was lashing the air, at bound
revealing his whole enormous length, aud
then making the water bon IN every direction
he described rapid, forming circles and ares
of circles with such swii:ness the eve could
scarcely follow him. Then he darled of in
another di ecion towards the upper part OF
the lake the sudden ness of his movement al
most dragging the boat under water. Line
W. du.l tv 10 Ia 20
OF hall hour, il was PLAIN that his strength
was almost exhausted. The whalesmen
then came ashore, aad gradually hqlIed the
! line in. The body was within fry feet OF
the shore, when renewed lite appear to
have been given him, and with one dart h
carried all the line out. This was the last
/ great effort. He was slowly dragged ashore
amid the widest excitement and tumult ever
known in the vicinity OF Silver Lase -Four
or five ladies' tainted upon seeing the monster
/ who although ashore, was lashing his body
| into IRENE ndous folds, and then strengthening
himself out in his agony, with noise and
power that made the very earth trembIe around
him. The harpoon had gone entirely through
the muscular part Of him about eight feet
| from his head.
! The snake or animal, is ffty-nine feet five
inches in length, and is most disgusting
/ looking creature. A thick slime covers its
hideouo length, quarter of an inch thick.
which ate. being removed, is almost instant
| ly replaced by emulation. The body OF this
creature is variable in size. The head is
about the size of full grown caf's. With
in eight feet Of the head, the neck gradually
sWells up to the thickness of a foot in dame
ter, which continues for fifteen inches, and
then tapers down the other way, constantly
increasing in size, however, as it rece des
| from the head, until the body of the monster
has diameter Of over tico feet in the centre,
/ giving grth of over six feet. 1t then tapers
4 off towards the tail, which ends in fin
which can be expanded in the shape OF fan
until it is three feet across, or close in a
sheath. Along the belly, from the head to
| the tail, are double rows of fns, foot in
llengta-not opposite each other, but alter
nately placed. fhe head s "a most singular
aff4i1. The eyes are very large, white, star
ing and terrific. Attached To the edge OF
the upper aud lower ribs, which are like
those of human being, transparent film,
or membrane is seen, which while it protects
the eye OF the animal, does not Interfere with
its vision. It has no nostris or gills, appar-
emily The mouth of this serpent, or what
ever it may be, Is underneath-is almost a
counterpart of the mouth of the fish called
sucker, possessing the same valvular power
pursed up-but it can be stretched so as to
take in body of the diameter of foot a
foot and half. No teeth can be discovered.
A hard bony substance extends in two par
alle lines around the upper and lower part
OF the head. Its color is dusky brown on
the sides and back, but underneath the belly
it is of a rty white. Ii is snuous like u
snake, but has along its ck and on each
side, row of hard substance, knob-ike in
shape--the largest raised four inches from