Demoine courier., 1855-08-30
TIRE MONSTER SNAKE TAKEN.
Correspondence Of the Buffalo Republican
PERRY VILLAGE, N. Y. Aug. ID, '55.

PERRY VILLAGE. N. Y. Aug. ID, '55.
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 IN
doubleday heard all the particulars OF his
appearance. The many doubts and sneers
as TO the existence Of a fusus nature Of
this character in a lake bu, four miles
long aud no quite three quarters of a
mile in width. Al any rate il has never
been doubted. Daniel Smith, an old
whaleman. came here abou. two weeks
since, alter hearing OF the aijpe &c
the creature. and while here had The g,od
fortune to see him. lie Immediately
sen,to New York for an old shipma,e
oil his and his "irons," and on Friday
las, both arrived with harpoons, cordage
and everything necessary 10 catch a
monster. Many strangers who are stop
ing al the Walker House in this city,
attracted to this part of the country by
the exciiemen. in regard 10 the monster,
and VINO had ob;ained;no glimpse OF him,
laugh, d at Them for their pains; but they
KEEP, on with Their preparations in spite
OF sneers and jeers. Boats have been
stationed all o7er ,he lake for upward of
eight days. and The two whalemen had
q sharp look out kept all the lime beside
watching themselves.
This lake has several outlets, the larg
est 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 came to The surface, displaying aboa,
30 fee, OF his lcng, s%inuous body, remain
ing. however. blu, a very few moments.
The boats were on the watch all Sunday
Dlght. The whslemen had f,20O feet OF
strong whale line in their boat, the end
OF which ran ashore and fastened to a
tree. On Monday morning everything
was OIL the alert. The shores were lin
ed with towns people and strangers, and
every body seemed very much excited.
About 9 o'clock the animal made his
appearance between the whalemen's boat
and the shore, revealing twenty or thirty
feet II his length. He lay quiescent up
on the surface. Shen the whalemen's
boa, moved slowly towards him-Mr.
Smith Of Coying,on posing a Lilly iron
in the air, IA Lilly iron is a patent harp
Don. a heavy cutting knife being attached
by the middle TO the end OF the iron by a
rivet. As soon as the knife enters the
body toi an animal this movable blade
turns at righ. angles 10 the wound, and
being enurely blun, and fla. on one side
1t Is impossible to exlricate it except by
cutting ou'.) When they had got about
ten fee: frem the animal the iron whis.
lied through the Dir aud wen, deep into
his body. In a moment the whole length
of The monster was flashing the air, a, a
bound revealing his whole enormous
length, and then making the water boil
in every direction, he described rapid.
foaming circles aad arcs of circles, with
such a swilsness the eye could scarcely
follow him. Then he dar,ed of in an
other direction toward the upper par, Of
the lake, the suddenness OF his movement
almost dragging the boat under water.
Llne was gradually given him, and after
the space OF half All hour, il was plain
that his strength was almost exhausted.
The whalemen then came ashore and
gradually hauled the line in. The body
was within fi,y fee, Of the shore, when
renewed lie appeared TO have been given
hin, and with one dart he carried nearly
all The line out. This was his last great
effort. He was slowly dragged ashore,
amid the wildes, excitement and tumu,,
ever known in the vicinity Of Silver Lake.
Four or five ladies' tainted upon seeing
The monster, who although ashore was
lashing his body iniO tremendous folds
and then strengthening himself out in his
agony. with a noise and power tina. made
the very earth ,rembk around him
The harpoon had CONS entirely through
. thick muscular part OF him about eight
tee. from his heal.
The snake, 0, animal. is fifty nine fee,
FIVE inches in length. and is a most dis
gushing looking creature. "A thick slime
covers bis hideous length, a quarter Of
an inch thick. which. offer being remov.
ed, is almost instantly replaced by exu.
datlon. The body Of This creature is
variable in size. The head is abou, the
size OF full grown %calf's; within eirh,
feet Of the head The neck gradually swel,s
up to to the thickness or a foo, in dia.
meter, which continues for fifteen inches.
and then ,apers down the other way,
constantly increasing in size, however,
as il recedes from the head. until the bo-
dy CT The monster has a diameter of over
two feet in the center, giving a girth of
over six feet. IL then .apers off toward
the tail. which ends in a fin which can
be expanded in the shape Of q fan until
il is three feet across. or closed in a
sheath. Along The belly, from The head
10 the tail, are double rows OF fins, a foo,
in lenglh-not opposite each other, but
alternately placed. The head is a mos,
singular affair. The eyes are very large
white. staring and terrific. Attached TO
,he edge of the upper and lower lids,
which are like those of a human being.
a transparent film. or membrane is seen,
which. while il protects the eye of the
animal, does not interfere with its vision.