Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-06-20
/" SEA SERPENT" SENSATION.
A Eideous Monster Discovered In
Lake Ontario.

| From the 0swego Palladium. June Ill
We know that it has been customary
for the manufacturers of the marvellous
to revive at intervals the story of the
sea.serpent,' which has gone the
rounds of the papers many time and
oft, and been laughed at by the public
as it should have been. In the face of
this fact, we do not hesitate to present
the following statement, which we believe
to be true in every particular, for the
reason that we have it on the testimony
of eight persons, six of whom saw, each
for him and herself, all that is contained
in the statement, and two others, who,
for reasons given, saw only portion
thereof If we we're permitted to give
the names of those who make the state
ment, no one at all acquainted in Os-
wego would doubt it for a moment The
following is the statement: Last evening
about 8 o'clock, q party of four ladies
and four gentlemen of this city went out
upon Lake Ontario for q ride in four
cared row boat. They went up the lake
about two miles. twas still daylight when
the party started The evening was
pleasant, with almost no wind, and the
moon, though not shining very brightly,
made objects plainly discernable on the
lake. There were a number of sail ves-
sells in sight, and also few row boats.
On the return Of the party, when oppo-
site the hill upon which the Sheldon resi-
dence stands, some three hundred feet
from the shore, and about 10 o'clock,
the occupants of the boat, who were
singing at the time, heard peculiar
noise which attracted their attention
About two hundred feet ahead of them
and within one hundred feet of the shore,
they saw what they at first thought to be
a log floating in the water The pecu-
liar noise was repeated, and this time
it was apparent that cit came from the
vicinity Of the "log." The steersman
headed the boat toward the log, as he
said, for the purpose of rescuing the
castaway bullfrog." Immediately that
the boats head was turned the party all
saw most horrible sight. The form of
a. huge snake was raised fully fifteen
feet into the air, and brought down into
the water three or four times in quick
succession. A noise similar in nature
to that heard previously, but greatly in
creased in power, was heard the rep
tile settled into the water, and with its
horrid head elevated about two feet above
the surface, began to move off toward
the center of the lake, repeating the
noise, which sounded like the below of
a bull, and lashing the water iuto foam
for distance of at least forty feet be-
hind the head.
When the monster raised its head first,
the two ladies, who sat facing the scene,
screamed and tainted The other two,
though terribly frightened, kept their
eyes fixed upon the monster until it
The men seemed para
lyzed by the sight, and state that they
were unable to make q stroke OF the oars.
They we're not near enough to see the
shape OF the head, but. mite in saying |
that the body Of the animal was at least !
two feet thick at the neck, sRd gradually |
in size down to the water
The belly seemed of light color, and |
the back black.
= We did not see this thing ourself and |
simply give the statement as it was made |
to us 1t has, in all probability, been |
made to others, by the parties who saw
The sight; and we feel assured that,
while some msy attribute it TO hsllucina-
lion, and endeEver to account for it on
lhe theery Of heated imagination, none
who know the parties will for moment
doubt their perfect sincerity. The la
dies have not yet recovered from their
right, and the men say they hope never
,gain to be compelled to witness such a
,eartul scene.