The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1867-07-02
Selections.
ANOTHER "sEA.sERPENT'' SENSATION
u1DEoUs MONSTER DISCOVERED IN

uIDEoUs MONSTER DISCOVERED IN
LAKE ONTARIO.
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 tie
rounds Of the papers "many time and
off, and been laughed at by the pub
lie as it should have been. In the face
of this fact we do not hesitate to pre-
sent the following statement, which we
believe to be true in every particular
for the reason that we have 1T upon Che
testimony of eight persons, SIX OF Whoin
saw, each for him and herself, all thaC
is contained in the statement, ana TWO
others, who, for reasons given, sa" on
lv norton thereof If we were per-
mnitted to give the names OF those VINO
make the statement, no one at all &C
oua;nted in Oswego would doubt 1t for
q moment. The following is the state
ment Last evening about O'Clock,
narty of four ladies and four gentle
men of this city, went out upon Lake
Ontario for a ride in fouroared row.
boat. They went up to the lake about
two miles. 1t was still daylight When
the party started. The evening was
pleasant, with almost no wind, and the
moon, though not shining very bright
ly, made objects plainly dlscernable on
the lake. There were a number OF sail
vessels in sight, and also few row.
boats. On the return OF the party,
when opposite the hill upon which the
Sheldon residence stands, some 800 feet
from the shore, and about 10 O'Clock,
the occupants of the boat, who were
singing at the time, heard a peculiar
noise which attracted their attention.
About 200 feet ahead of them, and with
in 100 feet of the shore, they saw what
they at first thought to be log float
ing in the water. The peculiar noise
was repeated, and this time 1t was APP
parent that it came from the vicinity of
the log. The steersman headed the
boad towards the clog" as he said, for
the purpose of rescuing the cast-away
bullfrog." Immediately that the
boats head was turned, the party all
saw a most horrible sight. The form
of huge snake was raised fully fifteen
feet into the air, and brought down in
to the water three or four times in quick
succession. A noise similar in nature
to that heard previously, but greatly
increased in power, was heard; the rep
tile settled into the water, and with his
horrid head elevated about two feet
above the surfce, began to move off
toward the center of the lake, repeating
the noise, which sounded like the bel
low of bull, and lashing the water
into foam for distance at least offorty
feet behind 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 disappeared. The men seemed para
lyzed by the sight, and state that they
were unable TO make stroke OF the
oars. They were not near enough to
see the shape of the head, but unite in
saying that the body of the animal was
at least two feet thick at the neck, and
gradually increased 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 is 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 may attribute it to halluci.
nation, and endeavor to account for it
on the theory of heated imagination,
none who know the parties will for
moment doubt their perfect sincerity.
The ladies have not yet recovered from
their fright, and the men say they hope
never again to be compelled to witness
such fearful scene.