The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1867-08-17
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shape Ofa Sea "Serpent," equal in all the ter
rife concomitants to any that has been seen
"off Nahant.' 1t was seen by two schOoners
off Evanston then off Hyde Park, by fish.
erman !; and since then by persons on board OF
various other craft toward the Southern end
of the Lake. Mr.. Muhlke, the fisherman, seems
to have had the best view of the monster and
his description with Bohemian dressing is
thus given in the Tribune.
Mr.. Muhlke, as is his custom, took boat and
lines at daybreak yesterday morning, nearly to
the edge of the flats, where fish are abundant,
threw out his anchor and set his lines. 1t was
bright, clear morning, gentle south breeze Just
ripping the surface of the lake. but not sutfi-
GENTLY strong TO mpart any motion to the boat.
For some reason his usual good fortune did not
attend him. He fshed on for about half an
hour, and still no bites. 1t was now growing
light very fast, and he determined to go in near.
er shore and fish awhile for perch, and return to
his grounds after the sun was up He, therefore,
drew in his lines, and was about to weigh an
Choir, when he became aware of singular motion
of his beat. The ripple Of the lake was not suf-
ticient to cause it. Tnere could not be swell
on the lake. as the weather had been very still
during the past two or three days. Again the
wind was from the south. and his boat was head
ed to the north, SO that if the disturbance had
been the result of natural causes his boat would
naturally have had a corresponding motion,
while in reality the motion was lateral, or from
east to west and differed from that caused by a
swell, not being long and gradual, but abrupt
and broken He turned his eyes to the east
ward, but could see nothing, and still the motion
of the boat increased. Alarmed by this unusual
phenomenon, he again commenced pulling in his
q anchor, but was this time interrupted by sound
to the eastward-a peculiar noise. half putting
like heavy breath and half an actual vocal
sound, harsh and grating-as the fisherman de-
scribed it, like the noise catfish makes when
first caught, only great deal louder and more
frightful. He Immediately let go the rope and
turned his eyes in the direction of the sound,
and for the first time became aware of dark
object in the water, oval in shape, resembling
very much a boat keel upward, and only about
eighty rods distant . .....
At first, the object seemed stationary, but as
he watched it, it gradually increased in bulk
still preserving oval, rather the segment
of a circle in form Suddenly the motion ceased
the object apparently rising out of the water, at
its highest point, about three or four feet. In a
very short time, another dark object commenced
rising about twenty feet nearer to him, as he
Judged which he could clearly enough see was
the head of some animal, as the eyes were plainly
visible. Almost at the same time, the tail be-
came apparent, equi-dstant from the first part of
the animal he had seen. As he Judged, about
two-thirds of the monster was out of the water
Thus far the animal had made no forward mo-
ton, and manifested no disposition to do So the
only signs OF activity displayed being a gentle
motion Of the head, north and south, an occa-
sional uplifting or stretching of long neck out
of the lake, and few splashes of the tail upon
the water, but not by any means with the fury
described by the crews of the Wood and Sky
Lark. The fisherman, rightly Judging that an
animal so huge would not approach the flats de-
termined to watch him until at least he could
get good idea OF his general appearance.
As we have said, his estimate of the length,
which, ne informs us, was five times the length
OF his boat, very nearly talies with the previous
accounts, while his estimate of the circumference
is equally contirmatory. The general color of
the animal was blush black, darkest in the
centre, graduating nearly to blue towards the
head and tail. The under side of the animal was
only visible he lifted his head and tail occa-
sionally, and this appeared to be of a grayish
white resembling the color Of the dog fish some
what The head was little larger than the
human average head, growing smaller toward
the mouth, and sloping gradually toward the
neck, somewhat like seals. Towards the snout
which was triangular in shape. the head was
very much depress ID, and on the extreme end of
the snout. Mr.. Muhlke thinks there were bar
bels but OF this he is not sure. No teeth were
visible The eyes were larger than the human
eye, but Of their color or shape Mr.. NJ could
form no idea whatever. Only portion of the
neck was visible. This appeared to be rough,
and along its upper surface and extending near
ly to its tail, series of what looked like the
bony plates of u sturgeon. This ridge extended
10 firSt cf< boo 81 u a
saw, but apart from this there was no appendage
visible i'll the forward part Of tho animal Mr..
NJ, however, is confident that there were either
fms or legs, towards the head and under the
water, as there was a constant wash of the water
on either side of him near these points as if he
was sustaining his huge bulk by the motion of
such appendages. A few feet forward of the
tail there was well-developed fin of greenish
hue, corresponding with the dorset fin of the
sturgeon, but many times larger, and evidently
very powerful. The entire fin had a lateral
notion and the various spires of which it was
composed had an individual longitudinal motion,
80 that sometimes the fin almost closed up like a
fan. Immediately beneath this was an anal fin
possessing characteristics, but different shape
being very long, and the spines of equal length
Immediately in front of this fin were two well
deyeloded legs. Mr. M. thinks they ended in a
web foot. In any event, they were jontlcss, but
so flexible that the animal could draw them up
to the belly when they were not in use. BY
analogy, therefore, we should infer that the ami
NAL had similar legs at his other extremity,
which favors the supposition that he walks at
times on the bed of the lake in search of his prey
and at once banishes the supposition that he
might be of the sturgeon family, The tail itself
was OF great size and strength, very unsymme-
trical in shape, with something resembling long
hair covering its entire upper surface, the under
surface being diversified with sharp ridges,
radiating to the outer edge.