Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1867-08-21
The Lake Monster.
TIE LATEST "FISH STORY

Tho Chicago Tri6une is responsible for
the following l~h (or snake) story, which
is the biggest Of the season:
That Lake Michigan is inhabited by
vast monster, part fish and part serpent,
no longer admits OF doubt. We have al
ready published the fact that the crews of
the tls George W Wood, and the propel-
Ter SKY Lark had seen him off Evanston,
a,hiuy tle waves into a tempest. 1t Is to
bc regretted that these vessels were not able
to approach near to him. as from the united
testimony OF 50 many persons we might
have been able to obtain an accurate idea
Of the nondescript As it IS, the evidence
of the crew, sufficiently establishes the fact
that the animal j, between forty and fifty
feet I'm length. his shape serpentine, the size
of his neck about that of human being,
and the SIZE of his body about that OF an
ordinary barrel
The monster was not again seen until
the next morning when he suddenly made
his appearance Just below Hyde Park,
labout a mile and half from shore, where
the bed of the lake suddenly dips to great
depth The facts We are about to state
we have derived from fisherman named
Joseph Nuhlke. Mr. Muhlke is an intel
ligent German, vino gains his living by
fishing. and is we'll known to residents of
the southern part of the city, where his
cart and tish-boX have been constant callers
every week for the last three or four years.
We have no reason to doubt his statement,
as he is entirely honest, and had no means
OF knowing that others had seen the fish
or described him. While their general
statement Is confirmed by him, he adds
many interesting details which are new.
= Mr.. Muhlkc, 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 a bright, clear morn
ne. gentle south breeze just rippling the
surface of the lake, but not sufficiently
strong to impart any motion to the boat
For some reasons his usual good fortune
did not attend him. He fished on for about
half an hour and still no bites. 1t was
now growing light very fast, and he deter
mined to 90 in nearer shore and fish awhile
for perch, and return to his grounds after
the sun was up lie therefore drew in his
lines. and was about to weigh anchor, when
he became aware Of singular motion of
his boat The ripple of the lake was not
sufficient to cause 1t. There could not be
Il swell on the lake, as the weather had been
very still during the past three or four days.
He turned his eyes to the eastward, but
could see nothing. and still the motion of
the boat Increased. Alarmed by this un-
usual phenomenon, he again commenced
pulling in his anchor, but was this time in
terrupted by a sound to the eastward
peculiar noise, half putting, like heavy
breath, and half an actual vocal sound,
harsh and rratng-as the fisherman de-
Scribed if. Ike the noise a catfish makes
when first caught, only great deal louder
and more frightful He Immediately let
20 the rope, and turned his eyes in the di-
rection Of the sound, and for the first time
became aware of dark looking object in
the water, oval IN shape, resembling boat
keel upward, and only about eight rods dis
tant.
:. At first the object seemed stationary,
but as he watched, it gradually increased
in bulk, still preserving an oval or rather
the segment OF u circle in form. Suddenly
the motion ceased, the object apparently
rising ont Of the water, at its highest point,
about three or four feet. In 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 became apparent, equi-distant
from thc 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 motion and
manifested no disposition to do so, the only
signs of activity displayed being gentle
motion Of the head north and SOUTH an up
lifting or stretching of a long neck out on
the lake, ana few splashes of the tail up
on the water, but not by any means with
that fury described by the crews of the
\ Wood and SKY lark The fisherman right
ly Judging that an animal SO huge would