Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1868-10-21
A wONDERFUL FISH.
Capture OF q Sea ssrpent-HOw h
Es00ks and What re Ia

Capture OF 4 Sea ssrpent-HOw he
Locks aad what ne Is.
A singulOr fish was eanght near East
pOrt Maine, few weeks ago. The fol-
lowing description IS published by the
Bangor F1ig -. ' -t
l The strange animal recently captured
near EastpOrt, msagre reports Of which
had reached US, arrived in this city q few
days ago, and has been on exhibition.
during which it has been visited by cur
citizens, all Of whom have expressed their
wonder as well at the remarkable size of
the monster as at its anomalous charaotsr.
This animal, part beast and part fish, is
over thirty feet in length, and girts twenty
one feet lthas one enormous dorsal fin,
twoslds belly fms, and a broad, shark.
like tail AbOus 5ne-third of It's length
from its tai, in connection with small
inns, it has two huge legs, terminating Ia
web feet Its mouth makes a line i've or
SIX feet in length, the whole extent Of
which Is setWith iRnumerable small teeth.
very much resembling in size and shape
the kernel OF species of sharpSpointed
.
overlap each other like the Aonnces once
tAe style in ladies' dresses. Its immense
body, which was estimated to have
weighed when eaptuIsd about eli ven tons,
had no framework of bones, its most
solid portion consisting of cartilage IN
capable of preservation Its skin IS dark
and tough, Ike that Of the elephant and
rhinOcer0s -4 .-r-
There is no record of his species, and
to none is it a greater wonder than to
nRturalists, whose attention is being
drawn to it Among others who have
had the opportunity Of seeing It Is Pro-
lessor Baird, of the Smithsonian Institl-
ton at Washington, who is as yet unable
TO place it in the known lists Of the ami
NAL kingdom. Il is indeed a vsritable
wonder calculated to excite popular curl.
Osity, and to invite the researches % the
scientific.
"At various times during the past IF,
teen years a strange monster, believed to
be huge serpent, has been reported seen
in Lake Utopia, in New brunswick, Just
seross the State line; but as these res
ports in each instance rested upon the
kcStlIuOuy VI Dub uuc VI Lhu AuuANlu0Al1s
they were generally diseredited. Latterly,
however, the reports and the number OF
witnesses had so increased as to take the
story out Of the realm Of fiction On
Sunday, August 3, the monster was dis
covered near the shore on the west stie OF
PASSPORT Island, where PassamaqaOddy
Bay IS connected with Lake Utopia by
marsh a quarter Of mile long. Being
attacked by musketry, it struck for the
marsh, aud probably for the lake, which
was undoubtedly its home; and, before
being rendered incapable Of lOcOmotion,
il had worked its way with its fms and
legs a number Of rods. The report of It's
presence at once spread to the town, at
tracing large number to the spot to aid
in its destruction Il received some sew
enty musket>balls, and although attacked
in the forenoon, exhibited signs Of life
the following day. ...
Thus the Northeastern point Of our
State, with the assistance of New Bruns-
wick, has the honor of producing the
nearest approach to a Yeritable sea SER
pent, which is destined to make popular
observation-disclosures exhibited 1t is to be
at Portland during the Forthcoming State
Fair, and is thence bound for Boston,
New York and other principal cities.