The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1870-04-07
er Your IimDerS.'


The monsters of the air, forest, and sea
have been illustrated by uch great author
tiles as Button, Cuvier. and Agassiz They
have classified species, determined the pur-
pose, characteristics. and propensitles of
the lesser life, and have even gone SO far
as to express the belief that all monsters of
the past and present are known to the nat
urast>. The tallacy of this confidence is
not only evident in The discovery of the
fossil remains Of the great hydroSamus by
Prot Waterhouse Hawkins, but also in the
appearance Of vast appearance Of vast
sea serpent in American waters, off Cape
Hattcras, on the l2lh inst, Of which the
Uernid has full particulars
The schooner Saladln sailed from Jacmel,
llayti with a cargo of copper, bound for
New York. On the 10Th and lth inst,
she had heavy weather but as the morn
ing OF the 18th dawred there we're only
hight airs and swelling airs. Abofs six
o clock the captain was on deck alone, his
hands being below safely quartercd IN their
bTnks enjoying those visions, that hover
over heavy eyelid-. The Saladin was now
stTeerIng north north wc-t, going along at
an easy pace, about four knots an hour.
Nufky and tngcy drapery ob>cured the
brightness OF the sky. As the captain scan
ned the horizon he deserted what he con
slde1ed to be wreck on the starboard
beam, about i've miles distant, bearing
east northeast lie Immediately put down
his helm and turned the Saiadin head
10 eastward, hoping to overhaul the object
ami render what assistance might be neces-
saly. The captain Inserted ms head in the
cabin and called AL hands on deck.
In moment the crew was upon its
higher plane, rubbing gravitatlng evfilds
and curious between hope and fear.
The Saladin had few provisions on board
but was only - miles from Hampton roads,
bearing south southeast, and the captain
unlike the Bombays captain, thought of
performing AL Office of humanity and save
those who might be cilngng 20 the wreck
Progress was made toward the point Of
interest for few minutes, when it was
plainly evident that The Saladin was over
hauling huge pi5catorlai pirate, which
they soon saw 1t was the most remarkable
specimen OF marine serpent probably ever
seen since pre- -Adamlte man. The good
Saladln sailed on, steering due east. Com>
motion reigDed on board. The captain
exclaimed, is this dream, is this Il
dream T. The seamen who had just been
released from the bundag ge OF profound
sleep thought it was, for there, dead ahead,
sat an enormous fish larger than a sh p,
looming up in comparison with the Saladin
as St. Petcr's before village parsonage.
The serpent was making headway about
two knots an hour, and the Saladin was
rapidly oyerhauling her. At half past :
y. NJ. the schooner hove TO with the mon
ster 20 feet on her starboard quarter. Then
all hands strained their eyes from their
sockets TO see how the monster looked and
would behave. 1t was now IN plain sight,
with every portion plainly visible. Its
architecture was very accurately measured
and the serpent was found to be 100 feet
long, vlth a body 40 feet in length and
tail Of 60 feet. But tie most curious fea
ture OF the monster was an immense body
OF hard grl>tle matter II feet IN height, 40
feet in width, with the same length, which
was entirely void within, forming large
bladder shaped balloon, which, filed with
air, buoyed tie serpent on the water and
seemed to be an agent whereby il could
keep the surface and commit its depreda
tons either upon commerce or upon the
harmless inhabitants OF its own element.
This oval buoy had regular ridges, running
from the apexahead-tor this bladder pre-
ceded the body of the f>h-tu where it
joined the main body. These ridges ez
tended fore and aft, at intervals of four
inches with regular height of two inches,
and gave to the surface the appearance Of
the network of bastion. The bladder
portion vas elastic. and yielded to the
movement, o! the sea, and was 10 inches
thick, bat Of hard, dense, impr -etrable
character that would resist knife . bullet.
On each side OF this floating dome were
two heavy paddles, each FIVE feet long. by
which the monster made progress. This
part described may all be considered as one
Of the surprising wonders of the piscatorlal
world. The fish proper which was but an
appendage failed on to this blown up bad
Ger, consisted of heavy fshy substance,
with brown sides. and about ten fees from
the dome were two eyes, one on either side
Of large HON.
From this point he fsh tapered of to
forked tail OF material as heavy and as hari
as irou. Capt Secun declares the tail
would weigh 100 pounds to the cubic foot.
and the forks of the tail stood horizontally
IL The water, but submerged four feet, the