The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1870-07-14

right up alongside, an grabbed Bill ar
the two others In his arms, an threw
other arms over the bulwarks. The boo
fellows shriked for help, an we grabbed
axes and blubber spades, an tried to Gu
1T the monsters arms One O the me-,
was higher up than the others, an we chi
of the arm that held him, an, got him
aboard, but tnen the squid let go of the
vessel, an went down, draggin' the two
men with him. see Bill jest as he went
under, an such horror an agony I never
see In mans face The other poor fell.
Ter that we saved didn't live long; the
fright drove him crazy, an all the dav.
an all night, he raved an screamed that
the monster had got him; till toward
morning ne died God grant | never
may see SIGH a sight agin!F
(" So ended the sailors story. People
who stay at home may deny the existence
of these creatures, but in my mind there
is no doubt of it,
fhe lawyer then related another anec.
dote of the Squid
While was in france, had occasion
20 visit the town of st. Malo, on the chan
GEL One day | strayeu into queer old
dark, dingy church; forget to what
SAINT IT was dedicated. but from the or
naments, it was evidently favorite with
sailors, Tor the walls were hung with
rude paintings, representing ships and
sailors in various perils. The garrrlous
old sexton told me that these pictures
were the votive offerings of grateful sea.
men, who had been saved from the dan.
gers here represented by calling upon
the saint, and assured ne miracles of this
sort were very numerous Among these
pictures one particularly attracted nv
attention; 1t was covered with dust, and
faded by age, but finally made out the
igure of ship, partly on it's beam ends,
ana IN the grasp OF what at first thought
TO be several serpents, but on looking
more closely saw that they were al
ljolned to one body. asked the sexton
what it meant.
All, Monsieur said he, that was in
deed wonderful miracle of the blessed
saint. | can tell Monsieur all about. it.
though it happened manJ years ago, when
| was small boy
Gle then told me that a French slay
tlat sailed from this port, was living in
rather shoal water, off the west coast of
Africa. Suddenly monstrous cuttle-fish
(devll- tlsh, the sexton called IT'D rose and
threw It's arms around the ship. They
were at first paralyzed with terror, but as
the monster be gan to drag the vessel over
on her beam ends, they attacked it with
axes. In spite oftheir efforts, however,
the terrible creature came very near car
sizing them. At this awful moment the
Captain,a devout Catholic, vowed a com
lucrative painting to his patron saint if
he would save them. The crew, inspired
with new hope, redoubled their efforts
and cut off several of the monsters arms
so that at last it let go its hold, and was
lseen no more. The Captain had this pic
tnre painted to commemorate this event
aud gave large sums, the results of lucky
slave voyages, probably, to the church.
Here the Doctor took up the subject:
" Among the Norwegian sailors, there
) are many legends ola horrible monster
called the Kraken, which the represen
as being sometimes mile, in circumfer
ence! The description of this creature
though Of course immensely exaggerated
are very similar to those of the Grea
Squid indeed the name, evidently deri
we'd from the old Swedish Krake, TIL,
/, stump of tree, is suggestive of its shape
: have never heard well authenticated
instance of the Kraktn or Great Squit
visiting the cold seas of Norway, but i
is possible that at some remote perioC
one may have made its appearance there
and that would be sufficient among a high
ly imaginative and superStitious peopl
r like the Norwegiahs, to people the water
G with them. [ believe that as a genera
. thing, these old traditions have som
foundation in truth, though sometime
f they get wonderfully exaggerated
1 The Indians on the Isthmus of Pana
ma, said the Major, shave great faith il
) the existence of enormous alligators il
G the sea they say that alligators never Oh
e naturally, but after living a time in tn
e rivers, they remove to the ocean, wher
: they grow to an enormous size. Perhap
+ the sight of a sea,serpent or some slmila
s monster ut some time gave rise to thi
5 idea. Almost every nation that lives Of
J the sea-slore has some similar traditions
: and it seems to me that they must hav
foundation. The ocean is vast region
t and, though we sail over it so much w
/ still know almost nothing of its depths
t Doubtless there arc many wonderfI
q creatures there, which, if We should see
t would astonlsh us more than the Sea Ser
j: pent, or the Kraken."
. TO BE CONTINUED
+ Faber's speaking machine is attracting
attention in Germany. It pronounces