New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-08-22
SEASIDE LETTERS.
rur srAsrRPENr ON OUR COAST.


THE sEA-sERPENT ON OUR COAST.
NARRATIVE OF CAREFUL oBsfRvER-AN ANIMAL
RELIEVED TO BE SEA SERPENT APPROACHES
WITHIN TWENTY FEET OF A BRIDGE IN PORT
LAND HARBOR-HIs LENGTH ESTIMATED AS AT
LEAST THIRTY FEEr
fFRoM rHK SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT THE TRTBUNEJ
PRAKE's ISLAND, Me-, Aug. 19.-Premising
that Portland Harbor not waterng-place in want OF
Summer visitors, trust you will bear with me wheh
state that The yerable serpent been seen IN ts
locality. have had long conversation wiz"
Mr.. s. b. Beckett OF Portland who mas "a. %"
tually scen It. Mr.. Beckett is an elderly oi' -.
OF good standing IN the community, ana nus s'
his narrative Impressed as that OF 'iu'l' 80
understand that he has given some a''ou.o" osvotr
study OF natural history and he rs evidently c@ioiU
,nso,.r ~, tao evening OF July g. he was crossing
fr,o ,oe I,ahetb 10 Portland by the bridge OF the
road connecting those places, which passes oNor u" @
of fhe sea The hour a little DeIore U CiySA' ~
skies are bright with twilight here az uucn ia Ou
than in more southerly ATTITUDES ms s'en'ion va
nv group OF boys who were looking at some Cd
-. 49, n,r,h side Of the bridge. On reaching them
he sa an animal which he quite certain appeared 10
h ~ ,e serpent Kind swimming Just under the surface
stne water in curved lines and with horizontal motion
The head OF the serpent quite to the surface ana
rcsembled that OF seal more nearly than that OF any
ether animal He says also, that it reminded him OF
hi
surface while the body generally few inches De-
Low n The neck FOR about three feet from the head was
much smaller than the body which appeared to be at
least six inches in diameter and in the largest part as
large" he says, "fs mans hat"
The opportunity for observing this animal was such
that its size and motion could be noted perfectly as u
freouenty came within 20 feet OF the bridge, and re-
NAMED in the immediate vicinity for least 20 minutes
When Mr. Beckett proceeded to the city the animal still
remained there There seemed to be JOINTS through
OUT the length OF the animal about two feet apart or as
many as eight or all; the effect OF which was 10
produce little rppes waveets In the water above the
body while swimming around. These rippes or waves
crossed the right angles. so that whenever way
the animal turned the rppes followed or ATTENDED hm
goo cause Of these rppes Mr.. Beckett was unable to
ASCERTAIN bat throughout It's entire length the body OF
The animal could De seen between these waves.
The bows were continually throwing such small OBJ
tcs Ne thew could find upon bridge at the serpent,
and on one occasion, when considerable bhet OF WOOD
seemed to strike him. he made plunge, producing
foam around him In the water. He then went OF 10
distance Of 100 feet OF more but returned TO the
bridge The tide was at this time falling, and the ami
mai Kept is head directed toward the bridge manly,
though moving in curves backward and forward, and
occasionally making complete circle; and when
I'm tins position the diameter OF the circle was
estimated at about 70 feet. From this and other care
full obsorv atoms the length Of the serpent was supposed
20 he not less than so feet The animal Of dark
color and had nothing that observed in the shape
OF fps feet or NAME His head was lifted above the
water when the billet Of wood was thrown at him. APP
bearing very smooth and glossy like that OF seal The
water AZ the time was within ten feet Of the rail Of the
bridge and during considerable part OF the time while
Mr Beckett made his observations the serpent came mp
within 20 feet Of the bridge. The depth Of water at the
place OF observation was about five fathoms.
Although this animal thus seen by many other
persons az the time mentioned, there were those TO
whom the facts were related who disposed to be
tcreduious and among them Mr.. Rhodes of Portland,
who has place OF residence the NOnesuch River, in
scarborough quite inclined to laugh at the idea of
the existence OF such animal. But he himself has
aimee that time had occasion to change his views. He
states that about three weeks SINCE time during
the last week july he quite early and went out
with bucket TO get salt water, when he actually
saw animal exactly corresponding to the description
given by Mr.. Beckett Although seen by him at a
sreater than Mr. Beckett he judged the ami
nal 10 be at least 90 feet long having head like that OF
seal and with apparent roughnesses on the back
OF equal distances.
The naturass here are divided in opinion the sub
feet vehemently denounce the whole thing as an
absurdity. declaring that il merely bigsea or
two or "a shoal Of pOrpOses that chasing each
other in row. the surface OF the water. The like
Of the head 70 that OF seal gives color 10 the Tor
mer suppOsOn. on the other hand the men OF science
admit that there impOssibity in the way OF the
existence OF serpent at the present day as there
we're many the geological eras. The majority OF the
uaturasts 10 whom i have spoken about IT merely
smile shrug their shoulders ana decline TO commit
themselves positive opinion " the Commences
OF the sea serpent Of CascO Bay