The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-02-22
Sea Serpemts Seen.
From the New York Herald


Now the "Toilers of the Sea" tell us
of a veritable sea serpent. The story is
a strange one, and it is but natural that
there should be sceptical landlubbers,
ay, and mariners, too, who will question
the veracity of the assertion that one of
those Shiny monsters of the deep has
come to the surface of the waters and
given a free and unexpected exhibition
OF has awful proportions to the men who
go down to the sea in ships" Tidings
Of the temperance Of "the" sea ser
pent, or serpents, is brought to the world
ashore by
A YANKEE CAPTAIN,
and, strangely cOincident, by the master
OF the ship Sea Serpent, owned by Grim
hell, Minturn & Co., of New York. With
a view to throwing further light upon
the p~hOsphOric subject, which was con-
veyed to the Herald Admiralty Bureau
upon the arrival Of the favored ship, Il
representative of this journal wendell
his way along Fur1nan street yesterday,
while the bells were summOning the
Bro0klynites to church to hear the mys-
teries of faithan redemption. His des-
tlnatiOn was Prentice's dock, ut the foot
OF which was mOOred the Sharp-prOwed
craft which bore the gallant crew that
SAW THE MONSTER.
1t was not without danger (tllat Of
slipping off the icy Jacobs ladder which
led up from the dock to the bulWarks)
and difficulty that the quarter deck Of
the shipwas reached. The officer hailed,
"HallO! there is the Captain aboard? ?"
A repetition OF the inquiry elected al
answer. A cOlOred man emerged from
the cabin hatchway and led the searcher
after truth concerning the mysteries of
the deep to the Captain. He was met
by a tall, fine looking man, with patri-
arcIlal growth Of beard, OverwhOse head
had doubtless, though lightly, passed not
less than sixty years. The wavesand buff
lettings of Old Neptune had failed to Sc
riOusly furrOw his bland, genial counter
ance o. dim the luStre Of a pair of sharp,
twinkling hazel eyes. He advanced to
meet his visitor, and shook hands warmly
ere he had been informed us to the ma
turo OF the commission upon which the
scribe vas bent.
"Captain White, I presumc?n
"Ihats my name, sir. | am glad to
see you take a seat"
You report having seen
SEA SERPENT.
| am a representative of the Herald, and
have called to CLEAN such circumstances
connected with your extraordinary ex-
perlence as you may be able togiye upon
the subject"
"Well, sir, know atthere are many
people who won't believe WhatI have to
say on the subject. That does not after
the case, however. W~hatIhave reported
is true; but it is Just this way the ma
jOrity Of folks will say, oh yes, that
will do for a yarn; it's another Nahant
story Nahant is q watering place neal
Boston, Mass, and generally OpensabOut
the latter partO May. Thenewspapers,
when they want to attract early atten-
ton to that popular resort, circulate all
sorts OF rnmOrs about the sea serpent
having made an appearance at Nahant.
These stories have been given out so of
ten that people nowadays laugh at then
repetition"
1--WE cannot helpdoubting Thomases
Captain, but let those who will believe
have tho facts. if you please, as concise,
ly as possible"
Why, bless your heart, I have seer
a sea serpent before, about twenty-five
years ago"
l do not recOllect reading of the circum.
stance"
ct was in the South Pacific Ocean
off Juan Fernandez. l saw it quite
plainly. | made no particular note OF
it at the time and did not report it tt
age. Well, sir, I was on the quarter
deck of the ship on May Is, 1872. WI
were off Norfolk Island, in latitude 3d.:
50 south, longitude 170:41 east, abOu
six thousand miles from San Francisco
bound tor Hong Kong, when the mel
who were out on the f%oretOpsaiI yard
engaged in reeting sail, sung out to me
look over the side and just see what
over there! !" | ran to the rail, andupO1
looking Over-It was blowing a Drett7
fresh breeze at the time, though there
was not much of a sea OH saw, dis
tant only four o six feet from til,
ships weather quarter,
A HUGE MONSTER.
We were going, according to log, fv,
knots an hour. AS I made the reD
tile ont it was a sea serpent o
deep brown color, and not less thai
fifty feet in length from head to tip o
the tail. It was two feet in diameter
The head was somewhat larger thai
the rest of the body. When the mon
ster was about twenty feet astern of tn
ship it raised it's head abou4 four fee
above the water, and, opening an enOr
mousmOuth, CAPPED or yawned, as thoug1
just awakened from sound sleep.
could not distinguish the color of it
eyes. Before my establishment 'hat
subsidized I observed, as also did tn
entire ships crew, another simila
serpent,
COILED Up; AS THOUGH ASLEEP,
floating by Oh the lea SIDE"
"It is a truly wonderful story, Can
tain; but.183 will be noted for its man.
contributions to stories of the sea
There have been several storms, wrecks
waterspOuts and other phenomena, an
is it not highly probable that matter
and things beyond the vastly deep ma
have become so d~isarranged as to dis
cOmft the monsters by~driving them t
the surface?"
, "That is very true. What makes
more remarkable is that upon the ster
of this ship T two large guilt figures G
sea serpents cooled up-emblematic {
: the nam of the yessel.n
"Have you ever seen sea serpents ur
on occasins other than those you hay
mentioned F
"No, sir; I never have, and i hav
= been going to sea for about fifty years.
Show long did you keep the reptile
, in sight?7
"Not long. Like all bad character
: THEY RAN AWAY EROM US
as fast as they could. The serpent
, spoke of having seen off Juan FernaT
:, DEE gave a longer view Of itself. ]
, passed the ship going to WindWard, an
b. Ehnu T1NTT71HnH nud V.o5oo ccoI IN AIa l.