The New York herald., 1875-11-11
THE BONANZA SEA SERPENT.
A HYDRoPATHIc SNAKE sToRY-sAN FRANCISCO
STILL AHEAD ON HOTELS, sAND-sToR6s,
BANKS, SNAKES AND PREvARIcATIoNs.

A HYDRoPATHIc SNAKE sToRY-sAN FRANCISCO
STILL AHEAD ON HOTELS sAND-sToRMs,
BANKS, SNAKES AND PREvARIcATIoNs
From the Alta California
Colonel Wood says:-Coonel Dinsmore saw TO- day
what satisfied have seen on two different coca
sions within the past twelve months-a SNAKE huge
sea serpent and mistake II was from the ten
minutes to ten A. NJ train from Broadway station,
while coming Long Bridge that Dnsmore
saw II, of to the right from the old boat landing about
midway OF the bridge; but don't want you to this
Information until you Dnsmore Ny education has
inclined me TO dsbelIeve; but since have seen and
heard recent reports and descriptions Of these subma
rine monsters being in other waters have made
up my mind that have seen, right here IN our own
bay, either serpent or what IL lIr haso ~
ways, heretofore reirained from speaking about this
thing because OF the increduous belief OF the puuio IN
tne existence OF sucn animals ana tnIousn, wds nh
the boys might pick and call t one OF "ooas nsn
stories you understandf 80.
Il was about twelve months ago tnis summer
quite early in the morning-between hve and SIX
o'clock-that frat saw this remarkable snake. Twas
about one third OF mile north from the centre Oh
Long Bridge and appeared to be sporting IN the water
which IL agitated violently and ashed into FOAM Its
numerous huge coils, above the water, might
have been taken scramblng group Of seals OF tho
General Grant' or sBen Butler order of Clif House
notoriety and that's what thought at the time and
why said not word But alter later and more dis
tnct observation, and in view OF what | have since
heard, am satisfied that my first spectacle was OF
unity in ono snakeshp OF monsrous dimensions My
second and maj view last month, quite early
In the morning, while was coming out TO Long Wharf
OH the earliest morning train. II was in about the same
line OF observation as my hrst view but not more than
hal so far away. ! had good ana satisfactory view,
when the monster dved under water and lost from
sight. IL stood as erect from the OF the
piles in the slips, and in the uniformity OF its diameter
would judge its measure to be from fourteen To six
teen inches lls
HEIGHT ABOVE THE SURFACE
OF the water ten 10 fifteen feet The head Tesem-
bled that OF lizard bul.rog and dazzling black,
while the throat was pure white From the head, just
above lizard shaped mouth, protrudcd an inch or
pair o deep black eyes half large ordinary
Bauccrs. Tho body, or so much as saw, was striped
In harmonious shades OF black and brown ON the back
and SIDES e stripes running lengthwise, while the
belly almost white Running down the centre OF
The back wds plain TO be OF nn-like rute,
about four width, though the cutice Of the
animal had been drawn tightly over the belly and sides
and pinned back, after the fashion OF the day.
you to Dinsmore before this thing
goes any further. will say, however, that believe
Milton little on for an erect mode OF progression
Is utterly Incompatible with the structure OF serpent
whose motion rs effected by the mechanism of the ver-
tebra column and the multitudiuous ribs which, like
SO many pairs OF levers, enable IL TO move its body
aa from pace 70 piaeo; conseqIen.y naa 'le SNAKES
have been formed on different plan altogether. But
since the fossil serpents hitherto found differ in
essential respects from modern representatives OF the
order must conclude that either Milton greatly erred
that his printer drunk. don't believe the
serpent standing upon its feet but that
1t wrapt in many coils beheath the surface OF the
water, and would probably measure 100 feet
We called upon William &. Dinsmore, at his drug
store, No. 1859 Broadway. We infoime our
friend Dinsmore that had understood he had
Oh the previous day serpent, and
that we wanted the particulars for iem wnercupon
he volunteered description of the animal he had secn
and expressed himself being satisfied that IL
nothing less than real 1--we serpent, whatever
else such mammoth specimen Of the snake species Is
called. II is but fair TO say that Mr. Dnsmore is
Of our pioneers and most reputable cItzen-a forty
miner, and man who, when lie talks, knows what he
Is talking about and who doesn't talk much fun His
description OF the serpent essentially the
That gwen by Colonel Wood, who, we afterward in
formed Mr. Dinsmore had hrst given US the item
THE PLAIN VIEW THE SERPENT
that Mr. DInsmore had while il swimming
along with the rapidity of steam tug, the old
ferry landing, or Long Bridge. Its mead raised
about four feet out OF the water and intervals he
could III its hugo body Mt distance
less than twenty Ave or thirty ieet from its head