Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-08-24
BRANT ROCK SEA sERPENTs.
Genuine Monsters Of the Deep on
the South Shore.
A Lady's Unsuccessful Attempt
10 sh0Ot Them from q Cot.
tage on Cut Island.

Boston Globe.
The sea serpent has been seen again.
this time near Brant rock, and under
such circumstances as to warrant
placing considerable reliance upon the
truth OF the appearance as related.
At some distance south of Brant rock
Is Gut Island, q quiet little resort.
which becomes ar island only at high
line when the water fills an irregular
channel known as Cut river, which
surrounds the grove and half a dozen
cottages at the place. 1t is here that
Adelaide Phillips had her summer
house, the cottage called by her name
standing not far from the Webster
House, owned by Fletcher Webster,
a near relative Of the American states
man. This island is sometimes called
Webster Island, but as Cut it is known
by the people residing near by. The
few cottages which stand between a
grove and the sea are 80 near the
water that one can easily toss a stone
from the piazza into the surf.
One evening last week the attention
OF the people living in one of the cot
tages was attracted by . strange crea-
ture in the water. 1t was, according
to the testimony of all observers, about
fifty feet in length and within a few
feet of the shore. 1t had, moreover.
serpent's head, and was progressing
slowly through the water with an un.
dulatory motion, portions Of the back
being visible at different instants.
Mrs. R, one Of the summer res.
idents, and a remarkably COED shot,
ran at once for q gun, and, going down
to the waters edge, fired at the ser.
pent, for such it must have been. The
shot, though doubtless hitting the
mark, took no effect whatever, but
bounded off with rattling sound into
the water. Failing thus to induce his
snakeship to make even q short call,
another summer resident, Miss Annie
Cotton, of Franklin, trained spyglass
on the creature. Before this, how
ever, it was discovered that there were
two serpents, one smaller than the
other, and travelling side by side.
Giving up all attempts to kill or de-
tain them, several people stood on the
shore with field glasses watching their
movements until they disappeared.
Among the observers not mentioned
above were Louis Huntoon, from
Idaho, Beth Treadwell, RobbieTread
we'll and Percy Treadwell. All of
them, though considerably excited by
the strange appearance, gave very
clear accounts of it, and better still,
accounts that did not vary substauti-
ally at each relation.
The appearance Of the first and large
serpent had been described. The wit.
nesses all state that the head was dis
tinctly that of q snake.
Don't you think you saw train of
seals, the one following the other, and
thus making the appearance Of q con-
nected serpent's body2"
"Oh, no; | know what seals are per
fectly well, and this creature was too
large for them, did not look like them,
and did not act like them"
And it was not floating seaweedP"
mot at all. The second serpent,
though it could not be seen quite as
clearly as the FIRST, was smaller, and
quite peculiar in the shape of the head.
There were two features of its head
that looked like large ears, and also
two horns, branching like small ant
lers, projecting from the forehead"
1t is needless to say that this affair
creates considerable excitement in the
vicinity, for the witnesses are so per-
fectly credible that no one doubts that
some remarkable creature was seen,
whether a sea serpent or not, is. of
course, unknown; but this event adds
one more to the list of we'll authenti-
Gated accounts of the existence of
such a reptile. Making all allowances
for the excitement and possible exag-
geration Of the witnesses, it must be
admitted that something has been seen
which cannot be easily named