Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-08-15
An UNKNOWN MONSTER.
A Queer Marine Animal that Was
Captured in Tennessee.
Nashville American.

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Captured in Tennessee.
Nashville American.
a strange marine monster was
brought to this city yesterday, and
will be pat on exhibition this week in
building near the square. Bill Or
ley and Nick Moley, two old fisher
men, caught it in the river just above
the water-works few days ago, and
since that time it has been fastened
securely to the river bank by stakes
driven around its body, in addition to
which it is hog chained by the tail to
the bank When seen in this position
Yesterday 1t appeared to be about the
SIZE of a large Newfoundland dog. 1t
had webbed feet, that were attached
to the body by legs without joints.
It's body and back, except the ston,
ach, is covered with large diamond
shaped bony scales. The long, course
yellow hair growing out of these
scales and the skin, which bulges out
in wells between the scales, hangs
together like that on an Angora goat,
and is as course and tough as cocoa
nut-skin fbers. But its mouth is well
worth detailed description. 1t is
certainly the most hideous opening
that is developed in the countenance
of any animal extant, or told about
by scientists. 1t is about the size of
that of large alligator, but shaped
| like that of shovel nosed shark, be-
ing very blunt at the end. And the
teeth! There are no less than three
rows of them in both the upper and
lower part Of the mouth. The teeth
are all short, diamond shaped and
Jagged, the upper rows fitting into the
lower rows, and the jaws working lat
orally so as to make the teeth grind 10
powder everything that falls into
them. The reptile, devil fish, or
whatever it is, crawls sideways like
crab, and its eyes are placed one
above the other in the top of the skull
and bulge out like the pegs of hat
rack. There are no lids to the eyes,
50 that the animal cannot wink, but
it pops its eyes in and out of the sock
cts SO fast when the moEster is angry
that the nslse made by this working
Of the eyes is similar to the sound
made by a cows feet when the ami
NAL is walking in soft, deep mud.
The tail is shaped like that Of bea-
yer, and is covered with warts of
various sizes, the smallest being about
the size of a dime, and the largest
about the size of half-dollar. Each
of these warts seems to possess the
power of moving separately from the
other, and when the wh.ie mass gets
working it is something frightful to
| behold. 1t has rather more the ap-
pearance of a swarm of bees hanging
from the limb of a tree than anything
else, and IS altogether the most sick
ening sight imaginable. The whole
animal is covered with a thick, green
slime, which seems to ooze out of its
body, and especially its tail, where it
seems to originate from the center of
small mouths or openings, one of
which is in the centre of each of the
warts mentioned. When prodded
with a stick the animal snaps its eyes,
grinGs its teeth, and each particular
hair stands on end, and every inch of
its body seems to writhe and squirm
and jerk on its own account and in
the manner and direction that seems
to give it most comfort The tongue
is forked and black and darts out and
Robert Graves saws Mr.. Cave Will
Hams has offered large price for the
annoal, and will probably exhibit it in
wagonbed especially constructed for
the purpose, on the public square.
The two fishermen who captured it
have followed this means of making
livelihood for many years. 1t seems
that the existence of this animal has
! been known to them and number of
old river men in this city for a num-
Der of years. They say it has made
its abode under a high bank on the
left hand side as you go up the river,
in place suitable for such terrible,
uncanny-looking thing to live without
molestatlon They have been much
annoyed by this reptile, and have
been put to a great deal of expense in
repairing their lines, as fish-hooks
seemed only to whet its appetite. AS
| if oy instinct, it knew when and where
the lines were set, and would wait to
| devour the bait and destroy the lines,
which it did almost every night. But
lately new method was resorted to
for dealing. with the monster. which
resulted in its capture, to the great de-
light, as well as establishment, OF both
the fishermen. Instead of resorting
to the old method of fishing, they pro
cured long, heavy clotheswire and
stretched it midway across the river.
1t was attached to the end of a ten
gallon key that acted as buoy. To
anchor it down an old iron cog wheel
was used. About sixty feet from the
shore the bait was set III a large steel
trap and let down. 1t was not long
before it was gobbIed. as a fisherman
who was looking after other lines dis
covered The key was seen bobbing
up and down and suddenly disappear
altogether The commenced to haul
in the line, and came very near up
setting their skitf. The reptile by
this time was furious, and lashed the
waters INTO white foam. 1t was
found impossible to land it with the
boat, and it took two hours to pull the
beast out on dry land. An old fish
me- was promptly thrown over it, and
secured by driving stakes around the
outside. The monster bit, snapped.
and struggled all night to free itself,
until finally, when he was exhausted,
five men brought it across the river in
fatboat and left it at an old saw
mill, just above the water orks,
where his satanic majesty now re-
poses. There the reptile has since
been viewed by the curious hundreds
of people who have been going there
to see the brute.
Narrow ESeann