Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-10-04
1T WAS SEVERAL MILES LONG
The Sea Serpent as ~een by the Hon.
John Mink.

P-,-0D the Nf3n York Sun.

! NEwBURGH Sept. 25.-The Hon. John
/ Mink, the well-known philosopher and
/ pink Of veracity, who has been running
I summer excursions over the Erie rail-
/ way to COney Island all season, and is re-
/ port to have cleared S15, 900 thereby,
/ say he is ii white punRln" il ne didn't
see the great sea serpent last night. AT
! ter enjOyinga substantial supper IN Mark
! Pindar's restaurant he went to the
stringpiece of the long dock, the wharf at
which the Mary Powell, Albany, and
! other boats land, and threw his line out
into the river In the hopes OF catching
some FISH. His only com paniOn was
| Henry Clay cigar, which he drew upon
| frequently 10. comfort. AS he waited pa
tiently for a nlbble he saw the wonderful
serpent pass up the river on its way to
ROund0ut, where 1t was first dlscoY-
cred.
Say, now, don't you believe me" he
said 10 a reporter today. "Well, do you
see anything the matter with them 'ere
optics o. mine? Whether you see any
thing or not, there's n0thin' ailin' 'em;
and If yOu'll notice, they're as bright as a
newly whItewashed reputation. And
now Pll tell you how 1t was. Invent fish,
in last night, as | often do when not
spending the evening out. Al first, when
| looked south and saw the monster ap-
preaching, | thought It's eyes appeared
like two neadllghts on two locomotives,
one on the Hudson river road and the
Otaer on he opposite side OF the river on
the West Shore. They were tbunderin'
good ways apart, and they sbone as
bright as did the moon when it hove in
si9ht over North Beacon on the Fishkfll
Mountains. The lights approached me
quicker and faster, and | didn't think
they'd be able to get through the pass be-
tw cen old Storm King and PollopePs
Island. But they did, and in their trail
was a long string of what looked ike
green hillocks. There was a great snort
ing AS the serpent approached, and at the
rear end there was a great splashlng OF
the water. The figure appeared in the
moonlight like a letter winding around
in the river, and when the head of the
serpent seemed to pass the island the tail
was thr0win' huge clouds OF ioamg spray
down at West Point. From the island to
the Long Dock the head OF the serpent
scudded through the water like flash.
Just as its head reached the VIM. L.
Harris slip il stopped. 1t looked furious,
and as | thought it had designs on me
iet scared sittin' there on the lonely
stringpiece. the stoppage of the monster
was, however, explained. 1t had no
sooner come to a staudstill than l noticed
one OF the big Albany night boats round
in the island. Fire was comm out OF
its stacks like successive powder eXplS-
sions. 1t had on full steam, and as ii
passed me the pilot blew several whis-
ties, expressing his joy at running down
the monster, which he had been chasln'
through the Highlands at full speed. The
pilot was, however, off on his whistlin'.
| He mad nothin' to histle for. The SER
rent had simply laid TO to let the boat go
| by. If his comm from the island was any
showin' OF what speed he could make,
there's no craft on this river he need get
out the way of. No, not even the new
Newburgh. The fact is, accordin' to my
belief, the monster did not want to take
any chances In the narrow passes up
north OF US. He thought perhaps his ma
chinery might give out, and Newburgh
| Bav being wide and an easy passIn'
place he hove TO and let the big steamer
20 BY. As soon as this was done he
struck cut tor the middle OF the stream
| again. simultaneously, with big snort,
the water began to splash down at Corn
| wall, and when, up above Danskamer
Point, be turned mis- headlights around as
if TO say goodbye to me, the splashin' of
his mammoth tail had not vet reached
| where | sat. Instead of its Dein' a hun
dred feet long, as some accounts have it.,
| il certainly was several miles long, I'M
less there was train Of 'em together. |
| believe, however, there was only one of
| 'em, but he was a big 'un. His head
stood upright. His eyes flashed like
lightning. He tapped mis- gills like an
elephant would flap his ears. The head
looked as big as the pilot house Of a
steamer. In color it was pea green. 1t
would DIP its head occasionally like a
duck. thought at one time I'd get OH
Ger GIynn, who passed down Front
street just before it came in sight, and
lasso the serpent and tie it fast to the dock.
erect a shed over it and put 1t on exhibit
ton. When it's rear passed out of sight,
mp opposite New Hambuugh, the splash
of the water looked like the spray of half
dozen big propeller wheels. BUTT was
of short duration, tor 1t sped out of sight
| like rocket. 1t was close on the big
steamer, and perhaps you may hear now
OF the large boat giving way to the SER
/ ppnt before it reaches Rondout, where il
was first discovered. l fingered on the
! sIringpiece for some hours after its de-
parture, wondering ii my eyes had de-
! ceived me and waitin' for bites. My
| eyes, | determined, were right, just as
! you see them now, but nary bite did
| get. The serpent had driven every fish
! over To the Fishkill fats. and John Nc
Gahey says they are all over there yet as
thn kn AcN OH No he