Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1886-02-06
A DEVILS LAKE MYSTERY.
A Sea Serpent Rampant in the
Waters of Our Lake.

A Sea Serpent Rampant in the
Waters Of Our Lake.
Way back in the Indian mythology of
the northwest there Is an historical log
end based upon the sudden and myste-
rious disappearance Of a large band Of
Chippewa warriors In a sunken lake In
the southeastern portion Of what is now
the Devils Lake Indian reservation.
There is a gentleman residing In this
city today whose rapidly whitening hair
Is tho marvel Of his friends. Between
the Indian legend and the freak ofnature
pertaining to the hair there would at
first appear to be no connecting link.
but Major Benhan, though his head is
white as snow, aud though he may live
to the ago of Methuzleh. wifi never for
get his strange experience on Devils
lake. The Denham posteritv will hand
the story down for as many generations
as tho legend OF the sunken lake has
livcd, aud no doubt tho two even Is, half
u thousand years hence, will be handled
by tho historians Of the day as collateral
occurrences. The Major has been in the
history business himself, aud being ia
miliar with the general unrelisbility OF
historians, he has requested the INTER-
OCEAN to exercise especial care In relat-
ing the particulars Of his recent adven-
ture. lest the Humes and Macaulays of
future ages may inadvertently get his
name into their hooks ~ that Of q Chip
pewa chief.
Not far from the south shore Of Devils
lake may yet bo seen an immense area of
sunken land surrounded by high aud
rocky banks. At the bottom of this
vast depression are tho pstriaed
trunks Of thousands Of trees. The
Indian chiefs Of the reservation loo X
upon the spot with reverentisl awe.
They say that the depression was once
tillod with water. Many years ago,
during one Of the numerous bloody bat
ties which occurred between tho Sioux
and Chippewas, the latter being repulscd
by the former, were retroating in their
canoes across this body Of water, when
an immense animal, resembling tur-
tic, arose from tho bottom OF tho lake
aud crawled out upon the blood d-stain cd
shore. II would seem that this monster
animal had been lying over the mouth of
subterranean passage, and when 1t
withdrew from tho lake the water natur-
ally disappeared through tho tunnel, TAX
ing tho defeated band of Chippcwas with
1t. That was tho last ever seon of tho In.
dians. but tho turtle passed rapidly over
land In an oasterly direction towards
Lako Wamduska, ana long narrow de-
preston In the ground, reaching from
tho sunken lake to VAN luska, still re.
mains to mark the course over which
the turtle travelled. The terrible stencil
hat subseq uently arose from the mouth
of the underground tunnel was sufficient
evidence that the Chippewa band had
perished. This discovery was made by
party Of Sioux squaws who were pass.
ing along the shore Of the sunken lake
soon after the disappearance Of the Chip.
pewas. The awful smell made the
squaws sick, and several of them died.
This fact Is positive proof that the
stencil must have been horriblo! The
trees which stood about the shore Of tho
lake and In the watcr were wrenched
from their roots and twisted off by the
turtle In his efforts to get on dry land
and In evidence of this the petrified
stumps and logs may yet be seen in and
around the sunken lake.
Old man Graham, who traded with
tho Indians about Devils lake as
early as 1912, and for whom Ora.
hams island Is named, has handed
down another chapter in the history of
the animal monster. He saw 1t make
its exit from what is now known a.
Stump lake. Following the trail 1t made
many years before, tho animal took up
Its habitation In Devils lake proper. The
commotion OF the waters, when 1t
plunged into tho lake, wassuch 81 to up.
set number Of canoes In which were
many Sioux warriors, several OF them
being drowned. This story Is borne out
by the fact that the Sioux have evory
since avoided tho waters Of Devils lake,
as we'll for bathing as for boating
purposes.
As we come down to the ago Of tho liv-
ing, wo find new proofs of the existence
ofa strange animal that has chosen to
make Its homo in tho waters of Devils
lake. Old Iron Heart, one of the chiefs
now living on the Totten reservation,
positively af3rms the Graham narrative
He has seen tho monster In the lake.
Once, since Ft. lotion was established,
old Iron Heart came running into tho
post and directed the attention Of George
Faribault to an immense serpent which
he said was wsllowing about in the shoal
water near the little speck OF an island
which lies just northwest Of the fort. Mr..
Faribault got spy glass and repairing
to high point near the present agency
school, he carefully examined the sur.
face Of tho lake, but could 500 nothing