The Delta independent., 1890-08-26
On Sea serpent. and Other Things.

As the world is again being stirred up by
the xanderful accounts of sea serpents and
otherwise, it Nigh. be we'll at this junction
to state u few frcts upou ths scene and call
attention to some of the strange serpents that
have been seen and observed in n partially
scientific manner by the writer. In 1850,
while exploring the waters of suzzard's Bay
in the interest Of the fish commission, it was
observed by our party one inarxing shas the
small fish, such as q in schools, were strange
ly asitated aHd frightened, and later OH, out
in tn. bay could be seen 1t short intervals =
prisIaatic ribbon about so TO 100 feet long,
dar,Ing here and there as if in pursuit Of
something. The boat was manned, and
armed with spears and shot guns We started
for the flashes that seemed at times to re-
s=mble an animated rainbow. When the
boat had got within fifty yards a volley Of
buck shot WIS bred at the strange creature,
but the shot ratified and rolled off his radiant
arnior Us if it were steel plate, still it had
the effect of causing him to raise his head
FROM the water in graceful curve, to the
height of about twenty feet, showing q head
much in shape Ike that Of q swapping turtle,
though both upper ana lower jaws were mov-
able and there were fills about the throat ~
in some spcies of toaas; there was . dorsal
fin about three feet high and twelve feet long
aud in place of the pectoral FMS were legs,
on the outer edge of which were long bristles
of every imaginable color. In an instant
after raising his head, the animal dove and
started for the mouth of the Warehan river
near mile distant ct the upper ehd Of the
bay. By the wake he lett We could easily
follow, though fur behind. In about ten Sec
onds flash appeared to cross he long sand
spit at the mouth of the river and continue
up river toward the village. When the
boat reached the sand spit, G deep trench
was found through it, about 400 feet in
length and from five TO seven feet wide. A
broken scale was found, oval in shape, about
two inches wide and four and a half inches
long; it was so hard that knife would not
cut it though it woald readily bend and isa--
outer surface was covered with minute trian-
gular pyramids. These, evidently were what
gave sach a changing briliauey to the eolor.
The course was continued mp river to the
town and there the river became smaller, ssd
piling at the rolling mill wharf and broke
of these piles and upset an oyster aretger.
continuing down the stream for about .
mile he at length rose in the form Of an arch
and made dive into the mud bank and dis
appeared. The truth Of the above can b
vsuched for by the oyster men and mill
hands and also many OF the citizens Of the
town of Wareham, Mass.
Another claim that the writer believes hs
is justly entitled to is the true discovery ef
the cause of lost rivers, such as the Mimbres,
San Pedro and Hun,boli, rivers that gradual
", or pehaps, suddenly lose their water on
reaching the deep lose soil OF the plains.
Some years ago, being on the lower Santa
Cruz, one of the lost streams of Southern
Arizona, while sitting in the shade of q huge
Mesquite, iookiug at the river in front Of ma
and wondering how such body OF water
could be lost only u mile below, l heard .
strange grating sound up the stream and saw
the trees and brush sway to and fro as IL
there was some great subterranean commo-
tion. While gazing at the peculiar scene.
there slowly came ont from the bank into the
stream huge earth worm about three fees
IN CfaHettr auu MY ot siAts ieet ioh6 snA
continued his course down stream; until Q
little below where sat, too much surprised
or frightened to move, then with the slight.
est downward move of the pointed head, IL
slowly sunk down into the earth followed BY
the entire waters Of the Santa Cruz river.
Tie same thing has been observed 80 the
San Pedro, and slowly but surely the evi.
dence in accumulating that will work mar
velous change in the opinions OF the scieu-
tifc wo5ld.
Nearar home there are evidence OF these
huge earth worms. Around the lakes and
marshes OF the Grand Mesa there are indica-
tions that show their cxistance, though their
natural habitation is many feet beaeath the
surface Of the earth. About u month ago
one of these huge worms passed from Eggles-
ton to Barren Lake but as no part OF tho
route was OH the surface except at the marsh
in the proposed channel to act rs an over deu
to Egyleston there was NO drainage - The
lake. There is evidently small QUE In tAa
M arsh eastward from the Alexander -
Forrest lakes but as far as eau be learned u
has come to the surface but once this ssasoa.
That tAey are harmless it Is needless =
state. though it may be sugsested, thst ~
destruction Of costly, aud appsrsutiy sesaro
dams and embankn,ents, may possibly b -
tribated to this strange under grsand woshr
or. cHInoln.