The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-08-07
HAUNTED BY DRAGONS.
A PAIR OF FEARFUL MONSTERS
FOUND IN CALIFORNIA.

neither FISH FlSSn NOT FOWL, buL q
Hideous Combination Of Al-Story
That Puts Joe Mulhstton to the
Blush-Possible Explanation.
From the ST LOUIS Republic.
SAN Francisco, CAL, Aug. 3.-A nun
Der Of persons living in the vicinity Of
Reedley, Fresno county, Cal, all reputable
citizens, too. according to a Chronicle
correspondent. swear that they have seer
aud hunted two dragons with wings fifteen
feet long, bodies without covering of hair
or feathers, head broad, bills long
and wide, eyes not less than four inches
in diameter and with feet like those Of
an alligator. somewhat though more
circular in form. They had five toes on
each foot, with a strong claw on each, and
its track is IL inches wide and 10 inches
long. These strange creatures were frst
seen southeast of Selma, on the night Of
July II, and their peculiar cries and the
rushing of their mammoth wings were
heard as late as 10 o'clock. when all became
still The dragons were last heard that
night crying in the direction Of Kings
river.
BRIGHTEN A PICNIC.
Two nights later A. X Simmons poul-
try yard was visited by the monsters, many
of the hens being bitten in two and left
partly devoured. Those who examined the
dead chickens say the teeth-marks on them
resemble those made by a very large dog.
On July 10 a carriage loaded with picnick-
ers was returning from picnic at CLARK
bridge, and in the clear moonlight saw
the monsters plainly circling IN the
air and heard the rush Of their pinlons,
swapping of their jaws and fearful cries
overhead On Monday, July 81. Harvey
Lemon and Maj Henry Haight. who live
Just outside Of Selma, going after their
hogs, who fed on the Tules, heard
struggling noise in the deep swale under
bridge, and in a moment, with heavy
fappIng Of wings, the queer creatures rose
slowly from the water, flying so close to
the men that the wind from the tremendous
wings was plainly felt. Their description
of the monsters tallies with that Of the per-
sons who saw them on the 18th and 18th.
AFTER THE MONSTERS.
J. D. Daniels of Sanger heard of the mat
ter and joined party of five that were
going out to capture or kill the dragons and
he tells the following story, after reporting
that their first nights watch at Hog lake
was a Disappointment:
About 10 o'clock that day Thursday,
Emanuel Jacobs came in and reported that
the monsters had evidently been in Horn
valley, about four miles above, the night be-
fore. They had killed a number of ducks,
and the banks of the pond were strewn with
feathers. We had no intention of giving
over the plan of capturing the drag
ons. and Thursday night two of us
to watch, Mr.. Templeton and my
self. We secreted ourselves in the holes
which we had made the night before and
waited patiently with our guns, determined
20 secure one OF the strange visitors at least,
hould they make their appearance. About
II O'Clock the cries were heard in the dirsc-
lion of Kings river, seeming two or three
niles away. The ominOus yells drew nearer,
and In few moments we heard the rush
md roar of wings, so hideous that our hair
almost stood on end. The two dragons came
wooping down and circled round and round
he pond in rapid whirls, screaming hid
'ousiy all the while. We had good view
# them while flying two or three times.
THE GREAT BRUTE WINGED.
"They passed within few yards of us,
md their eyes were plainly visible. We
,ould also see that, instead of bills like
birds, they had shouts resembling that OF
he alligator, and their teeth could be seen
ss they snapped their jaws. while passing.
Evidently the dragons were trying to de-
side whether or not they should come down
n the pond. They were probably examin-
ng il there was any food to be had such
IS ducks, mud hens and fish At length
they came down with a fearful plunge into
the pond, and the mud aud water few az
though a tree had fallen into 1t. They
Owed around in the water and, as we could
judge at the distance of thirty yards, they
were something over six feet long, and while
wading through the water they looked not
unlike gigantic frogs. Their wings were
folded and appeared like large knobs on
their backs Their eyes were the mos
visible parts and seemed all the time wide
open and staring. They were very aetiv'
and dArted about among the tules and rusheI
catching mud hens. One Of these fowls wa
devoured at two OF three chomps of tn
jaws. As soon as we saw good opportunity
we leveled our guns at the one nearest u
and fired. One rose In the air, yelled ant
flew away. Every stroke of the win
showed great strength. The other 1ounderec
about in the water until in reached thu
edge of the pond, when 1t crawled out, drag
ging along its wounded wing after 1T, anC
started across the plain. We loaded on
guns and gave chase. We soon lost sigh
of it, for it went much faster than we could
However, we were able to follow by it
dismal cries In the distance We followed
it half mile, when it passed out of oul
hearing. The next day company went ii
pursuit and trailed it by the blood on tn
grass. IL was followed three miles to tn
Jumper slough, which it entered, and al
trace of it was lost. Where it passed dowr
the bank it left several well-formed track
in the mud. One of the best was cut GU
with a spade, and after drying was takel
to Selma, where it is in the possession o
Mr.. Snodgrass. "
ANTEDILUvIAN sAURIANS.
The most probable solution of the matte
is thot these dragons are solitary specimen
OF some geological animal supposed to b
extinct. 1t tallies most nearly with the de
scription of the pterodactyl, a weird, noe
turDal vampire half bird, half lizard
that infested the vast swamps of tn
earth III the carboniferous age. Tn
pterodactyl is described by biologists a
attaining size often four times as large a
the eagle, while the bill became snout anC
its molth was set with CHASTITY teeth, and /
devoured birds, reptiles and all small aui
mails that came in its way. 1t may be tina
this species of animals has not become en-
tirely extinct. as has been supposed, bu
that these are veritable pterodactyles.
lt may be possible that in the lmmens
sultry and miasmal swamps surrounding
Lake Tuiare these hideous monsters hav
survived the destruction Of all their kindre
ard have come down to the present day
There are places IN that vast expanss o
swamp bordering the lake on which n
human being ever set foot. The Tules grow
a perfect wilderness and they may have fur
nished a refuge for these hideous things un
til the present day. The search for tn
monsters will be carefully carried on, an,
the hunters believe that ere many DAYS the
will secure this wounded mammoth bat
lizard, which is creating no end of tall
among the scientists of California to-day