Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1892-10-21
rERRORS OF THE OCEAN.
MARINE MONSTERS THAT TNEEST
THE SEAS DEPTHS.


River Inlet, Florida-pienty OF
Great Sea SerpeDts in the Past
INCREASED f1ith in The existence
of an unknown marine reptile OF
vast size is felt since the recent an
nouncement by Professor Holder of
the discovery OF the actual carcass OF
such a creature in Florida. According
to his account. the Rev. DR.. Gordon, of
Milwaukee, President OF the United
States Humane Socicty. was fishing in
New River Inlet, when the fakes Of his
anchor caught and pulled to the surface
the Gead body OF snake like animal
forsy-two fee: long, though lacking both
head and tail. 1t was partly deconposed
and the belly was ripped open. Two
small fiippers were remarked. With the
intention to preserve its bones, 1t was
dragged up on shore and left to rot; but
most unfortunately hurricane came,
and this invaluable find was swept away
bv the waves and lost. Nevertheless,
the record of it confirms the attitude OF
science in this matter, which has never
denied the possible survival of certain
gigantic reptillian types Of past ages,
which would correspond fairly we'll with
the numerous descriptions OF toe alleged
sea serpent. Although such theory is
pooh poohed by the ignorant, Agassiz
believed in it, as d , many eminent think
ers to-day, basing their opinion upon
the affirmative testimony Of eye-wit-
nesses. When it is considered that two
thirds of the earth's surface is covered
nf
and miles beneath the waves, has never
been approached by human explorer,
who can say what huge and forml less
monsters may not Turk there in the dark
ness of an aqueous night never illumined
by a suns ray2
The description given by the Rev. DR..
Gordon of the carcass found by him in
New River Inlet, might apply very we'll
to certain gigantic reptiles Of the Gre
taceous Epoch, exceedingly numerous in
those days which are supposed to have
been the ancestors of modern snakes and
lizards. One species, the Clidastos, was
about the same size, attaining a length of
forty-tvc feet. Another, the Mosasaurns
maximus was nearly twice as big, measur-
ing when full grown not less than eighty
feet. Yet larger was the Liodon, hugest
of all the mighty saurians of that van
ished era, which had long muzzle that
is surmised to have Eeen used as a ram
in fighting. These enormous creatures,
in general form resembling eels,
plowed the waters with four paddles
and propellor-like tail in pursuit of the
fishes which were their food. Their
heads were large and fiat, and they
swallowed their prey whole, being able
to take IN animals of greater girth than
themselves, owing to the arrangement Of
their jaws, which were provided midway
in their length with hinges. When they
lived, this continent was lower than it is
now. New Jersey and Delaware, as well
as most of the southern States, were
under water, and the Rocky Mountains,
in places 10. 600 feet less elevated than
at present, appeared as a range separated
from the valley of the Mississippi by
broad expanse of salt water, that was in
fact an inland sea, teeming with animal
life.
In those days real sea serpents not
only existed, but their numbers were al
most l1calcuable, as is proved by their
bones left behind in the rock Of subsequent
formations, and in many cases SO per-
fectly preserved that entire skeletons
have been found and mounted in the
museums. Professor .. G. Marsh, OF
New Haven, speaks of having seen as
many as six of these fossil monsters ia
view at the same time in one small
gallery out West. After all, the question
is merely one Of size, inasmuch as marine
snakes are very plentiful at present in
some parts of the world. They swarm in
the Indian Ocean, and naval officer was
telling me the other day that he had seen
them in shoals of thousands together in
the Gulf of Siam. So numerous were
they that it was necessary to thread the
cables, while at anchor, through barrels,
IN order to prevent the reptiles from
climbing up the ropes and coming
aboard while the ship was at anchor.
Nor was such precaution by any mean:
superduous, owing to the fact that, a:
one may learn by turning to the Standard
Natural History, these serpents are most
dangerously poisonous.-Boston Tran,
script.