The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-01-21
MISTAKEN FOR SEA sERPENrs.
President Jordan Tells How the Sail
ors Are Deceived.
From the San Francisco Examiner.

From the San Francisco Examiner.
Palo Alto, Cal, Jan. 3-The question OF
the existence of the sea serpent is
solely one Of fact There is no a priori
reason why such reptiles could not exist
and creatures to which such name
would apply did exist in abundance in
mesozoic times Nevertheless, although
there have been many reports Of the dis
coyery of the "sea serpent, " there is not
at present the slightest positive evidence
TO prove that such n creature now inha-
bits the sea II is not within the realm
of probability that any marine reptile of
large size other than sea turtles now eX-
lists.
The sea has been as fully explored as
the land The fishes of the sea, from the
surface to the depth Of five miles, are as
well known as the animals of similar size
on any of the continents except Europe
The larger animals which swim near the
surface in the open ocean are for the most
part well known and have been known
ever since oceanic navigation began
Probably not half dozen species OF ma
rine animals reaching length OF fifteen
feet have been discovered in our century
Most Of those now known were known to
the ancientS
The sea serpent stories may be CLASH
fed as follows
/, pure inventions, forecastle yarns,
etc
2. Alcoholism.
g. Stories with a foundation Of fact
the basis being a seal, a fragment of a
wreck, long strip of kelp, or some
other natural object mistaken for SER
pent.
4. Practical Jokes, as the india rubber
sea serpent seen on Silver Lake, New
York, about 1855. This appeared usually
in the evening and in sight Of the veranda
of the hotel
5. The great oar fish, or king of the
behring's, (Regalecus glesne) This is a
long, slender, ribbon-shaped fish of the
open sea. IL swims in swift undulations,
with great speed, on the surface Of the
water. II reaches length of twenty
feet or more The dorsal fin on its head
forms a high crest, like the name of a
horse, and the fish altogetheris striking
object. II has been but once taken in Amer
lean waters specimen having once came
ashore at Bermuda some years ago. This
fish is remotely allied TO the mackerel
According to DIR. Goode, all the stories of
sea serpents with ''upreared head and the
name Of horse" can be referred to
Regalecus.
A smaller fish Of this type, too small TO
seem like a serpent is occasionally taken
of our coast, and known as the king of
the salmon, (Trachypterus rex-salmono-
rum The Chinook Indians believe that
il this fish is caught the salmon will cease
running. A similar noxious influence is
exerted by the birth of twins. Other
swift-moving, ribbon shaped surface
fishes, as the thread eel, the cutlass fish,
etc, have peen reported as young sea SER
penis.
g. The great frill-shark (Chlamydosela-
chus anguineus) has been reported as a
sea serpent. II was correctly drawn as
such by Maine fisherman before its oc-
currence in the Atlantic ocean was known.
This is a very rare shark, as slim and
flexible as a snake, and grows TO be some
fifteen feet or more in length. II has the
general structure OF the shark, or, rather
Of the extinct sharks, for one has TO 20
back 10 the carboniferous age to find any
more like him. This shark, with its frill
Of gills about its neck is one Of the rarest
Of fishes, only about four existing in col
lectiOns. II is thought TO be the oldest
living vertebrate, for all other sharks OF
similar structure have long since passed
away. II the original Of the sea serpent