The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-09-27

the Form of q Snake with a Head Like
that of an Ailigator-Length of the
Monster is Estimated to be at Least One
Hundred Feet and 1t Goes Through the
Water Like an Express Train-DetaiIs
of the fright.
New York, Sept. 26.-The Sun will
print the following in the morning:
Another chapter has been added to
the rather fragmentary history Of the
great sea serpent. The story comes
from the Jersey coast, and its sponsor
is Willard P. Shaw Of IL Wall st. Not
only did Mr.. Shan have an excellent
view Of the monster, but his wife, their
9-year old son and Miss Ella B. D.
Salter of Patterson, who was visiting
at the Shaw's cottage at Spring Lake,
also watched 1t for several minutes.
Moreover, a neighbor who was walking
along the beach observed the phenome-
non, and his observations tally exactly
with those of the Shaw party.
AS it is MIR. Shaw who is sponsor for
the story, it is worth while to take into
consideration four point regarding him
subject to- hallucina tons; third, his
sight is excellent, and, fourth, his ver-
acity is unimpeachable. The same is
true of the other observers. Mr.. Shaw
who Is lawyer at Al Wall ST, lives in
Paterson, and has cottage at Spring
Lake, n. j. just across the road from
the sea beach.
Yesterday afternoon he, Mrs. Shaw,
Miss Salter and young Willard Shaw
were sitting on the front porch which
overlooks the sea, trying to keep cool,
The afternoon was calm and hot, and
the only motion of the water was a
long,quiet swell breaking monotonous-
ly on the beach. The ton,
which had been desultory, had almost
died away, and about 1:30 Mrs. Shaw
was considering the advisa bility of go
Ing UP stairs for a nap, when Miss Sal
ter. who had been looking intently out
to sea toward the north, said: There's
something strange OFT there in the wa
ter, and it is coming this way"
Looking where she pointed, the 9TH
ers saw a black object projecting from
the water, and about a considerable
commotion
Perhaps its a school of porpoises"
suggested Mr.. Shaw.
'Or a whale" exclaimed the boy.
1t dosn't act like a whale l ever
saw, and I've seen a good many" re-
piled Mr. Shaw, shading his eyes with
his hands, land it certainly is not por-
poises. If L believed in such things I
should say it-Well, bring out the big
glasses"
Running into the house the boy
quickly came out with a pair of very
powerful field glasses. Boy like, he
held them to his own eyes for a mo-
ment before giving them to his father
and on getting the object in range he
cried: why. papa, it's big snake"
MIR. Shaw took one long look at the
creature in the water and passed the
glass to Miss Salter, who. after using
1t, handed it to Mrs. Shaw. Then they
all looked at one another.
The sea serpent they said stimuli
taneously, and hurried down to the
beach BY this time the creature, which
was blowing through the water with
tremendous rapidity, had reached a
point opposite them. Judging from the
hshing net poles set out in the water
Mr.. Shaw thinks that it must have been
about half mile out from shore, but
where the excursion steamers usually
run. The water there is so or 20 feet
deep. AS there were no waves to i'm
pede the sight an excellent view was
obtained Of the monsters every motion
AS near as they could judge the SER
pent was from Is to 100 feet long. The
head, which projected above the wa
ter as it swan, was fiat-Snouted like
an alligator's head. 1t seemed FIVE or
six feet long, and as large as a flour
barrel in circumference. No part of
the body was as large as the head.
the mean diameter being perhaps two
feet Its tail was long and tapering.
In color the creature was very dark
cAllld bar
tentacles projecting from the head, as
described in the case Of the serpant re-
Gently alleged to have been seen in
Long Island Sound. 1t made no noise,
but the water was greatly stirred up
by its movements.
Progress was made by series of
writing movements. not sidewise, but
up and down. Its speed was estimated
as bein gat least 40 miles an hour. At
times nearly all the body could be seen
as the huge serpent contorted itself,
and again only the head was out of
water From the time it was first sight
ed TO the time it disappeared in the dis
tance the head was not once Withdrawn
beneath the surface of the water.
Evidently the serpant had some def
mite objective point in view" said Mr.
Low in describing it, for il never
paused or turned from its course but
kept pointing south, skirting the coast
at a distance of half mile out \ lit
tie further in it would have struck the
nets, and then there would have been
a fine commotion, l suppose. Luckily
the creature kept to the deeper water
/ think if il had turned toward the
shore | should have been inclined to
collect the family and run for the wood.
1T was in sight for more than seven
minutes. When Miss Salter first saw
the serpent it was more than two
miles down the shore and altogether
we must have seen il cover considera-
bly, more than five miles. l should say
that 80 miles an hour was moderate
estimate OF the speed. In describing
our strange visitor generally. | should
say that il looked like an enormous
smootheskinned serpent, with an alli-
gator-like head
After the monster had vanished from
sight. its uplifted head being the last
thing seen, the spectators went back
TO the porch TO talk il over. In copar-
ing observations they found that all
their estimates agreed. While they were
talking a neighbor who occupied cot
tage not far from Mr.. Shaw's came
breathleSs and in great excitement.
Il have seen the sea-Serpent." he
gasped when he reached the porch. Il
was walking along the beach and saw
1t as plain as | see you now. swimming
south faster than amy steamer that ev-
er fioated. out beyond the fish poles.
Didn't any OF You see it,
They assured him that they had all
seen il. and asked for his description
OF il. which he gave. 1t Tailed with
theirs exactly.
Before he went away he said 10 Mr..
Shaw: Il hope that you'll make this
thing public. I'll so at any time and
take oath to what / have seem
In his excitement the neighbor went
away without giving Mr.. Shaw his