Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1896-10-01
WHERE SEA SERPENTS ABOUND.
How They Disport Themselves In the
Great MaelstrOm.

HOW Ihey DlspOrG Themselves In the
Great Maelstrom.
Alexander Lewis, an old sea-faring.
! man, says that sea serpents similar to
those exhibited in Tacoma are very
plentiful in north and south polar wa
ters. He tells very interesting story.
In 1852 he was seaman on. the Amer
lean bark Oregon, Capt. Shields, sail
ing from Antwerp, Belgium, to the
Arctic sea, after seals. They passed
North cape. the northern extremity Of
| Norway, $50 miles east of which is the
great maelstrom, the whirling inlu-
ence of which is felt at sea distance of
100 miles from the center. Though the
government of Norway has made care
full experiments, it has been found dan
gerous for vessels to approach nearer
than so miles of the center. On the ex-
IRENE outer edge of the maelstrom.
Capt. Lewis says, the crew of the Ore
! gon saw numerous sea serpents identi-
cal in appearance, and ranging from
ten to twenty-five feet in length. They
would bob out of the water now and
then alongside the ship, a pair of them
being frequently seen together. Occa-
s;onally some of the sailors put off in a
small boat and endeavored to harpoon
one, but they never succeeded. The SER
penis were too quick in their move
ments. ana had such ferocious look
that the sailors did not care to get toe
close to them
Mr.. Lewis saws that two or three
years later, when the Oregon was about
100 miles out of Cattegat, between Den
mark and Sweden, and entering the
North sea. the entire crew beheld most
astonishing sight. It was a sea serpent
about 300 feet long, black in color, and
with big, round eyes that seemed the
size of a washtub, Lewis declares
Around each of his eyes were three
great rings. It had a dorsal fin extend
Ing the entire length of the vertebrae
and a sharp tail. Lewis thinks this was
the greatest sea serpent ever beheld by
man. When deserted it had it's head
Is feet out of water, and was summing
itself. The ship put about and made
straight for him. When within about a
quarter of a mile the serpent went I'M
der. Lewis thinks the serpent was 20
feet through at it's neck. He says that
the story sounds SO improbable that he
has seldom told it, but that Capt.
Shields, whose home port was Rock
land, Me-, as well as the other sailors.
will vouch for it's truth if alive.
Lewis says that it is well known that
the waters pretty well up to the Arctic
sea are warmer than those further
south. For instance, the Goldfish leave
the Digger bank of the Norway coast in
latitude about 40 degrees every Deem
Der or january and make their way
to Lofoten island in latitude 60, where
are caught the greater portion of the
immense numbers Of Goldfish exported
from Norway. The fish go north be-
cause the waters about Lofoten island
are warmer than those 30 degrees south.
In those warm waters in the far north,
he says, the sea serpents abound. They
are occasionally seen there by fishing
i vessels, and in the summer time make
their way as far south as the great
maelstrom.
Lewis feels sure that the same species
exists in the south polar seas, and be-
lieves that the serpents caught in
Hood S canal are wanderers from south
of the equator.-Tacoma Ledger.
r. r e .