The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-10-14

The sea serpent, so long regarded as
hardly more than a myth, can be held SO
no longer, says the San Francisco Exam.
liner, for a creature that answers very
well to the description SO often given Of
it has been captured in EucIatat rapids,
not far from Vancouver, B. G., and ex-
hibited before its death to thousands Of
people there.
Cover the body Of a II foot serpent
with scales, attach to 1t above and below
and for its full length a long, flowing
manc, and to this creation add the head
Of a wolf, with two lows Of grinning
teeth, and the result will be very much
such a monster as has just died in thar
city, Its body now being IN process C
preservation. It has been viewed by
nn-~a-ha,,a sAf the Harlan Smith and DR..
Boaz parties, now representing the
Smithsonian institution, but they have
not been able to classify it.
D.. II. Forbes and Simon Ryan, two.
Vancouver fishermen, were its captors.
They were fishing for cod in Euclatat
rapids when they first saw It in pursuit
of a fish which one of the men was draw
ing to their canoe. Forbes threw a cod
spear at it and succeeded in striking it.
But it was one thing to strike and
quite another thing to capture it. The
spear held, and the monster started
away at a rate that threatened to cap
size the boat dragging behind it. Finally
Ryan succeeded in planting his spear in
the creatures body, and by means of the
double hold thus secured they at last
hauled their strange captive into the
canoe.
But the question whether they were
eaptors or captured was in allegiance for
some time longer, for the hideous serpent
made a desperate fight for life and liber-
ty. With his paddle Ryan attempted TO
hold it down, but it seized the paddle
blade between its teeth and splintered it
into fragments. In the meantime, now
ever, Forbes was beating it with his pad
die, and it apparently succumbed- 1t
was then placed In a box of water, and
the men concluded that they were the
yictors In the struggle. This conclusion
seemed subject to revision thereafter, as
the monster once again revived and made
another unsuccessful attempt to get at
his eaptors.
Forbes and Ryan took their captive,
stiu living, to Shoal bay, where the In
dams regarded it with a mixture Of fear
and superstitious reverence, refusing to
come near the sloop IN which it was kept.
Thence it was brought to Vancouver,
and in that city 1t was viewed by thou
sands before It's death, four days later.
Among these thousands. scientists and
others. was not q person who had either
seen or heard of such a creature except
1t might have been In the presumably
fabulous narratives relating to sea ser
penis. After tie body has been preserv-
ed it will be sold either to the British
Columbia museum or to SOM similar
British Institution. !.
The serpent's body is IL feet In length
and about 5 inches in diameter. 1t Is COW
cred with scales Two names, one above
and the other below its body. extend from
its head to the end Of its tail, each
being about = inches In length. The head,
which is repulsiye and british beyond de-
scriptIon, Is fitted as to its yaWning
mouth with a double row Of teeth. The
front set are sharp and cruel, teeth for
battle, while those In the rear are molars.
Its every motion was that of a snake.