The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-09-02


II may have been the same.
A Huge Monster.
The Graphic Of June go 1877. contains a
report OF monster seen by Lieut. W. p.
Haynes, of H. NJ. s. Osborne, on the
northern coast OF Sicily on June Of that
year.
1t was first seen as row of fms Of ir-
regular heights. snd in line some thirty
or forty feet long. It was distant from the
ship about 200 yards. away on our beam"
when first seen, and then turned and made
on. II had broad back fifteen or
twenty feet across. a ''bullet-shaped'
head probably six feet through support
ed on a narrow neck. Broad fappers If
teen feet long. padded IT along by a ro-
tating movement. and II made about ten
ana a half knots per hour. 1t was partly
out OF the water. and from the top Of the
head to the line OF Immersion measured
some fifty feet; that was estimated TO be
third OF It's length. The report was H.
Illustrated by drawings made at the time
IL IL needless TO multiply Instances and
those cited are merely specimens Of re-
ports that should carry some degree OF
conviction. These men saw something un-
common. what II was is a matter for fur.
ther research. When Bruce published his
work on Abyssinia IT was greeted with in
credulity and Its author denounced In
terms OF unmeasured abuse, but the cal
umniators have been made ridiculous by
further exploration in Africa, and their
ignorant pedantry should be a warning
against refusing TO believe what is not a
common experience. True as this is in
general. II Ii particularly true where ,he
fauna Of the sea Is concerned. for SO little
- known Of 1t.
Difficulties OF Oceautc Re...rcn
The practical difficulties Of oceanic "a
search are such that our knowledge Of
tne abyssmal depths can increase but
Slowly, ana despite the efforts OF the
past half century the specimens in our
museums are like the few stray bodies
OF strange red men that tradition reports
70 nave been washed on the shores OF the
C'u world before the discovery OF the
New. and which served to indicate the
existence Of unexplored realms. inbab,ted
oy unknown races, but not to supply in
FORMATION about their characters. habits
ana history" edward Forbes). AT least
one-haif OF the deep sea forms known
AZ present are represented by single spec-
linens, and OF these some are In sucb
cohoition as to make careful study of
.ncm almost impossible. The pressure OF
ueep water Is tremendous. and many OF
the beings that live In II have soH homes
ana loose. hahby Tissues that are ant 10
DC torn or badly mutilated by being
urassed IN a rough net through, perhaps
miles of water. II this danger no 81,
capped the 1essenIng Of the pressure as
the surface Ii approached produces great
cnan9es A. the soft tissues expand SO as
uissort the animal out of sembiance
70 It's original form. even IL II does not
sirst asnnder. For these reasons pro-
sress - slow. and not infrequently score
OF more specimens may have 10 be exarn-
iheo 10 determine characters that could
De ascertained readily from the insnaI
uon OF single Individual In good con-
uit'on. Errors are unavoidable under
.nsse circumstances. and conscientious
students are painfully aware OF the frag
mentary state OF our acquaintance with
the fatunA of the sea and keenly appre
cIate now tantaiixing are the crumbs
tnat fail from the unattainable feast OF
science that IL spread beneath the waves
seen bst Never Captured.
Many OF the Inhabitants of the depth.
are 100 large. too swift. too wary or too
cunning to be taken by our nets ar
dredges, but from time to time specimen.
o. THESE are cast ashore by storms or are
.oun" dead on the surface. One OF these
tnat mas never been captured by an ex-
pioring ship Is the Regalecus or oar Ash
usually from eighteen 10 twenty-four feet
long. Prof. Gunther, of the British
museum. gives a list OF forty-four that
nave been seen by naturaiists. but this
rePresehts only fraction OF the whole
number that have been actually stranded
~ ~ widely distributed and has been
sighted In every part OF the world. In
eoior the hegalecus Is silver gray with
spots or streaks Of darker tint Its head
Ia obiong and the cleft OF the mouth ia
vertical. not horizontal. as usual The
nm on the back makes an elevated Great
that rs sometimes divided into two parts,
and the two vertical fins expand into
a "a
can be seen at once that this fah when
swimming at the surface will present
most OF the features ascribed 10 the ser
psnt." when allowance Is made for exas-
seration. one OF these animals came
ashore st Hungry bay. in Bermuda. IN
1880. and although but seventeen feet
Ions. It was described as much longer nv
those who saw Il before It's capture They
also said that II had a head like that OF an
immense horse. and a name that was
flaming red This latter feature was the
dorsai IN and doubtless the vertical ms
were the "dappers" seen by Lieut.. Haynes
from the Osborne.
An Absurd Mistake.
No, all Of the tales 81 the sea serpent
are So well sustained as those based on
the Regalecus. and absurd mistakes have
been made BY enthusiasts. In 1891 an al
legged sea serpent Was seen OF Gloucester
Mass. and an Investigation was set on
foot by the i.innnean Society OF New Eng
land After a while a curiously shaped
reptile was taken that the committee pro-
uouneed 10 BE- the young OF the monster
that had been seen. aud gave Il the name
~ "scnliophiS atianticus." The report
was prepared by Amos Story. aud was
published hy the society. but II snbsa-
quentis developed that the young sea SER
pens was common biacksnaks with a
rachetta spine The society could not sur
sive the dertsluH with which this report
Was sreeted. and soon found an iKnoml-
nous death.
II Is VIGOROUSLY dificuit to prove = neg
aiiNs and Il is especially $40 when little u
known % the real facts. For thts reason
\ II "a impossible 20 assert positively that
no such animal the sea serpent exists