The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-07-25
SENECA Lake
SEA MONSTER.
Killed by Steamers SIdswhse|
Last Friday Night.
NEARLY FIFTY FEET IN LENGTH
Looked at Boat, Opened Its Mouth
and Displayed Sharp Teeth.
DULL THuD AS ThE BOAT STRUCK IT
The Force Of tho Impact Threw EnHcns Off
His Feet, and the Vessel Careensd
Violently 10 Port.
DULL THuD AS ThE BOAT STRUCK IT

Geneva, N. Y, July 25.-The Otetiani,
sidewheel steamboat belonging TO the
Seneca Lake steam Navigation company.
officered by Capt. Carleton c. Herendeen
and Pilot Frederick Rose, was between
Dresden and willard a few minutes be-
fore o'clock Friday evening when Pilot
Rose saw, about 400 yards ahead what
boat.
He called Capt. Herendeen, who exam
ined the object with the glass. IL APP
peared to be about Is feet long, with
very sharp bow and long, narrow stern.
Amidships il was much broader ana
higher than at either end.
A number Of passengers gathered
around the pilot house and discussed the
supposed boat. Among them were Presi-
dent Il. A. Mallette of the board or pup
lie works, editor and publisher of the
Sunday Review; Commissioners OF Public
Works Albert J.. Fowler and ID. w. Hal
lenbeck; Police Commissioners George G..
SchelI. Fred s. Bronson, manager OF the
Geneva Telephone company, and Charles
F.. Coon, a commercial travelling man of
Philadelphia.
Obj nloN I'll NV ~ -
when Capt Herendeen completed his
examination of the object the pilot sig
nailed the engineer 10 slow down. The
steamboat approached TO within loo
yards and preparations were made TO
lower a boat. AS the davits were swung
outward the supposed upturned boat
turned and began to move away.-
Full speed aheadv' shouted the cap
tain The object was moving slowly and
the steamboat gained on IL rapidly. The
object ag in turned, this time toward the
boat, raised it's head. looked in the di-
rection of the boat and opened its mouth.
displaying two rows of sharp white
teeth.
The captain said that he would ram the
creature, wound IL and take IL alive IL
possible. otherwise he would kill IL and
either take 1t aboard or tow IL to Geneva.
The boat was turned so that the creature
would be approached from the side. The
deck was crowded with passengers. These
the captain ordered amidships.
The captain cautioned everybody TO get
a life preserver and keep cool, because
he said he did not know what would hap
pen when the boat struck the monster.
Some Of the women, who were I'm tears.
retired to the cabin, the others showed
as much interest and excitement as the
men.
MONSTER DUCKED THE STEAMER.
The boat fell away some distance and
turned to make the attempt to ram the
creature. The captain signalled full
speed ahead. and in a moment the Ote-
tiani was under way. Everybody on deck
was watching the monster and hardly a
person was breathing normally.
While the boat was some distance from
ha t,ann o pafn lnOkad "a tho hOat
sank out of sight, and the boat passed
over the spot where il had been. Some
OF the passengers declared that they
could see the dark outline OF the crea-
ture's body.
The steamer prepared to continue her
course 10 this city. There II is!' sud-
denly exclaimed one of the women pas
sengers who was standing on the after
deck. "The thing has come up"
The passengers. with the captain In adj
vance ran to the stern of the vessel and
within fifty yards the long body of the
monster was lying on the surface I'm prac-
tically the same position as when dis
covered.
The captain ordered the boat put about
and the attack was renewed. Instead OF
trying TO strike the creature full in the
side the boat was maneuvered so that the
starboard paddle wheel would strike il
about midway between it's head and tail.
The boat went ahead under full steam;
the monster paid no attention TO II. and
with thud which all heard and felt the
boat struck the mark at which II aimed.
The force OF the impact threw every one
of his feet. and the vessel careened vio-
lently to port, but quickly righted.
A PAINFUL SILENCE FOLLOWED.
For an Instant I'm which everybody
wondered what would happen next. there
was not a sound on board except tho en-
gine. Then the men on board cheered and
some of them recovered from their fright.
Lying beside tho steamer with a gap
In its side was the monster IL raised Its
head, gave what sounded like a gasp, and
lay quiet. Its spinal column had been
broken and IL was dead.
The lifeboats were quickly lowered and
rowed to it's side. and with the aid of boat
hooks ropes were passed around the car
cass. other ropes which were fastened on
board the steamer were then passed