The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1900-07-31
KILLED LAKE MONSTER.
Interesting Hot Weather Tale from New
York State-farra.s LssI. Of Course.

Interesting Hot Weather Tale from New
York ~tate-farcass LssI. Of Course.
FroA TIE Nsu Ysrs Telegraph
Geneva Y g.. July 1.-THE Otetlani
a si1ewheel steamboat belonging to the
Seneca Lake Steam Navigation Company.
differed BY Capt Carleton c. HeTen-
deem and Pilot Frederick Rose, was be-
tween Dresden and willard a few min
utrs before O'Clock last evening when
Pilot Rose saw. about 400 yards anead,
what appeared 20 him to be an over
turned boat.
He called Capt Herendeen, who exam
inel The object with the glass Il ap-
peared 20 b about fifteen feet long. with
very sharp bow and long. narrow stern
AmllshiIs il was much broader and high
er than at either .rd
number Of passengers gathered
around the pilot house and discussed the
sippo-sd boat. Among them were Presi-
dent + \. Mallette. Of the board OF pub
DC works. editor and publisher Of the
sunday Review, Comm ssionrrs Of Pub
lc Works Albert l.. Fowler and D. W
Hailenback; Police Commissioner George
. @. Sche!l, Fred :. Bronson. manager o.
the Geneva Telephone Company. and
Charles r Coon, q commercial travelling
man Of Philadelphia
When Capt Herendeen completed mis-
examination Of the object the pilot sig
nailed the engineer 20 slow down. The
steamboat approached to within 100 yards
ana preparations were made 20 lower a
boat As the davits were swung outward
the supposed upturned boat turned and
began 10 move away.
Full speed ahead"' shouted the cap
tain. The object was moving slowly and
the steamboat gained on IL RAPIDLY. The
OBJECT again turned, this time toward the
BOAT raised its head, looked in the direc-
ton Of the boat ana opened its mouth.
tIsp'dylhS TWO rows Of sharp, white
teeth
Ire captain said that he would ram the
creature wound II, and take il alive if
possible Otherwise he would kill il AMI
gither take II aboard or tow il to Geneva
me BOAT was turned So that the creatur.
Hoe,d De app cached from the side The
-eIh was crowded with pagSpUperS These
Ins captain ordered amidshiDS
me captain cautioned eyervbo1v IN ,,sr
d ne pTtSeTEeT and keen cool because he
sara ne did not know what would happer
Wheh the boat struck the monster. Some
OF the women. who were in tears retired
- lAt CdD-n, the others showed as much
81 ana excitement as the men. Z.
Inc boat fell away some distance and
turned 10 make the ATTEMPT 10 ram The
creature The captain sigHaled fun speed
dhedd and ~ moment the Otetiani was
uActf way. Everybody on deck was
"alch!nS the monster and hardly a per
son was breathing normally.
While the boat was some distance from
IL the monster again looked at the boat
sank out OF sight and the boat DaSsed
over the spot where il had been. Some
OF the passengers declared that they
he l.
lures body.
Inc steamer prepared to continue her
course 10 this city. There il is"' sud-
denly exclaimed one Of the women pas
SehSers VINO was standing on the after
deck The thing has come up"
The passengers. with the captain in adj
vance ran 70 the stern of the vessel and
within fifty yards the long BODY of the
monster was lying on the surface in
practically the same position as when
discovered. The captain ordered the boat
put about and the attack WAS renewed
Instead Of trying 10 strike the creature
'ull in the side the boat was maneuvercd
50 that the starbOard paddle wheel would
strike II about midway between its head
and tail. The boat went ahead under full
steam, the monster paid no attention To
il, and with a thud which all heard and
felt The boat struck the mark at which
il aimee. The force of the impact threw
every enc off his feet, and the vessel ca
Teened violently 10 port, but quickly
righted.
For an instant. in which everybody
wondered what would happen next. there
was no; a sound on board except the en-
sine. Then the men on board cheered
and some Of them recovered from their
fright. Lying beside the steamer with
gap in its side was the monster. Ii raised
its head, gave what sounded like a gasp.
and lay quiet. It's SDInal column had
Ecen broken and it was dead. The life
boats were quickly lowered and rowed 10
Its side, and with the aid Of boat hooks
ropes were passed around the carcass.
Other ropes which were fastened on
BOARD the steamer were then passed down
and attached 10 the imprOvised swings.
All helped To haul the monster in
The carcass was clear Of the water
when the rope near the tail slipped off
and the tail dropped into the water TIE
weight on the other rope then became 50
great that it began 10 slip through the
hands Of those holding it. They were
compelled % let 90 or go overheard. As
soon as the body struck the water il be-
gan 10 sink and disappeared. AT the
point whore the carcass was lost the lake
Is over co.. feet deep, and, as is We'll
known bodies of persons who have been
drowned in that part of the lake never
again rise or are recovered.
When the steamer arrived I'm the citv
shortly after midnight, the stories told
were about the same and the length of
tllt munster NiS tSITNdIPQ at from tWPQ-
ty-five 10 fifty feet. The most careful
and perhaps the most Trustworthy ac-
count was given by Prof. G. r EIlWood.
a geOlogist. who lives at Guelph. Ont.
who was in one of the lifeboats that
made a rope fast around the carcass
DO you know what cldastes is?"
the professor asked the reporter "Well.
that is exactly what the creature we
saw last night seemed TO be 1t was
about twenty-five feet long. with a long
tail, which tapered until within about Ave
feet from the end. when il broadened out
and looked mucn like that OF a whale
The creature weighed about 900
pounds. Its head was perhaps four feet
long and triangular I'm shape It's mouth
was very long and was armed with two
rows of triangular white teeth as sharp
as those of a shark. but in shane more
like those OF a sperm whale. Its body
was covered with a horny substance
which was as much like the carapace OF
a teTrapin as anything else Of which /
know
This horny substance was brown in
color and Of a gTeeuish tinge. The belly
of the creature which | saw after the
rope slipped and the carcass was going
down was cream white. It's eyes were
round like those Of fish and it did not
wink"
h.. a.