Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-05-22
SEA WONDERS.
Among the Most Grotesque OF
Living Creatures.
Reasons for Thinking There Really
Are Sea Serpents.
Sranqe Animals That Never Come to
the Surface.
.,--s a. . ~
AGE HHr -

live habitually in water just above the
fraezinq noint. in darkness that Is pro-
found are among the most giotesque
and singular Of living beings Inc
fishes 50 far as known, are of snai VI
size. hut this does not prove that there
are no large animals in the deep sea.
The. method Of taking deep-sea forms
precludes the capture OF any except
the small and very sluggish ones, which
lie in the deep oOZe, but the time will
cone when large dredge will be in
vented in which the monsters Of the
deep will be taken, as there are few
naturalsts who have given the sub
feet any attention but believe that
there are in the greater depths some
gigantic animal which is occasionally
seen by those who 90 down to the sea
III ships The many and oft-reCurring
stories of the sea serpent cannot all be
visions, lines of birds or patches Of
sraWced, but il is the cOncensus Of
opinion among conservative naturalists
that til IS some gigantic animal in
the dee. "a yet unknown to science
which occasionally comes to the sur
face. showing portions of its form to
the Amusement of the mariner who
may chance to be in the vicinity.
As to the nature of these unknown
animaIs we have several suggestions.
Some years ago a fisherman on the
Georges banks off the Maine coast, or
in that vicinity, brought up a remark
able fish twenty feet i'm length which
was entirely new to him Considering
il Il mere incumbrance it was thrown
overheard, but the catch was reported
and aroused great interest among
1. I..rr
was offered to the fishermen to fish it
up again. which they tried to do with
out success. The fish was a veritable
young sea serpent. ana ii such fish
attained the length Of fifty feet it
would wei compare with the accounts
Of sea serpents which are reported so
often. Since this occurrence several
eeI-like sharks have been taken; long
serpentine-lke creatures that when
large must be the sea serpents Of the
deep sea ana have convinced observers
that the tales which have aroused the
credulity Of people are not without
foundation, and that this mysterious
realm conceals strange and gigantic
forms which only rarely rise to the sur
face.
The cel-likc sharks found are in
some Instances luminous. emitting a
strange light over the entire surfaces
the ight-giverS of the deep sea.
Another strange denizen of the deep
is the so-called ribbon fish. several
specimens Of which the writer has seen
on the shores Of Santa Catalina Island.
4 This creature is one of the most
n beautiful of all fishes 1t resembles a
white or silver ribbon. slashed with
u black. \ long fin extends its entire
length. and over the head forms a num-
Der Of Dlumes or pompons Of a vivid
4 red. that i'll large specimens might be
h easily taken for name waving to ana
fro. That this delicate ribbon fish at
tains Il large size is generally believed,
as large specimens have been captured.
4 Some years ago fisherman was maui
ing a net Oh the coast Of Scotland,
when II was fouud that some heavy
weight was holding the net back
Additional help was obtained, and Il
dozen men finally hauled in a monster
fish. which was estimated to weigh 500
pounds II WAS a gigantic ribbon fish,
thirty feet or more in length. 50 long
and heavy that it required the efforts
of half a dozen men to carry it along
the deck. IT was Veritable sea ser
pcmt. and extending from its head We're
tall deep red or scarlet plume-like fins,
which formed 4 sort Of name fire.
quently described as being seen on the
typical sea serpent. If these fishes at
tain length of thirty feet there is no
reason why they may not exceed this,
and it is very possible that some of the
sea serpents" which have been Oh
served at various times were gigantic
ribbon fishes, which came up from the
nd y-ith
dulating motion at the surface.
During the past year large speci-
men of this deep sea- wonder washed
ashore at Newport beach, California
where Il was destroyed by a Mexican
ignorant of its value. The fish which
was twenty-five or thirty feet in length
and estimated to weigh 500 pounds. was
seen at first in the surf, presenting 2
remarkable appearance as its silVery
folds rolled over and over and flashed
in the sunlight. The finder waded into
the surf and with much difficulty
hauled the struggling ribbon fish GU
upon the sands.
How deep the ribbon fish lives in tn
sea is unknown, but il is supposed t
come up from the very great depths
where almost profound darkness!
reignS.
one of the most remarkable as wei
rs gigantic animals of the deep sea il
the giant squid favorite tidbit of tn,
sperm whale. The size to which thes,
animals grow their strength. their hid
eOus appearance. places them on pa
with many of the weird and grotesqu
creatures of past age. The squid un
doubleday attains a length of nearly, i
not over. 100 feet, and pieces have beer
taken from the stomach Of whale
which suggested animals far beyond
this i'll size.
No more hideous creature can b.
imagined. The body is barrel shaped
the tail like an arrow head. the eyes a!
large as saucers. black and white. hyp
motto and staring. The arms are at
tached to the head and are ten in mum
Der. from ten to twenty feet long il
extremely large animals. while tw,
are from thirty to fifty feet in length
depending upon the size of the in
diyi1ll1l The short art,,r ara ,,rnx-id a,