Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-05-11
WHAT SEA sERPENTs ARE.
Monsters That Have Survived Most of
Their Species.

From the Hartford COurant.
Prof. Charles L. Edwards of Trinity Col
lege told the Hartford Scientific Society re-
Gently a lot about the sea serpent and
had shown on a screen pictures OF the
monsters calculated to scare an innocent
youngster out of a years growth. Unfor-
tunately, none OF the pictures was an
actual photograph, but the lecturer seemed
to tend to the belief that there was some
thing doing in the monster line, and Rev.
James Goodwin. the president Of the So
ciety, said at the close of the lecture that
he for one believed more in the thing than
he had before. AS to how great that pre-
vious belief had been he did not say.
Prof. Edwards, in the frst part of his
lecture had thrown on the screen pictures
of sea monsters as represented In years
past. He explained in his talk that. while
and oft-repeated sea serpent could not be
a big snake, but some other kind of a
monster Qf it was anything). AS back as
far as Job mention is made Of great
leyiathan, and accounts Of some great
things are found in all early histories. One
myth seems to have come from a sperm
whale and another from the squid. Even
the Indians had belief in a monster
serpent, and thought one lived In the
great lakes and broke up the ice in the
winter when 1t became irritated.
Prof. Edwards gave a long list of dates
when the great sea serpent has been re-
stances. They stretch from 1889 down
into 1903. A bishop, Commodore Preble
crews Of British warships and many per-
sons have made the reports. noted ap-
pearance was at Gloucester and Nahant
Mass. in 1917, when hundreds of reputable
citizens saw something and testified to It,
1t is estimated that from GOO to 100 per-
sons saw it, and people even drove along
the beach in crowds, keeping up with II
as it swan along off the shore. Prof. Ed
wards said there was no doubt that some
thing was seen at that time.
1t is always described as black or brown
ish, with eyes in the upper part Of the
head, swimming at a speed Of five or six
knots, carrying its head out Of water
! generally with name, and proceeding
with a humping motion like a caterpillar
A curious appearance was one reported In
1S9S-1S99 in a Swedish lake, where, 1t was
declared, a huge animal had been seen a
number of times and had been watched
through glasses for long periods. Finally,
newspaper sent an eminent naturalist
to investigate, and he reported as his con-
illusions that several monsters from six
to four feet long had certainly been seen
in the lake.
Prof Edwards said that probably in all
the many cases reported something had
been seen, for 1t is impossible to believe
that all these people were liars. The uni.
versal declaration that the thing pro
ceeded with an undulating motion does
away with the theory OF its being actually
big snake He showed that the stories
might arise from the appearance Of q
manatee, a big stingray, gigantic squid
| tone was caught with arms and body 1O(
feet long,, basking shark whales o,
school of porpoises. A few years age
what was called the Florida monster wal
found near st. Augustine. with arms
nearly 100 feet long. The basking shark
Yrows to forty feet long certainly. There
u no known limit to the growth of fishes.