The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1912-11-14
FOUND MERMAID ON CHINESE
COAST
Egieneer's StOrekeeper Tell Weird
Tale and Exhibits "Mermaid."


bard the White Star line steamship
Olympic when she arrived in New
York from Southampton the other
day, there were none more interest
ing than William Legg. engineers
storepeeker on the mammoth vessel,
who has followed the sea for more
than 80 years. That Mr.. Legg had
with him on board the Olympic, safe
ly guarded under glass case, a
real, bono fide mermaid, was only the
least of the interesting things about
the man.
While he was lighthouse keeper of
the Steep Island Lighthouse. off the
Shanghai, Mr.. Legg picked up on the
afternoon of September 2, 1902, liv
ing mermaid. The mermaid had been
flung on the rocks and was still alive
when picked up by Mr.. Legg. The
body below the waist was that of
fish, with a fin on the back and one
on the stomach and a double filmed
tail. The body was of dark green
ish-b blue, without scales, while the
head and shoulders were of the regu-
ar human flesh. The mermaid was
about "a inches long and emitted a
whining sound before it died, death
being caused by liberation in the
throat, where it had flung on a sharp
rocky projection.
"As you see by the stuffed body"
said Mr.. Legg, the mermaid had a
perfect human face, slightly Chinese
In cast Her hair was brown, as
some OF the hair still shows, although
most of it has turned white by the
action of the acids used in preser-
wing the body. The Chinese fisher
men told me that they had very often
seen these mermaids, which they call
ed witches and shave heard them
making their peculiar whining noise
On the shores at night These mer-
maids do not I've in the water, but
| between the creyices of the rocks on
he Chinese coast, going into deep
water only for an occasional swim. "
The body of the mermaid as it re-
| lined under the glass case in Mr..
eggs room on board the Olympic,
ihowed a perfect head, with hair
probably four inches long, part of
| 1t white and part of 1t brown. 1t had
regular teeth and nose, but the size
IF the head was not larger than that
If new born baby. There were no
| ,vidences of scales on the body. A
| remarkable thing about the mermaid
vas the perfect shape of the hands
and the arms, and the muscles of the
rms where they had been preserved
~ the preserving fluid were plainly
| dsible.
Those who doubt the truth of Mr..
eggs statement will doubtless
;hange their mind when they know
hat he is an intensely religious man.
Tod fearing and devoting his life TO
he betterment of the sailor. Stripped
o the waist, Mr. Legg presents a
wonderful appearance. Tattooed on
his chest are Scriptural texts. and
most wonderful picture of the Lords
4ast Supper In colors. Mr.. Legg IL
Unable to say from what painting the
picture tattooed on himself was TAX
an, but it is a most wonderful work
If art. When he turns around there
found tattooed on his back between
lis shoulder blades the Lords Pray
ar, and underneath that the hymn
Nearer My God to Thee"
ut was from my back as I worked
n the hold of this steamship that
the engineers who sang Nearer My
iod to Thee" upon the sinking o.
he Titanic learned that hymn. The
Unfortunate fellows worked with me
IN board the Olympic and other White
Star vessels, and they could plainly
ead as they worked the inscription
On my back"
Mr.. Legg has lectured on the sub
lect of his mermaid in England, Civ
ing all of the proceeds of his lectures
20 the Seamen's missions in England.
He thinks Of quitting the sea and of
exhibiting himself and the mermaid
or the benefit of various religious
bodies"
Until found this mermaid l had
heard the peculiar means and whin-
ings on the rocky shores of the
Chinese sea often. but had never be-
lieved it possible that these sounds
came from real mermaids. The place
where l. picked up this strange be-
ing lies between the Bonham and
Ting Tong lighthouses. | never found
another one after this one, although
have heard of many cases where
the natives have come across the mer-
maids"
Mr.. Legg does not profess to ex-
plain the presence of these mermaids
in the Chinese waters, but he de-
cleared that the one he has is abso-
ulte proof that they do exist