Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1913-09-27

~ 'TlLN VIM -
he could see its shining eye. but on .
finding the water shallow it apparent /.
ly became discouraged and moved on
TO sea again. where later, according
to the minister's story, it was reported
as having frightened nearly to death
the crews OF half a dozen fishing YES
sells.
These accounts of the findings OF
reverend gentlemen were gathered to-
gether by Anthony Oudemans, who
published a voluminous book on sea
serpents This book contains all re-
ported appearances.
Dr. Oudemans, from whose volume
part of this material has been gather
ed, not only goes into all the "veraci-
/ Gus" reports of the sea serpent's ap-
pearance, but into all the hoaxes that
/ have been played in regard to 1t. lie
/ has even described a hoax that was
perpetrated against the sea serpent
/ by a learned writer who desired to
show that the reptile was nonresident,
and in connection with this piece nj
false work the present writer un-
earthed a fraud that has lain dormant
for so years.
Nearly 100 years ago a certain sam
uel l.. Mitchell wrote paper designed
to throw discredit on the sea serpent
stories that were current at that date.
The paper appeared in the American
Journal of Arts and Sciences for 1929.
Almost a century later d. Dudemans
rakes up Mr.. Michell's article and
saws that Mr.. Mitchell lied, quoting
that gentleman's entire paper to
prove it,
, But this quotation was responsible
, for the discovery of even another
fraud than the one laid at the door OF
! Mr. Mitchell For in 1862 there ap'
, peared in Leisure Hour an article en-
f titled Sea Serpent Stories" by John
{ Hollingshead, who, after praislng MT
, Mitchell for the first honest eX
r posture" of the sea serpent, and quot
\ ing him for a paragraph, proceeds &c
< steal his article verbatim and use it as
$ his own which was ascertained by
+ the present writer when comparing
/ the quotation of Mitchell's article will
/ the article by Mr.. Hollingshead
:. One of the most famous pro-sea ser
a pent hoaxes, according to DR.. Dude
s mans. is a fraud that was achieved b!
( the correspondent of a French news
j. paper. who gives a thrilling accoun
5 of a sea serpent beheld by c. Renar'
D. and seven others from the deck Of tn
Royal Mail steamship Don, on the eve
\. ming of the 10th of August, 1881.
t. M. Renard and the others were sill
d ting OH deck, so it is alleged enjoyin
8 a perfect evening and the gieam of
II moon!it sea. when horrible an
n nauseating monster came to the SUI
A. face at no great distance from tn
g. ship, while at the same time an ovel
towering stencil attacked the nostril
e. of the travellers.
1t The monster, runs the report, meas
IN ured from 40 to 90 meters, in so far a
rs the numerous coils made measure
n ment possible. From the dorsal ridg
ut to the middle of the belly the body a.
r. reared to be covered by ranges {
IN scales. and the general roughness {
Id the surface and the moss-grOwn ski
ly appeared to indicate a great and a
c. sured age. The head was pointe
r. with teeth sharp and enormous" al
from the throat, attached to a kir
IT. of cushion" there projected a hal
" tongue. pointed, provided with sue
I'D ers and glittering like steel" Tn
lis horrible brute stayed on the surface
D. the water in full view for at least Il
ut minutes. when it sank again benea
be the surface OF the water. The alleg'
of beholders of the terrible sight ga
tn solemn testimony of their experien
In to the editor by letter. in which it "
or stated with most remarkable asst
Mt ance that ali these facts were trut
lat of refined and intrinsic purity.