The Ordway new era., 1913-09-26
SEA sIsPstT r1oR THAN Any


S'hLN SESiE
he could see its shining eye, but on
finding the water shallow 1t apparent
ly became discouraged and moved on
to sea again. where later. according
to the minister's story. 1t was reported
as having frightened nearly to death
the crews Of half a dozen fishing ves-
sells.
These accounts of the findings of
reverend gentlemen were gathered to-
gether by Anthony Oudemans. who
published 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. He
has even described hoax that was
perpetrated against the sea serpent
by a learned writer who desired to
show that the reptile was non-existent.
and In connection with this piece of
false work the present writer un-
earthed fraud that has lain dormant
Tor so years.
Nearly 100 years ago 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 DIR. Oudemans
rakes up Mr.. Michells article and
says that Mr.. Mitchell lied. quoting
that gentleman's entire paper to
prove 1t.
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-
titled Sea Serpent Stories." by John
Hollingshead. who, after praising Mr..
Mitchell for the first honest ex-
posure" of the sea serpent. and quot
ing him for a paragraph. proceeds to
steal his article verbatim and use 1t as
his own, which was ascertained by
the present writer when comparing
the quotation of Mitchelrs article with
the article by Mr.. Hollingshead.
One of the most famous prosea SER
pent hoaxes. according to DR.. Oude-
mans, ia a fraud that was achieved by
the correspondent of French news
paper, who gives thrilling account
of a sea serpent beheld by c. Renard
and seven others from the deck of the
Royal Mail steamship Don. on the eve
ming of the 10th OF August. 1881.
M. Renard and the others were sit
ting on deck. SO it is alleged. enjoying
perfect evening and the CLEAN of a
moonlit sea. when horrible and
nauseating monster came to the sur
face at no great distance from the
ship, while at the same time an over
powering stencil attacked the nostrils
Of the travellers.
The monster. runs the report, meas
ured from 40 to so meters, In 80 far as
the numerous coils made measure
ment possible. From the dorsal ridge
to the middle of the belly the body ap-
peared to be covered by ranges OF
scales. and the general roughness Of
the surface and the moss-grown skin
appeared to Indicate a great and as
sured age. The head was pointed,
with teeth sharp and enormous" and
from the throat. attached to a kind
of cushion" there projected hard
tongue. pointed, provided with suck
ers and glittering like steel" This
horrible brute stayed on the surface OF
the water in full view for at least ten
minutes, when 1t sank again beneath
the surface of the water. The alleged
beholders OF the terrible sight gave
solemn testimony Of their experience
to the editor by letter. in which 1t was
stated with most remarkable assur-
ance that all these facts were truths
of refined and intrinsic purity. A