The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1913-09-26

bRkTE 0AERNAH 1vuSsbL pAsrpRr rDaEus
sketch accompanied the letter and In
printed here.
But after all the cavil and false
hood pro and con regarding enormous
serpents of the ocean, a residue of
truth remains in some of the tales of
the sea serpent's appearance that
cause the present day scientists to
shrug their shoulders. Some of the
reports OF the monster are not easily
explained away, and in the early part
Of the nineteenth century SO many
reputable witnesses are said to have
beheld 1t that even the conservative
Encyclopedia Britannica admits that
some strange sea monster must have
existed and put in his appearance at
that time. So many times did the sea
serpent show itself off the New Eng
land coast that 1t gained for itself the
name Of the American sea serpent"
and so many sturdy old Puritans tes-
tilted to its general shape, size and
appearance that a pretty good idea
has been gained OF the kind of animal
that showed itself According to most
descriptions, the sea serpent was
about go feet long, dark in color. but
lighter below. in the manner of an eel.
with a fiat head and a neck about l8
inches in diameter
An English naval officer, Captain
McQuhal, of H. M. S. Daedalus. in
serted in his official report to Admiral
Sir w. H. Gage in 1S45 the statement
that he had seen an animal of this
description rapidly approaching his
ship In "a degrees "A minutes south
latitude by degrees % minutes east
longiture. He described 1t as an
enormous serpent" with its head
raised about four feet above the water.
swimming along at an even and
speedy rate and at least so feet in
length.
Captain McQuhaPs account encour-
aged other officers to tell OF similar
experiences, where previously they
had not dared for fear of ridicule. The
sea serpent has appeared too often
to mention in detail, but in 1906 1t was
reported by Messrs. Meade Waldo and
Nicall, two members OF the Royal 70
illogical society, who insist that they
saw the sea serpent 100 yards away
while cruising In the earl of Craw-
fords yacht, the Valhalla, of the coast
Of Brazil, on December 7, 1905.
While standing together on deck the
two biologists declare that suddenly
they saw a great fin come out of the
water 100 yards from the ship. Field
glasses were brought to bear, and MIR.
beheld an enormous
head rise slowly, followed by neck
hat was about the thickness of a
mans body. The head, the biologists
,ay, was distinctly turtle-esque in its
appearance, but as the animal came
10 nearer and shortly disappeared, its
sxact size could not be ascertained.
A long flock of birds skimming the
waves once gave the effect of a
nightly serpent swimming at, consid-
srable speed, and trailing seaweed
las been approached and even har-
,ooned In the belief that 1t was a ser
)ent Giant squid, which are as fear
ul and wonderful as the serpent It.
elf have been mistaken for the latter,
nd It is probable that the serpent al.
eyed to have been seen by Claus
lgede was OF this variety.
In fact. in spite of all the ridicuIe
nd all the hoaxes that have been
iven forth in the name Of this strange
nimal, there is no reason after all to
eny that 1t may be living. Holder has
ommented on the fact that the BIZ
alves of the Mesozoic age have been
reserved to the present time. Why
hen is 1t not possible for Mother
larth to have stored in her sea cay
rms some uncouth, cretaceous mon.
ter that occasionally shows itself.
nd each time ELECTS the well-known
nd highly ridiculous cry: THE sea
erpent?"