Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1922-08-19
THIS SEA SERPENT
HUGE AND WINGED,
IS DADDY OF ALL
Amazing and Terrific Reptile
Reported by Aegian Sea
Mariners.
HAS EYES LIKE sIDELIGHTs

n. r. Times. Aug. ~.
After q long absence, the sea serpent
has appeared once more. According to
reports Just received from CONSTANT
noplc and Smyrna, the elusive reptile is
disporting itself in the placid waters of
the Mediterranean, terrifying fishermen
and crews of the feluccas and other
small craft which ply along the shores
of the Levant
The most thrilling story was brought
here last week by officers Of the Ma
tiond Creek liner Constantinople who
said that motor launches armed with
one-pounder, quck-6ring guns were
searching the Sea of Marmofa for a
winged marine monster which had been
sighted circling Dog Island at great
speed for three. or four days.
When it rose from the sea and flew
over San Stefano toward the city of
Satmboul it was reported to have made
a booming sound like the German tri-
planes that few over Paris during the
war. How the huge marine monster
passed through the Dardanelles with
out causing big wash along the shore
has not yet been discovered.
Officers on the Constantinoplc said
that the flying sea serpent was first
reported off the ancient port of Chalet
in the Aegean Sea and so alarmed the
aponge divers that an appeal was sent
10 Athens TO send gunboat to search
for the monster and destroy it. When
the commander of the fort fired gun
in the direction indicated by the scared
sponge divers the serpent rose TO an
altitude of about 5000 feet and flew
AWAY toward the port of SMYRNA, Asia
Minor. where 1t was reported the next
day TO have sunk two caciques laden with
figs and pistachio nuts
Zubdee Efendi, a Turkish rug mer-
chant who arrived from SMYRNA on the
liner, said that he saw the scaly-winged
monster quite plainly rs he was crossing
the bay to his home on one OF the
islands. When the head rose from
the surface of the water, he said all
the natives on board flung themselves
on the deck and prayed, while the YES
sci rocked wildly and the sea was COW
cred with white foam'as if it was being
violently agitated underneath
The head of the nautical reptile was
fully ten feet across, with two enormous
reddish green eyes bu,ting out on either
bow like a ships sidelights, while its
'HiihShC b"FiNis iooNtN US IL RutN
easily weighed . ton each. Its beam
across the middle of the S<.cS. which
rose high out of the water. Slbdee Eff
fcndi continued, was fifteen feet and
the length over all was fully fifty feet
When the sea serpent turned its head
toward the boat the heat on deck be-
eame unbearable, said the Turkish rug
merchant. He felt that his beard was
shriveling up. Finally the monster
Owed, flung its huge tail into the air
witha swish that nearly sent the small
schooner over on its beam ends and
then disappeared from view
Within few days the flying sea ser
pent, Zubdec Effendi said, was reported
OF the mouth OF the Nile at Damietta,
the port of Gambia in Crete, and off the
island of Mitilene, where il was stated
20 have rammed and sunk felucca
laden with currants because one of the
crew struck the reptile in the eye with
q pomegranate. Sponge divers and pearl
fishers in the Aegean Sea are reported
20 be taking q rest tunil the sea serpent
has been destroyed