A-003: The Crawfordsville Monster

## Status and Warnings

* Currently inactive. Last active on September 5, 1891.
* Explained.
* If real, threat may be great. As we understand the cause of the phenomenon, it is relatively harmless.
* Original article by Jade.

## Description

The Crawfordsville Monster was, allegedly, a large flying creature, reported by residents of Crawfordsville, Indiana in 1891. It has been described as a "horrible apparition" that "filled them with dread". The *Crawfordsville Journal* described it as being, "about eighteen feet long and eight feet wide and moved rapidly through the air by means of several pairs of side fins. It was pure white and had no definite shape or form, resembling somewhat a great white shroud fitted with propelling fins. There was no tail or head visible but there was one great flaming eye, and a sort of a wheezing plaintive sound was emitted from a mouth which was invisible. It flapped like a flag in the winds as it came on and frequently gave a great squirm as though suffering unutterable agony." It seemed to write and move similarly to some snakes. Some residents even claimed to be able to feel the creature's "hot breath" as it swooped over them.

## History

The creature was first seen on September 5, 1891, when two ice delivery men reportedly saw a "strange phenomenon" that hovered just above their location at about 2 am. A Methodist pastor by the name of Rev. G. W. Switzer saw the creature at about midnight. He and his wife claimed to be able to see it circling the city for some time before leaving to go to bed. Reports of these sightings generated some ridicule, including one professor Robert Burton said he believed it to be "a delusion which got on the optic nerve of those men who had probably been inhaling intoxicants". Many thought the creature to be a ghost, or a precursor to judgement day, while many modern day cryptozoologists believe it to be some sort of flying creature. Many believers wrote into the paper, asking for information on the "spook", including one St. Louis woman who thought the creature was heading west in some sort of migration. She asked questions such as, "can it be seen in the daytime?", "what color is it?", and "has it been seen in Ohio?". Many others wrote what can be described as "I told you so" letters, saying they "have been looking for the approach of the last day for some time, and took great pleasure in contemplating it's near approach". Eventually, two men, John Hornbeck and Abe Hernly had been able to follow the creature one night. They eventually found it to be a flock of several hundred killdeer, a type of bird that can be found in Indiana.

## Explanations

* As mentioned above, the most likely explanation is that of it being comprised of many hundred killdeer birds. Their white stomachs and wings gave the monster it's ghostly appearence, and their cries were mistaken for sounds of agony. The newly installed electric lights may have disoriented them, causing their strange behavior.
* A week before the first sighting of the Crawfordsville Monster, the following was posted in the Wichita Daily Eagle: "Boys in Crawford, Ind., have a balloon parachute craze, and cats are daily sent up, the parachute being so arranged that it will detach itself from the balloon at a certain time. The cats are not taking kindly to this aeronautic mania." It is possible that one or more of the sightings may have actually been (and the hilarity of this is not lost on me), a parachuting cat.

## Gallery

A clipping showing the "Balloon parachute cat craze".A modern day artistic depiction of the monster based on descriptions from eye witnesses. Created by Andrew Barr. (click for his blog)