Year: 1877

in length, narrow and serpentine, and
swaying and writhing with motion
like that of snake poised in water.
The sides and under portions of the
neck were evidently covered with
FURNISHED scales of changeable hue,
but from the top of the neck there grew
what had the appearance of a name,
resembling that of horse, being thick
and shiny and of greenish tint. This
name reached from the base of the head
to the body, and depended from the neck
in long strands. There were the only
parts Of the body that were visible ex-
cept the fins. On the back there ap-
peared to be dorsal fin, fifteen or
twenty feet in length, measuring along
the back, and perhaps three or four feet
in height. The body being sunk in the
water, however, could not be seen, and
Captain Carraway says he may be mis-
taken as to this dorsal fin, and only
describes it as it appeared to him during
the momentary opportunity he had for
observation. The side fins we're of
monstrous proportions, extending fifteen
feet on either side, and while the
monster paused they rose and dipped
back into the water rapidly, throwing
immense waves in forward direction,
the monster by this means poising and
steadying himself in the current.


This attitude was maintained not
longer than three or four minutes, and
the distance being nearly or quite one
hundred yards. Captain Carraway's
description is necessarily imperfect, but,
in the main, it is undoubtedly accurate,
as it agrees almost exactly with the de-
scription which has heretofore been
given of the monster by persons who
have seen him wading in shallow water
or outstretched on sand-bars. Suddenly
the immense head and neck disappeared
under the water with lashing sound
that could have been heard half mile
down the river. For a few moments
nothing was seen of the monster, but it
was quickly discovered that he was
making in a direct course for the tow
boat and barges. His track was indica-
ted by a rolling, pointed wave that came
running forward like water impelled by
great submarine upheaval. There
was great excitement on board, and the
Captain and hands were all on deck,
looking, with terror, upon the extraordi-
nary spectacle. A young German,
named Henry Decker, was on the coal
barge lashed to the right of the two
boat, and it was under this barge that
the monster Dlowed his irresistible way.
First came a violent shock and then the
barge was thrown with tremendous force
above the surface of the water and al
most careened, the rear end being hoisted
twenty feet into the air, half the cargo
of coal being hurled into the river, and
along with it the man Henry Decker.
The 1ashings by which the barge was Sc
cured to the tow-boat were snapped,
and the shock was so sudden and strong
that the tow-boat itself was almost lifted
clear of the water. In a moment the
monster reappeared in front of the fleet,
and, turning its body so as to face the
barge it had passed under, again reared
its body, suddenly dived into the water
and made for the boats. 1t was a for
tunate circumstance that the barge had
become detached from the tow-boat, for
this seems to be special object of aver
sion to the leviathan, for he attacked it
with a fury that was terrible to behold.
First he drove into the sides with his
huge beak, lifting it almost entirely out
of the water, and sending it fifty feet
away. Then he lashed it with his tail,
the blows resounding with deafening eff
feet, while, in the mean time, the air
was made hideous with successive roars
and harsh, loud bellows. A second
time he made an assault with his beak,
striking it fairly in the gunwales and
sending it scudding one hundred feet
down the river. The last attack seemed
to satisfy the monster, for, with howl,
he suddenly sunk beneath the surface
and shot down the channel, going at a
speed which Captain Carraway affirms
must have reached forty miles an hour.
As he moved away no part of the body
was visible, but the pointed wave that
rolled before showed its course, while
in its wake the waters rushed like those
of mill-dam suddenly let loose. In two
minutes he was out of sight.


In the mean time, Henry Decker, the
hand who was precipitated from the
barge, swan to another barge, and
clambered safely up the sides, with no
greater damage than thorough drench-
ing and slight confusion on the head,
made by falling piece of coal. The
engine had been stopped when the first
shock came. 1t was put in motion as
soon as it was apparent that the danger
had passed, and Captain Carraway set
about securing the detached barge. By
the time he reached it, it was three hun
dred yards down the river, and in a sink
ing condition. The front end had al
ready sunk, and the stern was raised
ten feet above the water. As the tow
boat approached the wreck swung
around, and a close view showed that
the bottom had been ripped in a half
dozen places; the portions of the gun
wales still out of the water were split
and splintered as if an Ak had been used
to cut and tear them to pieces. At one
pOint the gunwale was torn off the entire
depth. As the tOw-boat fioated against
the wreck, one of the hands. called Cap,
tain Carraway's attention to strange
object that protruded from the rear end
of the boat. 1t had the appearance of a
huge splinter, but its appearance was SC
singular that Captain Carraway's curl.
osity was aroused, and he steamed i'm


mediately by the object, in order to see


what it was. Upon close view it was
discovered that it was nothing more OF


less than a piece of the monsters bill


which had been splintered off and lef


in the gunwale of the boat. An etfor'


was made to pull the splinter out, bu


this undertaking was found too Difficult


to accomplish, as it was driven entirel!


through the timber, and was as fast anr


hard as if it were part and parcel of thu


barge. Axes were brought, and thegun


vale chopped down on either side, anC


the piece containing the splinter spill


off. An examination showed the splin


ter to be four feet long, and undoubt


edly piece of the monsters's bill.


At one end it was twelve inches broad


gradually slOping until it reached


sharp point. 1t was quite thin, ant


looked as if it might be mere outwar


covering for the end of the lower part o


the bill. 1t was neither horn nor bone


but appeared more like ivory, thoug
almost as tough and hard as steel. L
color it was dark green and brown


mixed and varied, though the large


end was almost black. The piece weighe


eighteen pounds, the heavy weight show


ing the unusual cOmpactnesS of the ms