Rensselaer Republican, Volume 25, Number 37, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 May 1893 — CAUGHT AT LAST. [ARTICLE]

CAUGHT AT LAST.

rive Mythical Sea Serpent Prorril tn It* m .• Reality. A Province town (Mass.) fecial of the fth sayS: The seb serpent is dead. That is, 6 monster which m e»£Wjy;respects resembles the famous annual visitor at seaside resorts, was yesterday- killed by the inea., having charge ojf ,the. beach, Point Weir. They went to their traps in the morning as usual to remove" the night's latch of fish, and were considerably surprised to find that the weir was filled with Vbuge sea monster, at that moment lying quietly on the top. Nei£her_end jo4 the creature was visible, but after waiting a few minutes an ugly, vlcious-dooking head appeared. Then began a fierce struggle for the mastery, the” men trying to haul the monster out of the trap, and the creature trying to pull the boat and crew into it. Finally they shot a bomb lance from a whale gun into the creature’s neck just back Of the head, Thfc Jahce exploded and broke the backbone and instantly killed the fish. The creature is shaped like a Huge cel, is twenty-nine feet oight inches in length and fo,ur feet six and three-fourths inches arpund the body at the largest point, which is just back of the head. The head is convex on the top, the mouth is large and furnished with five rows of saw-like teeth, two rows in the upper jaw. which fit snugly bet ween..the three rows in the lower. Along the back a serrated fiq extend entire length from hNtd is shaped like a shark’s, with the upper lobes con* siderably longer than the lower. There are two pectoral and two anna! fins, each ■a trifle over thf,ee'feet,,. , rfs j c)()lor on the back is a dark, Puddy.-green, gradually changing to a light' color'down the sides, while the belly is almost white. The fish is entirely devoid of scales, and possesses a very tough skin nearly a quarter of an irtch thick. .As soon as the; fish can be properly cured ahdhnountedit will be sent to Chicago and placed in the Fisheries building. - -