Wabash River Cryptid, 1899
Posted by: Loren Coleman on February 13th, 2009
Dubuque Daily Herald
Dubuque, Iowa
August 1, 1899
SEA SERPENT YARN.
Monster Leaves Seashore and Appears on Wabash River.
Gives a Desperate Fight to Some Fishermen But Is Finally Over-Powered – Will Be Preserved in Alcohol.
Jesse Plunkett, a ferryman on the Wabash river at Merom, Ind., captured a strange animal closely resembling a sea serpent the other afternoon. Man and serpent had a terrific struggle before it was finally stunned and pulled ashore. Plunkett observed a large black object about 12 feet long, with a number of large feet or fins and big eyes and mouth floating down the river. As he rowed toward it the object showed signs of life and uttered a terrible hissing sound, which was heard by F. B. Frawley and a party of fishermen, who were several hundred yards away. When the ferryman was within 15 feet of the serpent[,] it rose from the water with a leap and appeared as though about to fly. Plunkett attempted to change the course of his boat, and the serpent, evidently intending to pass him, made straight for the frail skiff. As it approached[,] it darted a fork-shaped tongue and rose above the water by leaps.
Frawley and the party of fishermen witnessed the race which followed, and attempted to reach Plunkett with a flat-bottomed scow. Plunkett rowed with a will born of desperation and was keeping a safe distance away, when the serpent glided into the air and in one leap covered the intervening space between it and the boat and struck the skiff, shattering the stern and almost sinking it. Frawley and his companions had by this time reached the scene, and they pulled Plunkett, who was thoroughly terrified, into their boat, and turned their attention to the serpent, which lay stunned in the water.
After some rowing about[,] Frawley, assisted by Plunkett, fastened a line about the serpent’s neck, and it was towed ashore before consciousness returned. Another terrific struggle followed the return to consciousness, and Plunkett was struck by the serpent and dashed to the earth. Only by the timely action of Frawley in striking it over the head with an empty flask was the struggle ended. The serpent is believed to have escaped from some circus, although persons living here have never before seen an animal like it. It will be preserved in alcohol and in all probability will be sent to some public museum.
This story has all the earmarks of the journalist having some fun with the readers, after receiving an initially straightforward sighting. If you note, a subtle under-theme is that the creature was struck “over the head with an empty flask” and will be “preserved in alcohol.” Also here is the old chestnut that it might have “escaped from some circus.” It’s a classic.
Thanks to Jerry Clark for sending this along. ~ Loren.
About Loren Coleman
Loren Coleman is one of the world’s leading cryptozoologists, some say “the” leading living cryptozoologist. Certainly, he is acknowledged as the current living American researcher and writer who has most popularized cryptozoology in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Starting his fieldwork and investigations in 1960, after traveling and trekking extensively in pursuit of cryptozoological mysteries, Coleman began writing to share his experiences in 1969. An honorary member of Ivan T. Sanderson’s Society for the Investigation of the Unexplained in the 1970s, Coleman has been bestowed with similar honorary memberships of the North Idaho College Cryptozoology Club in 1983, and in subsequent years, that of the British Columbia Scientific Cryptozoology Club, CryptoSafari International, and other international organizations. He was also a Life Member and Benefactor of the International Society of Cryptozoology (now-defunct).
Loren Coleman’s daily blog, as a member of the Cryptomundo Team, served as an ongoing avenue of communication for the ever-growing body of cryptozoo news from 2005 through 2013. He returned as an infrequent contributor beginning Halloween week of 2015.
Coleman is the founder in 2003, and current director of the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, Maine.
lots of fins? wow?
this would probably be a new category in the animal kingdom lol.
My first thought, in the more straightforward section, was a seal or sea lion of some type. But I agree, Loren, later on it does get that flavor of ‘let’s have fun with this one’.
I have found an earlier version of this article, from Logansport Pharos-Tribune (Indiana) 14 July 1899 p. 2, (date marked 14 July, Sullivan, Indiana) which rather than stating that the incident occurred “the other afternoon” states that it was “last Wednesday” .
Another difference is that the fhe final sentences: “The serpent is believed to have escaped from some circus, although persons living here have never before seen an animal like it. It will be preserved in alcohol and in all probability will be sent to some public museum.” (I do not see this appearing in the earlier version.)
I should add that the Logansport Pharos Tribune version of the report is headlined “ON THE BANKS OF THE WABASH – Far away, they sometimes tell stories about river serpents.”