SEA SERPENT STORY

Hokitika Guardian, 27 May 1930, Page 2

SEA SERPENT STORY

BOMBARDED BY WAR-SHIP,

How a- monster so/i serpen,t, with a neck 20 ft. long, ivas bombarded by a British warship with six-pounders before the ship was torpedoed and sunk with all records, has just been told by Captaiy. F. W. Dean, a retired naval officer.

The story is given in “Nature,’’ the scientific journal, which describes Gaptain Dean’s statement as “.an interesting v and, .important piece of evidence for .'the existence of tlie creature popularly known as the sea serpent.” ■ • The creature was seen by Captain Dean and several of the officers and men of H.M.S. Hilary in May, 1917. “About 9 a.m., on approximately 22-5-17,” lie writes, “H.M.S. Hilary” was some seventy miles S.E. of the S.E, part of Iceland,- the day very line and clear, the Iceland mountains in sight; flat, calm and smooth sea. An object was observed on the starboard quarter. The ship was turned round and-steered straight for the object. When we were about a cable (209 yardsi Jrpm -it the creature quietly moved out of our way, and we passed it on pur starboard side at a distance of about thirty yards, getting a very good view of it. As we passed close to the creature, it lifted its head once or twice, as if looking at us. The head was in appearance black and glossy, with no protusions such -as cars, etc.; in shape, about that of a cow.

“The top edge pf the neck was just awash, and it curved to almost a semi-circle as the creature moved its head as if to follow us with'its eyes. The dorsal fin was a black equilateral triangle, which rose at times till the peak was estimated to be 4ft. above the water.”

Three independent estimates made on hoard the Hilary gave the length of the monster’s neck as from 20ft. to 28ft. The head appeared to have a patch of whitish flesh in front, “like that around a cow’s nostrils.”

The Hilary being on patrol at the time, the unfortunate creature was used as a target for anti-submarine practice with the six-pounders at about 1200 yards range. A direct hit having •apparently been scored, it disappeared no trace remaining. A few days later the ship was torpedoed and sunk, taking with her all logs, journals, etc.j recording 'the sea serpent incident.

Commenting upon the statement, the writer in “Nature” says that the creature seems to have borne a, striking resemblance to that seen off the Brazilian coast in December, 1905, from the Earl of Crawford’s yacht Valhalla. “'ln both cases,” it is remarked, “there seems no doulbt that the observers saw. a single living creature of unknown species.”