New York Times.
Fourth Officer, F. G. Rowell, of the steamship Anchoria, of the Anchor line, which arrived at this point from Glasgow, late Sunday evening, says that on Thursday last, while on the Newfoundland banks, he saw a sea-serpent which he estimates to have been fully as long as the steamship. According to “Lloyd’s Shipping Record,” the Anchoria is four hundred and eight feet long. Mr. Rowell was walking the bridge at four bells in the afternoon watch, when he noticed a disturbance in the water about a mile distant on the port beam. At first he thought the commotion was caused by a school of porpoises, but on closer observation he changed his mind. When he looked through a pair of strong glasses he saw the head and a portion of the body of the sea-serpent rising above the water. Portions of the back of the creature could be seen rising out of the sea at intervals as it propelled itself along on top of the water. Its motions were similar to those of the land snake as it moves along on the ground. The water in the wake of the creature had been lashed into foam by its tail. Its head was large and contained an enormous mouth, which opened frequently and spat out large quantities of water. Its tongue, which was extremely long, could be seen at times, but no tooth or fangs could be observed. The body of the serpent was round, and its color was black. It was moving in the same direction as the steamship, and at greater rate of speed. When the creature had got a little ahead of the vessel it sank down into the water and disappeared.
Several passengers were on deck at the time. Observing the commotion of the sea, they asked Mr. Baxter, the second officer, what the thing moving in the water could be. He was able to take only a hurried glance before he was called to the other side of the vessel in the performance of duties. When he returned with his glasses the creature was not in sight. Mr. Baxter says he thinks it must have been a sea-serpent, and he places implicit reliance in the fourth officer’s statement. Mr. Rowell has made marine animals the subject of study, and has always believed in the existence of sea-serpents; but his desire to see one of these animals had never before been gratified.
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