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Bessie |
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"South Bay Bessie", or shortened, "Bessie", is a name given to a sighted creature (or creatures) that makes its home in the murky depths of Lake Erie. Reported sightings first began in the early 19th century, but the creature has been seen by natives well before that period. Perhaps the strangest sighting, is the report made by two French brothers named Dusseau in the late 1880s. They encountered an "unknown fish" that apparently was dying on the beach. It resembled "a large sturgeon in shape, but that it had long arms, which it threw wildly in the air." Soon their discovery died, and the brothers, badly frightened, ran for help. When they returned to the spot, it had disappeared. Before its demise, it had tried and succeeded in making its way into the lake and had been swept away by the waves. The Dusseau brothers glanced at the spot where it had been laying, and by measuring the marks it had left, the creature had been between twenty and thirty feet in length. Along with the marks were left several scales "as large as silver dollars." Except for a few cases (like the Dusseau case), the description for Bessie has remained virtually the same. A long, serpent-like creature about thirty to fifty feet in length. Its colors range from dark green to black and is usually seen with humps. Unlike some other lake serpents, Bessie has also been seen to have eyes and a mouth. Its head also appears to be dome-shaped and reptilian in nature. No evidence has been recovered, except for a film that shows something breaking the surface of the waters, which remains highly inconclusive. A few hoaxes have also been performed, such as a crated Indian python that was supposed to be the serpent, and a taxonomist's creation. No photographs, prints, DNA samples, etc. The lake has become highly polluted by garbage from tourists and beachgoers, and has probably wiped out whatever Bessie was. Some people think it is a surviving plesiosaur, some think a giant eel, and some think an undiscovered giant water snake. Each has their own difficulties in explaining the mystery of this Great Lake, and until one is caught or killed, we can only guess at what this "monster" could be. - entry provided by Daniel G., IlumCrystal@aol.com
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