IRISH TIMES ODDITIES: Allen Fostertrawls the Irish Times' archives.
A SEA-SERPENT HOAX
Hoaxed by the receipt of a letter bearing every appearance of being genuine and purporting to come from one of the oldest inhabitants of the Copeland Islands, a Belfast newspaper yesterday morning printed an amazing story of a fight with a sea-serpent, ending in its death and capture.
The fullest details were given, and as a consequence, numbers of people made a pilgrimage to the Copeland Islands in order to catch a glimpse of the fearsome monster.
An energetic reporter, who chartered a motor boat, found that the sea-serpent existed in the mind of some practical joker, evidently inspired by the fact that for the past week fishermen around the Antrim and Down coasts have been terrorised by the reported reappearance of the elusive leviathan. So persistent have these reports been that certain scientific gentlemen started out recently in pursuit and rewards were offered for its capture, alive or dead.
September 11th, 1908
RESCUED BY ROCKET
In a dense fog on Sunday night the Italian steamer Liberta, 3,000 tons, went ashore at Mewstone, near Bolt Head, Devonshire, and is likely to become a total wreck. She carried a crew of 30, and all were saved. Three of the crew jumped overboard and were towed to safety. The Hope Cove rocket apparatus sent a line aboard at daybreak and eventually the remaining 27 members of the crew were brought ashore. All their belongings were saved, as well as the ship's mascot, a Russian sheep dog.
Lady Clementine Waring cancelled a dinner in London last evening to entertain the shipwrecked mariners at the Moult, the residence of the late Duke of Devon.
The wireless operator kept in touch with land stations until the aerial was carried away by the rocket lines coming over.
February 16th, 1926
SHOT WHILE BATHING
A man named Alexander Nelson was bathing in the sea at Irvine, Ayrshire, when he was struck by a bullet, which passed through both legs at the thigh. His two brothers assisted him out of the sea, when he collapsed. He was carried to the golf club at Gailes, and afterwards to Kilmanock Infirmary. A bullet from the Territorial Rifles Range, about one hundred yards away, must have been deflected.
August 5th, 1911
SANTA GETS TOUGH 14 December 1949
In Elsinore, four youths tried to snatch his bag of toys from a Santa Claus, but Santa, a blacksmith, thrashed all of them.
December 14th, 1949
AN ACQUIRED TASTE
An organised traffic, selling cat meat to butchers for 11s 6d (a big cat) and 9s (if under 6½ lb weight) exists in Rome, according to the local president of Italy's society for the protection of animals. Two men have been brought to trial.
November 13th, 1965
SENTRY DUTY
While on sentry duty on the railway at Cork during the recent strike, a soldier fell asleep. When he awoke he found that his bayonet and rifle had been stolen.
No trace of either the thief or rifle have been found yet.
October 14th, 1911