Page 24. MAINE COASTAL NEWS May 2011 Maritime History Continued from Page 23. Meddybemps shortly before January 4th


men were wildly excited by what they had seen and Hiram Quimby went with them to see the monster track, which was 4’ wide, and nearly 3’ deep, with turns about 25’ apart, resembling that of a snake.


Soon after this revelation, the weather turned bitterly cold, with a following heavy snow, and everyone knew those tracks would be out of sight until spring thaw. Winter closed in after that, and in the cold temperatures and storms that followed most


THE STORY OF THE GREAT CHAIN LAKE SNAKE . The


people stayed home, close to kitchen fires and there was little to talk about except the story of the great snake. At night during the winter storms, it was easy to believe in almost anything. Few people used candles, nearly all used kerosene lamps, and at night mysteri- ous cold drafts came from everywhere; lights flickered and cast huge moving shadows on walls and ceilings, the wind huffed in the chimney, sleet rattled against the windows and dark lurked behind every chair. Reactions to the story of the great snake varied, but the most chilling question came from a Portland newspaper reader who in-


A LOBSTER TRUCK DRIVER'S RECOLLECTIONS


Continued from Page 22.


he was making good time and came up and passed me and went on ahead of me. I had been moving at top speed in the left hand lane before he came by. I came around a bend and saw his cruiser on the side, and he was out of the car. He saw me coming and walked out into the highway and beckoned me over. Our trucks had big western mirrors, but he asked me if I had mirrors on the truck. I politely told him I did. He asked if I’d seen him behind me and I said I had. He told me he’d clocked me at 77 mph, I think it was. I told him that was interesting because the governor cut her off at 72. He didn’t ask to see my driver’s log. After checking my license and registration he told me he’d let me off with a warning, and, to keep that thing out of the left hand lane! * * * * *


The foregoing is much of what came to


mind some fifty years after having the tremen- dous privilege of driving our lobster trucks several summers. It was fun to take Ann and Steve with me in their namesake trucks on short trips, such as to the ice house and Ellsworth. Had they been older I’d have taken them to Boston. As may be evident, I really enjoy driving. Driving lobster trucks was a lot of fun, a lot of work, many nights with little or no sleep, and a great responsibility. Crossing our bridge (which I had helped build) and getting home to family was a great part of the trips. The Lord gave me the privilege of driv- ing lobster trucks and I am thankful for it. Driving lobster trucks was an enormous dia- metric change for me from how I enjoyed earning my living the rest of the year, namely, as a high school physics teacher or a high school vice principal.


Want to go to Boston... in a lobster truck?


I n t e r n a t i o n a l M a r i t i m e L i b r a r y Help Save All Facets of Maritime History


The International Maritime Library (IML) is a non-profit tax-deductible organization dedicated to the collection and preservation of all maritime information, such as books, periodicals, documents, personal papers and photographs and then computerizing it for ease of reference. Those interested will have access to the reference materials and the databases created from them, either on-site at IML or via the website. Presently, there is no facility dedicated to collecting and researching all the written maritime works, past and present, published around the globe. IML will fill this immense void by collecting published and personal works, and computerizing it. IML’s collections and computerized works will assist maritime academic institutions, businesses and the public allowing them quick access to information with the touch of a button. With the technological advances in today’s world, the maritime industry is well behind in what is available via computers. There have been thousands of maritime books and periodicals published throughout history, which presently cannot be referenced. Those looking for current or historical information spend hundreds hours, and may never locate that obscure piece of information. IML will change this by creating a single source for all maritime information.


ON-GOING PROJECTS INCLUDE:


Transcribing maritime articles from: Maine Industrial Journal (1880 to 1918); Bangor Whig & Courier (1836-1899); Republican Journal (1829 to present); and various others including Eastern Argus (Portland), Bath Daily Times, Eastport Sentiniel, Ellsworth American, New Bedford Mercury, Salem Gazette and Boston Evening Transcript.


Databasing - List of Merchant Vessels, 1867 to 1990s. Sail completed, Steamers (1867 to 1903) will be finished end of 2009


Transcribing Appleby's Ship Records for Maine and the WPA Ship Documents, especially ones not published. Passamaquoddy Complete and presently working on Bath.


Also, there are over 800 periodicals published in the maritime world and not one library holds a quarter of them. IML will bridge this problem by collecting and comput- erizing them for future use by researchers and the general public. There is a massive amount of work to be done to accomplish these goals, which should have been started 150 years ago!


To make this happen we need financial support, please help us do more! For more information please call (207) 223-8846.


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quired what the huge snake ate, and ex- pressed doubts that the area around the Chain Lakes could support the creature’s appetite. Since the size of the monster had been estimated at 90’ in length and at a weight of 60,000 pounds, one hunter suggested that such “an animal” would devour half a ton of moose, deer, rabbit, etc. every day. His con- clusion was that there was no animal larger than a muskrat connected with the story. Although trappers were strong in their disbelief of the Chain Lake Snake very few of them laid traps in that area during the winter. Ice fishing too, became unpopular in the district.


Since the monster had made an appear- ance before the cold weather began, some believed the snake was hibernating and would not appear again until spring. This belief was sp prevalent that a company of 48 men was formed in Jacksonville to capture the giant creature at the outlet of the Chain Lake Stream while he was still groggy from his winter sleep. One man wondered at the amount of meat the snake would supply if it were fit to eat, and if the monster wasn’t fit to eat, the market value of his hide. The Jackson- ville plan included taking sheep; calves,


swine and dogs to entice the creature out of hiding, then to capture the monster, a rope would be placed around his neck. The expe- dition would leave Jacksonville on April 1st


,


which date the editor of the Eastport Sentinel considered appropriate.


The story is almost unknown today ex- cept perhaps in some deep woods hunting and fishing camps known to local folks as the Red Eye Inn, the Blue Bottle and the Crazy Loon. Newspaper versions of these ac- counts varied considerably, but interest waned in the springtime when “the monster of the mighty deep, landlocked in the small fresh water ponds of the Machias Chain lakes” did not reappear. Of course, there is always the possibility that the Chain Lake Snake is still sleeping, deep in the muddy bottom of a lake or a favorite marsh, waiting for times to change, when he will be welcomed as a gentle giant. Perhaps he has gone away for a while to Florida, to a warmer climate like many other summer residents, and is swim- ming in the swamps of the Okeefenokee or the bayous of Louisiana.


Perhaps he has gone to Scotland to visit relatives at Loch Ness, and perhaps, just perhaps, he is the Loch Ness Monster.


WANTED


MARITIME BOOKS, MAGAZINES, DOCUMENTS POSTCARDS and PHOTOGRAPHS


International Maritime Library P.O. Box 710, Winterport, Maine 04496 (207) 223-8846


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