CRYPTOZOOLOGY: Richard Muirhead and water spouts and water devils

Today is the third and final part of my survey of the opinions of those who believe that sightings of lake monsters can be put down to water spouts or water devils.

In the volume 12 no. 122 issue of The Journal of Meteorology pp 269-271 Michael W. Rowe discussed this issue in an article titled 'Whirlwinds, Sea-Serpents and the Loch Ness Monster.' He wrote:

'In 1976 Dr. Meaden published a paper in this journal in which he propsed that some reports of `monsters` in Loch Ness and other lakes and rivers could be explained as sightings of whirlwinds, particularly water devils… In a later issue Sir Peter Scott, who has studied the problem of the Loch Ness Monster for many years, agreed that Dr Meaden`s theory could well be the explanation for a number of sightings… He proposed several questions, which were answered by Dr. Meaden.

'Until recently there seemed to be no records of whirlwinds on Loch Ness, but in the past few months I have received two reports. Both are unfortunately very lacking in detail, but they are worth putting on record, in view of Dr. Meaden's theory.

'The first report was sent by Mr. Peter Moore, who had seen a whirlwind in Urquhart Bay (NH5329) on the western side of the loch. The whirlwind was seen for only about two seconds, but Mr. Moore recognised what it was, as he had seen whirlwinds on Loch Lomond on at least five occasions.

'The other whirlwind was seen by Clare Page, a pupil of mine at Priestlands Comprehensive School, Lymington. Again there are few details, as Miss Page was only about eight years old when the incident took place (probably in 1983). From a rough sketch map it appears that the whirlwind was not far from Urquhart Castle, and hence in the same general area where Mr. Moore's sighting took place…

'Later, in the summer of 1917, there was "a… sighting in Loch Brittle (NG 3918), Skye.”

'It appeared as a high column, said to be a great deal higher than the object Sandy (a 1910 witness to another object) had seen in Loch Scavaig, and light flashed at the top of the column as though a small head were being turned from side to side. There was a considerable commotion of water astern of it, but no other portion of the body was visible above the surface. It submerged slowly until nothing was left showing above the sea, and it seemed to descend vertically and without flexuion.”

'Heuvelmans comments, "This time we seem to have the long-necked sea-serpent again.”'(1)

Rowe puts the light down to “electrical discharge.” (2)


1. B. Heuvelmans (1968) In The Wake of The Sea Serpent

2. M. Rowe Whirlwinds, Sea-Serpents and The Loch Ness Monster, Journal of Meteorology vol.12, no.122 October 1987 pp 169-271

RICHARD FREEMAN: The Monsters of Prague, Part 8

The Burning Man number 3.

The third burning spectre

A terrible miser lived in a house called At The Turks Head. He ate and drank very little in order to save his gold coins, which he stashed in a chest. He grew ever more paranoid about thieves and so bricked the chest up. Still not satisfied, he patrolled the wall, walking back and forth until he had a stroke and died. Even after death he remained as a flaming spectre.

The house's new owner decided to demolish it. A nightwatchman saw the burning man holding his fiery hand to a certain part of the wall. Realising that the ghost was pointing to something, he got a pickaxe and broke into the wall. He found a chest full of gold ducats.

"Thank you, my friend; you have freed me. Enjoy the money in good health," said the burning man, and vanished.

The nightwatchman go so drunk on the money he fell down stairs and killed himself. The burning man blamed himself and returned to haunt the area.

OLL LEWIS: Yesterday's News Today

On this day in 1964 a jury in Texas found Jack Ruby guilty of the murder of Lee Harvey Oswald, the main suspect in the assassination of JFK.

And now, the news:

Goa zoo gets a pair of sloth bear from Hyderabad

Peaceful co-existence

Snakes alive - Bewdley park animal keeper on a mission

Woman grows 6cm horn on forehead

India arrests after sea cucumbers seized at Delhi hotel

Smelling Scenery in Stereo: Desert Ants Perceive Odor Maps in Navigation

Boost ivory trade monitoring and enforcement before allowing one-off sales: UBC researcher

New Species of Worm Found in Great Barrier Reef

11 Siberian tigers starve to death in China zoo

Man working on home computer bit by stray snake

Look at this animal magic

If I had a tapir I’d call it Sally.

Crufts Controversy

Animal rights activists protested yesterday outside the opening day of Crufts in Birmingham. Once of a day the famous dog show had a remarkable reputation and the Kennel Club likewise. But people from various organisations, as I stated in a blog post last week, have been worried for some time.

The competition this year will not be televised by the BBC, who dropped the show in 2008 out of concern for the animals competing. The Kennel Club, who regulates Crufts, has also been accused of allowing dogs to 'wither genetically' and protesters yesterday held placards saying 'Hitler would be proud.'

This was down to the argument that dog breeders are performing a Nazi-esque canine type of ethnic cleansing on dogs. Poorva Joshpura of Peta said "Whether you call it 'pedigree' or 'master race', the quest for pure bloodlines is the same thing - the false and dangerous belief that some breeds or races are superior to others."

Whether or not you agree with her choice of analogy, you have to admit that it's about time man's best friend was treated as such.

OUT-OF-PLACE: Japanese Kangaroos

Thanks to Richard Freeman for the link to this bizarre story!

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/18/20100308/tod-japan-town-baffled-by-kangaroo-sight-c359f57.html

MAX BLAKE: 'Chupacabra' footage

Maxy sent the link to this story on Paranormal magazine's website.

http://www.paranormalmagazine.co.uk/2010/03/08/chupacabra-captured-alive/

Hopefully Jon and Corinna will have as much luck with the blue dog in Texas....

OLL LEWIS: Yesterday's News Today

On this day in 1781, Sir William Herschel discovered Uranus while in Bath. He had wanted to call the planet George, which is a perfectly good and sensible name for a planet, but the astronomer Johann Bode, who determined the orbit of Uranus had other ideas and was clearly oblivious to the fact that he was setting the world of astronomy up for some truly epic double entendre. In 1789 Herschel discovered a ring around Uranus (told you)…

Sometimes it’s better to just give something a sensible name like George and have done with it.

Incidentally, you’ll be seeing more on his son, Sir John Herschel in the next of my ‘Crypto Con’ articles.

And now, the news:

Pet high chair sits dogs at the dining table
PETA offers anti-meat trash cans for Colorado park...
Devotees of Fla. man say they ingested snail mucus...
Teacher killed by wolves in Alaska
Fears grow for some of Britain's rarest butterflie...
Pet death prompts axe-wielding outburst

It really would be remiss of me not to post this link: