Monster of the White River

The year 1915 began the sightings of the Monster of the White River in the small town of Newport, Arkansas. The sightings were sporadic at first. However, in July 1, 1937 Bramblett Bateman reported seeing “something appear on the surface of the water from the best I could tell, from the distance, it would be twelve feet long and four or five feet wide. I did not see the head or tail, but it slowly rose to the surface and stayed in this position for some five minutes. It did not move up or down the river at this particular time, but afterward on different occasions I have seen it move up and down the river, but I never have, at any time, been able to determine the full length or size of said monster." Deputy Z.B. Reid confirmed Bateman’s sightings. From that point on, the controversy of the Monster of White River has run rampant in Arkansas, as well as throughout the country.

In 1971 sightings began once again. Witnesses reported that it was the size of a boxcar, the length of three or four pickup trucks, some said that it looked as if it were peeling all over, but it had smooth skin or flesh. Someone even reported that it had a bone coming out from its forehead. People reported strange sounds coming from the creature. The many accounts of people who did not know each other, including some children and elderly citizens added fuel to the controversy surrounding this creature.

Two men, identified as only Ritcherson and Dupree, heard about these reports and decided to investigate for themselves. They took a boat up the river. They saw nothing in the water but suddenly hit something. Their boat launched from the water with great force as they flew up, on the back of the creature. They reported that they never got a good look at the creature, but took from the trip an experience they would never forget. Disbelievers claim that the report is the result of a drunken trip on the White River. However, it is also reported that the men did not have any alcohol on the boat and that Dupree was a devout Catholic who did not drink nor believe in ‘unexplained phenomenon’ of this nature.

Biologists have theorised this to be an elephant seal that wandered up from the Gulf of Mexico. Because it is out of its natural habitat, no one is expecting to see it, and so does not recognize this marine mammal. While this explanation is acceptable to non-believers, those who live in the White River area and believe in this type of phenomenon take that explanation with a grain of salt.

Many attempts have been made to catch this monster, either on camera or by catching the actual monster. However, none of them have thus far been successful. For this reason, it seems like the Monster of White River will be a phenomenon that will continue to be an area of contention for years to come. Check out this site for information on ssd drives.