Red Haired Monster

There are few things quite as fascinating as reading through old newspapers. Yesterday I spent the afternoon at the Yukon Archives, looking for articles for a special project I'm working on. Apart from all the stuff I found on the construction of the Whitehorse dam, I uncovered this piece, published in the Whitehorse Star on August 2, 1956.

Red Haired, 100-Foot Long Monster Washed Ashore in Alaska

The body of a monster has been washed ashore 60 miles southeast of here. The carcass is estimated at more than 100 feet long and 15 feet wide at the broadest point. Its origin and species are a mystery.

Experts say it fits no known description of prehistoric beasts, and the reddish-brown hair on its body precludes any relationship to whales or elephants. The hair, about two inches long, covers the thick decaying hide. Syrupy blood flows from puffy parts of the flesh when it is poked with a stick or shovel. No blubber or fat can be seen on the carcass. The crimson flesh is decomposing rapidly.

The monster now lies buried in the sand 125 feet from the waters of the Gulf of Alaska. The place is Dry Harbour, 15 miles southwest of the Akwe River, and about 10 miles from mountains in which many glaciers come down to the sea.

The head measures 5 1/2 feet across. The eye sockets, with fragments of decaying flesh still clinging to them, are between seven and nine inches in diameter. The sockets are about 42 inches apart.

One investigator said the animal's ribs, which are not now visible, extend about five or six feet from the spinal column. The teeth are about six inches long and about five inches wide at the base. The movable upper jaw, with a solid tusklike bone, protrudes about 5 1/2 feet beyond the end of the fixed lower jaw.