Incident #1000948
Port Orford, Curry Cty, Oregon
1899
Account
Prospectors Robbins and Benson were developing a "gold ledge" above a spring beyond the head of Star Gulch on the South Fork of the Sixes River. Returning from lunch by the spring they looked back and saw a creature, big, powerful, erect, and covered with yellow fuzz, throwing their camp stuff over a cliff. They fired at it, but without effect and it bounded out of sight. The article refers to "Indian devils" called Swalahists seen by miners, over 6.5 feet tall, heavy jaws, powerful shoulders and torsos, covered with yellowish fur, catlike in action, running and bounding with the swiftness of a deer. A man named 'Doc' Elgin (?) said to have seen one and measured its footprints. (Measurements and part of name illegible.)
When
- Year
- 1899
- Time of Day
- noon
- Duration
- considerable
Where
- State / province
- Oregon
- County
- Curry Cty
- Nearest Town
- Port Orford
- Direction from Town
- East
- Distance from Town
- 13
- Population of Town
- 1000
- Elevation/Altitude
- 10
- Latitude
- 424---
- Longitude
- 1241---
What was seen
- Individuals
- one large, sex unknown
- Total Individuals
- 1
- Population Status
- wild
- First Seen
- in
- Terrain Object
- camp
- Near or/at
- cliff
- Shot Hit
- Yes
- Effect of Shot
- none
Witnesses
- Witness(es) Sex
- Male
- Report type
- hearsay
Setting
- Terrain
- hillside
- Exact Terrain
- cliff
- Slope
- steep
- Nearby Water
- spring
- Substratum
- solid rock
Weather and light
- Lighting
- daylight
Source
- Source
- Article by Dale Vincent in unidentified newspaper
- Source Type
- newspaper
- Source Date
- 1947
- Source reliability
- 3
- Incident reliablility
- 6
- Incident type
- 1
Creature description
- Hair Covered
- yes
- Height
- 7 ft
- Build
- heavy
- Posture
- erect
- Hair Length
- short
- Appearance
- smooth
- Hair Colour
- other
- Shoulders
- wide
- Torso Front
- wide
- Movement
- picking up
- Later Movement
- fled
- Running Stride
- long
- Running Speed
- fast
- Aggressive To
- human possessions
- Arms Used
- for throwing
- Object Handled
- manmade object
- Reaction
- fled from
- Attracted By
- human activity
- Other Unusual Y/N
- Yes
- Describe Unsual
- Fur was yellowish. Creature threw prospectors' camp gear off a cliff. Some items of physical detail taken from "Swalalahist" description, not from incident.
- Estimated Top Speed (mph)
- fast
- Position when first seen
- erect
Witness
- Sex
- Male
- Witness Saw with
- naked eye
- Observer Was
- prospecting, camping
- Moving Y/N
- Yes
- Position
- upright
- Making Noise Y/N
- Yes
- Action on sighting
- shot
- No of witnesses
- 2