(Found) A book of which I can only remember the cover and bit of the story concept.

[BAYLOR]

And thanks to the link to terrible book cover art I have found my Black Lagoon Creature book!

Stranger from the Depths

After sleeping for thousands of years the last survivor of a lost civilization returns to life to reveal secrets of the earth's core neve...

www.goodreads.com

Also saved me from asking to find the book series by Lee Killough.

Sounds like an interesting book but, that's not it.

 

[BAYLOR]

Any idea who the cover artist might have been? Or book publisher that might have had a distinct look to it like DAW or Pocket Books with their Timescape logo?

I found the book . The Gates of Eden by Brian Stableford.

 

[BAYLOR]

Give it approx 12 years and we'll revive this one pal

There was no need to wait 12 years . I found the book.

 

[Ravensquawk]

The legend makes more sense when you see the entire sentence:

"It was a dark and stormy night; the rain fell in torrents—except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which swept up the streets (for it is in London that our scene lies), rattling along the housetops, and fiercely agitating the scanty flame of the lamps that struggled against the darkness.

Anyone who created the phrase "the great unwashed" gets admiration from me.