The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-08-21
THE TELEGRAPH PLATEAU OF THE
ATLANTIC.

81. JOHNS,
HwFouNDLAND.
We have spoken OF the sue
cess which has thus FAR -
tended this great enterprise
but there Is one remarkable
fact connected with Is which 10
deserving Of particular assea-
ton. When the subject wa
hrst proposed 1t was feared
that the Inequalities whichwers
supposed 70 exist In the bed of
the ocean, bet Ween Ireland and
Newfoundland, would preseos
an insurmountable barrier 70
the successful completion a
the prof set; but II has beea
proved by Lieut.. Maury thaa
there are no such inequalities
In this part OF the Atlantic. n
the summer OF 1883 and In
the fall Of 1855 Lieut.. Berry.
man was employed In making
deep sea soundings along the
proposed route. These sound
ings proved tue existence a
this plateau, which appears ~
have been placed there q.
peo,ally for the purpose ecf
holding . submarine telegraph.
From the accompanying -
CRAVING IL sin be seen thai ths
greatest depth docs uos exose6
t~o mud and eighty D.
thoms. The osois Wni0o "
now being laid across IRON
Newfoundland 70 Ireland win
pass 10 the north OF the Grand
Banks, and rest on the plAssaa,
and .. . depth whore NJ
waters Of the sea, judging fron
the nature OF the bottom whsa
brought 70 the surface, ars
ns quiet and a. completely n
rest ~ the bottom OF o MIN
poad. There seems TO be No
pcroeptible currents and 10
abrsding agents q, work on the
surface Of the plateau. Lieut.
Eerryman brought up with ths
sounding apparatus 50 soim men
ofthe bottom, which, when OK.
anined with tho microscope,
wero for nd to consist OF shslls
30 minute M not 10 be perosp.
uble TO the eye. These utsls
shells ct once suggested the
fact thai there are no currsnls
al the bottom OF the sea froa
which ,hey arc taken; thu, Ne
spos where they we're found
VAS THEIR burial place, and
that afler having lived aud did
on the surface they had sunni
gradually 10 the bottom, vhces
they had lain undisturbed b.
currents; for II the platcas
were swept by currents they
would, doubtless, have bess
asraded and mingled with TIE
other microscopic remains
which lie a,the bottom OF ths
ocean, such ~ sand, grave
and other matter; bu. not o
particle Of sand or gravel w~s
found among them.
In the profile OF the SQUAD
ings taken alorg the piaseas
every apparent depth IL exa9.
seraied teufold, In order v
enable the eye 10 Judge -
the effect The undulaan1
line represents the surface q
the plateau ,the different depsns
being marked by fsthoms,
viii 81 are rerrcsonscd by The
figures bct~ee the level ofths
Allan 10 and the bed OF The
plateau The soundings. ueuA
Berrymsn rays In his repdwt
10 ex Secretary Dobbln, were
made 81 Intervals OF thirty,
forty, SIXTY and 100 miles,
all ate ,ded with complies 49,
ICES. bat frequently Involving
many hours, both night and
day, OF great suspense an>
hard WORK, losing someumes
two or three thousand fsshosns
ofline, sounding apparatus and
oil. There wwe no eurreu>s
near the bottom 10 anecs the
soundlngs, add ire Iucntly the
sick line you'd be ooiied o.
kinked upon n, sho wing plainly
that n rosrhed the botton
without the assistance OF ths
lead, determining the I'm ooss
ant fact that = cable or wirsw
The lishicst kind would reach