The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-11-02
WASHINGTON CITY, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 1853

= loth The results OF Lieut. Com. Dayman were OBJ
tained from the former method those of Lieut.. Com.
Berryman by the Indicator; and therefore Berry
man results undoubtedly nearer the truth than
Daymans 5, but from neither the existence of
plateau between Newfoundland and Ireland be made
ont. '-P. 1853.
With all its imperfectons however Masseys ndica-
tor furnishes better results when carefully used, than
the method Of measuring the depth by the line out and
for this reason think the soundngs of Lieut. Berryman
where he used the indicator, the line o. the Atlantic
Telegraph, much the truth than those Of Lieut.
Daymail. .'--P. Ill
These two paragraphs quoted from the Coast Survey
paper under discussion show that the Coast Survey must
have been in possession of notes which enabled
rrowbrdge to weigh Bergman soundngs, and to judge
OF Their accuracy II So they spurious and the de-
dneons from them valneess for, as have said the
Coast Survey made application to the Observatory for
copy Of the Arctics soundngs; and if it obtained
ne copy from any other 1rowbrdge would not
arr could not have found in it any thing to justify the
cacusions quoted above the official journal aud
port Of Chat cruise of the Arctic make mention OF any
to her indicators of any attempt to ascertain
correction for them or to apply one,
Every word and every thing in that Journal relating to
deepsea soundngs is contained in vol l. Sh cd, Maury
Sailing Directions just out before stated and copy
Of which shall be happy to place at the disposal of any
gentleman interested in such matters who may favor
with his address SO far from this journal enabling the
Coast Survey to weigh these soundngs, an examination
of it will show any that the Superintendent of the
Coast Survey and his assistant would, without knowing
the of Bergman chronomeer be competent to
pronounce upon the III WHICH
his soundings made they to pronounce upon
the accuracy of the depths reported without knowing the
OF the instrument with which those depths
measured.
AT page 22I, art Geographical Notices." in the
September mum Der of this journal, given three pro-
files Of the telegrapc plateau the authority of Ber
ryman@ Soundngs in the Arctic. They all intended
to represent and the view. There is about
much resemblance between them there would be be-
tween profile views of Georges Shoa Of the Grand Banks
Of Newfoundland and the deep Which is it that
the Coast Survey thinks correct They all cannot be
right and is entitled to us much credit us the other,
for all rest on the same authority
From all this maze of soundingsthe contradictions
and discrepancies among them --identcally the same
sounding being given by Bergman in the journal
1900 fathoms, by Bergman in ono profile as 100
fathoms and by Bergman in another $40 and yet,
notwithstanding the absence in this journal of all tests
and proofs by which the good may be separated from the
bad the Coast Survey is enabled to weigh them it en-
dorses Bergman, condemns payman, and concludes:
s.1he idea of plateau exis ing between Newfound-
land and Ireland is warranted, it to me- by
any observations that have yet been made The
of may be great 500 hthoms, which would
admit of the existence of submarine mountain this
line half as high Mount Washington. true section
of the Atlantic only be determined by improved
modes Of sounding since from the preceding discussion
may be warranted in the conclusion that it is practi
cay impossible to determine the greatest depths Of the
ocean by the methods now in use '--P Ill.
This conclusion also quoted not only with approba-
ion but with evident zest by the writer OF article XXV
number of this Journal showing that the writer of those
notices had to the Coast Survey paper before
published and suggesting the idea OF combina-
ton.
But before we dispute about plaeau or no plateau,
it would be well ask the authors those papers
say what they understand plateau to be- Did they
pect because the term plateau is used to find the bottom
of the all the way between Newfoundland and Ire
land dead level 1t they did. Ii so, they
pected to find what is not afforded by the pateaus that
| ne usually recognised as such by geogaphers.
Ihe plateau of Bolivia, says Keith Johnston, sis in
torsccted in the by series OF elevations d.
rcction from northwest to southeast connecting the
western with the eastern Cordillea. No part of this
ridge reaches the limits OF its most elevated point,
situated between Corocoro and La paz and composed of
new red sand stone, rises to elevation of l5 100
feet. Physical AAas-Geology, p l5
Here are elevations on .piateau, that is known by
all the world plateau, not only ha, but quite 'as
high as Mount Washington.
The irregularities upon the clegraphic plateau which,
in the judgment of the Coast Survey do away with all
'idca of plateau, not such it dry land, to
render napplcable the term plain to this remarka
BILE submarine elevation regular is its depression be-
low the level
It were great error" says the Penny Cyclopeda,
to imagine that by the word plain perfectly horizontal
surface is always understood In its usual acceptaton
it greater less extent of country fiat in its
general level as compared with mountainous country.
The perfectly and horizontal the surface the
better does it deserve to be called plain such the
plains Of Venezuela and of the Lower Ornoco Mcsapoa
MIA, &C. but suiaCe ol the Brounu may De gently
waving as Salisbury plain, and the Ukraine; OF more
prominently unduated as the plain round Paris it
may be studded scih hills the plains of the Casiquiarc
it may be raosea By rdys less wide and Deep
like that part of France which lies between the Loire and
the Garonne; ntasected h deep raUnes the central
plains of Russia without ceasing such accounts to be
plain
And because the floor of the ocean along the tcc-
graphic plateau may hare in the distance of about 900
miles, an elevation ''half as high as Mount Washing
ton" it therefore does not according to Coast Survey
authority warrant the idea of plateau - Surely the
Coast Survey does not know what geographers by
plateau
The term latea continues the excellent authority
in this Cyclopedia has often been given exclusively to
elevated plains but this also is incorrect naslnuch
by plateau is sometimes meant great extent of
try considerably raised above the rest of the land and
having its nomaas, is ptaias and lis tde is partiou
lnry exempcd In the minor plateau of Albania and in
the great plateau of Central Asia The latter contains
four great chains of mountains the Altai the north
the Ihian-Chan and the Huen- lun in the interior and
the Hmaaya the south, between which the vast
plains OF Dzoungara, of Tongout and of Tibet with
their rivers, valleys, and lakes.
Some writers regard the words plateau and table,
land merely the French and English for the
same sort of elevation Humboldt il Of opinion that
these should be confined to elevations producing
sensible dimnution of temperature and accordingly to
such heights only attain to 800 400 feet Some
again. Balb give the name plateau to all high and
extensive ms,uaaia tracts. Penny Cyclopaqia.
Now, then, the idea meant to convey when | an
nounccd the discovery of this table land beach at the
bottom of the sea, and called it plateau, that il
person to imagine himself travelling at the bot
tom of the from the tropical regions towards the
Grand Banks of Newfoundland he would, approach