Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1864-12-15
grpurter,
THE OCEAN.

The great body of salt water which GOV
u crs. it is estimated, more than three-fifths
Of the surface Of the globe is denominated
4 the Ocean. 1t is separated, however, into
Il several divisions which are known, respec
lively, as the Pacific, the Atlantic, the In
dian the Arctic, and the Antarctic oceans
] In general sense the ocean is a unit, and
j these divisions are formed by the configur-
" alton of the countries and lands contiguous
and surrounding them.
The depth Of the ocean varies. As some
q portions of the surface of the land are high
4 cr than others, here cast into mountains
and elevated table lands, and there having
u dcprcSsions and vallies, 50 is the bottom OF
4 the ocean presumed to present the same
4 variety Of surface. It's average depth is
estimated at one-fourth of mile, but sound
III ngs in various places show depth of from
# five to nine thousand feet, and if we Judge
Z Of It's lowest depth by the hight of our loft
Il lest mountains, then it may even reach thir-
ri ty thousand feet
In the brle1 remarks we are about to
il make we shall speak of the ocean as unit.
WHAT Is common 10 one dlViSloil Is common
10 aii' they all nave tldeS' ana currents ana
aaIIneSS' ana are tile reservoirs OF the mil
II lions Of billions Of tons of fresh water
winch are continually Deln@ Drought down
from the heaft OF thc great continents sur
4 rounding them They are all and each,
oi them hourly ana dalIE, receiving from
the mouths OF great rivers vast volumes OF
sohd matter which having slept Tor c"ntur
5 les upon the loltieSt peaks OF the Andes,
the ALIcGhanlcs, and the umalayas, are
now being buried at the bottom OF the
Y ocean, there to sleep through another sleep
Of countless ages until they emerge again
from the deep.
II IS known from the observations OF our
most eminent @eolo9IStS, that the Gulf OF
MEXICO IS slowly ming up with the scdi-
y mcnt brought down the Mississippi river.
q Iyc'l'S Geology page rs, IStvol.) "Great
b submarine deposits are IN progress, stretch
II ms tar and wide over the bottom OF the sea-
winch has become extremely shallow not
exceeding ten tathomS III depth" 30 also
i oi the Yellow Sea oil the coast OF China
And we have the highest authority for say
n Ing that the Ganges annually emptics more
4 tln three hundred and fftv millions Of
4l, of the Asiatic continent. or as much
d solid matter as enters into the structure Of
As,xtv Egyptian pyramids each one eQualling
#1hc greatest now standing, into the sea-
8Thorr is not a stream, great or small, which
Il docs not lessen the bulk and weight of the
present continent, nor which does not add
q 70 that future one, which, in its own time
will emerge from the deep
" The sediment suspended in the waters of
it. Amazon is not only deposited at the
#mouth of that river. but is met with in the
i waters of the Atlantic three hundred miles
NJ from the coast 1t not only floors the bot
VI tom of the broad Atlantic but if is CAUGHT
8 mp by the currents and swept into the Ca
81 ribbcan sea and even into the Gulf of Mex
Il leo, where il meets tbe countcr currcnt
Z bearing the burthen of the Mississippi and
j thus are the two portions Of our western
continent being broken down bv the action
Of running water, and TRANSPORTED vast dis
tlnces to form the substratum of ono+bor
world.
The various currents of the ocean serve
L. distribute the heat OF the tropics over
The surface OF the globe. The Gulf Stream
Is the most remarkable OF these currents.
II ponrs from the Gulf of Mexico through
the straits Of Florida, and carries with ii
through It's whole course Of many thousand
miles, temperature Of from deg. to s
Ges. above that OF the surrounding water.
\. IT'S rlSe' 1t is about seventy-iive miles in