The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1868-12-31
What the Bottom of the Sea is Like


Professor Huxley, pretty good author
ity, says:
Tn 1853 Lieut.. Brooke obtained mud
from the bottom of the North Atlantic
between Newfoundland and the Azores.a
depth of more than 10000 feet, or two
miles by the help of his sounding an
paratus. The specimens were sent for
examination to Ehrenberg of Berling and
TO Baily of West Point, and tlt-ye able
mcroscopists found that this deep sea
mud Nas entirely composed of! the skele Z
tons Of living organism-the greater nor-
ton of the e being just Ike the Globii-
gerenae already known to occur in the
chalk.
Thus far the work has been carried on
simply in the interests of Science, but
Lieut.. Brooke's method of sounding ac-
quired high commercial value when the
enterprise of laying down the telegraphic
cable between this country and the. United
States was Undertaken. For 1T became a
natter of imtn' nse Importance To know
not only he depth of the ocean over the
whole line along which the cable was to
be laid, but the exact nature Of the bot
| tom, so as to guard against chances Of
cutting or traying the strands of that
costly rope. The Admiralty consequent
ly ordered Capt. Daynan, an old friend
and siipmate Of mine, to ascertain the
depth Of the whole line of the cable, and
| to bring back specimens of the batfan,
In former days such command as this
| might have sounded very much like one
of the Impossible things which the v6pnpe
Prince in the Fairy Tales is ordered to a..
before he can obtain The hand of the
Princess. However, in the months of
June aud July, 1857. my friend lerfarna
ed the task assigned to him with great
precision, without, 50 far as knaw. itav-
ing met with any reward of.that kind.
The specimens OF Atlantic mud which he
procured We're sent to me to be examined
and reported Upon .te;-A sHa i.aHe
The result Of all these operations. is
that we know the contours and nature Of
the surface-soil covered by the North At
llhtlc 10! It d.stitifc& oI i..0U uiie, fl,}si
last TO west, a. well as we know thai OF
any part Of tue dry land. .a .s- ..s,
Il Is a .prod!glous plain, one of tn,
| widest AID most even !ila ii in the world
| II the sea We're drained off ynl nigh,
drive wagon all the way from Valentia.
| Oh the west coast OF Ireland. to Trinitv
| Bow, in Newfoundland. And. eycel5
| upon one sharp incline. about two hun
| dred miles from Valentine, T am not
quite sure that it would even be neces
sary to put the skid on. so gentle are tie
| : cents and feScents up0n hat lnno route
| From Nalentia the road would lie down
| hlil from about 200 nilrs to the point a
which the bottom is now cuyered by 100
| iathams OF water Then would come the
| central pla'';. more than 0.i1 n.iie- wife.
! the inequalities OF tbs surface of which
" 'u.d oc hardly perceplIp.e, though The
! depth Of water upon 1t varies. from 10 .
| o5o 70 =. 0W feet; and there are places
IN which Mont Blanc might be sn9k
tithnats showing It's peak ai.oge watel.
8eyond this the ,a-cent on the. Anlcrtag
,,de commences, and gradu!!y leads. 1;i
about 800 miles, to the Mathematician
shore. lts.- b. lf.s Il ii-.5ts r....f .-,.1
Almost the whole oftho bottom of,t}i,
central plain (which extend, far many
| hundred miles III a north and south direc
ti"nJ Is covered by fine mud, which
when broughtto the surface, dries into
a graysh white ftiahie snb-tanee. Yna
can write with this on a black board, if
you are so inclined and to the eve ii Is
| quite ike vev soft gfayish chalk. Fix
ahmed chemically, 1t proved to be con-
posed almost wholly Of carbonate Of lime
and If yon make a section of il IL the
same way as hat Of a piece Of chalk was
made, and view it with tn lnicroa,0ne. il
presents lnnumerahe GioH2ey5ne eii.oed-
| ded IN the granular matrix