Democratic enquirer. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1867-1873, 1869-08-04
FICTITIOUS PlNNACLEs.

1
The correspondent OF the London Times
on board the Great Eastern contradicts
some commonly received conclusions, thus:
"The line Of the French cable frststarts
in very shallow water from Minon Bay but
in four or five miles it deepens from II TO
20 fnthoms, and then gradually shelves
from 80 to 60 and 80 fathoms; dopth
which is pretty equally maintained over
the whole bed of the English Channel. AT
this level, but on the whole gradually
deepening, IT continues till in line with
the westernmost part Of the Irish coast,
where, taking northern course, it passes
down gentle slope of sand, that continues
descending till the depth increases from
200 to 800 and 900 fathoms and then, in n
short distance, to !, 1,700fthoms. Overall the
rost Of the course to mid-ocean tho bottom
is mud shells, and sand, and with uni
form depth of about 1900 and 1900 faith
Oms. This course would have brought
the Great Eastern close TO tho northward
of the gaunt spires known as tho Three
Ohimneys, and which rs laid down in tho
admiralty chart, were confidently believed
to exist. When this was mentioned somo
months ago in the Times, o controversy at
once arose in those columns, some naval
men merely denying tho existence of these
rocks while the other side rendered tho
evidence Of eye Witnesses who averred that
they had actually seen them. The matter
is now set at rest, and il ever tho Three
Chimneys' had on existence theyhaVe none
now Tho Atlantic cannot afford TO lose
tho small amount Of interest which attach
ed TO tho supposed presence of these soli-
tary peaks, but facts are stubborn things,
and it has now been placed beyond u doubt
that they are not to be found, Mt least in
the latitude and longitude in which they
appear on the charts. Lieut. Johnstone in
the course Of his soundings, went over the
exact spot whero they are indicated in the
chart, and found more than 1000 fathoms
of water, with deep sea all around, and not
the slightest trace of rock or shoal in
any direction. Tho sooner, therefore,
they come out of the admiralty map the
better, and it would be curious TO know
how they over got there at all.
"From tho locality of these fictitious
pinnacles, tho cable course il kept in n
pretty regular depth Of from 1,S00 to 1900
iathoms, and throughout over q soft bed
of mud mixed with myriads of the most
minute shells. These shells comprise vari-
GUS forms of didtOmacio3 which, though
perfect in their organization, are 80 oxquis-
itely small rs only to be visible under the
most powerful microscopes. They are
really as fine MS flour, and the greater part
of the bed of the Atlantic is covered with
the debris of these minute nnimalculn,
the existence of which proves concIusively,
which was long denied, that ut these great
depths there is an absolute cessation of
all motion. Over such bottom the line
is taken in an arc of largo circle, tho
most southerly point of the cable being in
AZ degrees north latitude, and the most
northerly 18 degrees. Along the southern
end of tho Newfoundland bank it is sunk
in about 15O to 200 fathoms, the water ON
the bank itself vayying from so TO 90 faith
oms. Thus it is completely sheltered from
ice, which, if the icebergs pass the bank
atall, must clear the cable, which lies un-
der its lee by somo hundred fathoms or
moro. From this point it is taken up
due north in the channel between tho
Green bank and the st. Pierre bank in an
almost unvarying depth of 500 fathoms.
From this point out the course is over very
regular shoal water, so to speak-being Mt
no part less than 100 iathoms, and general
ly over 150 TO near Boston"