The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-12-18
Geology Mt FauIt-The Peep 80"
gHnrsf.

Some very interesting facts to gcologlsts
and naturalists have been developed ny onc
or two deep sea explorations, MADE pt o.
rection Of the British Government uudeI
the superyision Of DR.. Carpenter, Professor
Wvyi!ic Thompson, and Mr.. E"yn Jeliess..
and a rcport Of which was read lately III
the meeting ofihc Royal Society in London.
The paper Was a very lengthy and very
interesting one. from which we have on
dcnscd n few Of its most important features.
In il many facts were established dlametrl-
raily opposed TO previous bciicl. FOR III
stance. Il had been held that at 4 depth OF
500 fathcms all life would cease, and that
the deep sea temperature everywhere was
- degrees but ii is proved that lie cNtstco
al much greater depths, and that thcrc Wa
considerable variance in temperature. mere
was found 10 be 4 difference in bottom nm-
0r~.tuyc Of from - to /, degrees WITHIN
rira. or ten miles, the bottom nj the lower
temperature being formed OF rock, lnhab-
tied bv scanty fauna Of an artic cha
actcr. while that of the higher area
was composed of = more aounaai'
fauna with characteristics due TO n more
,empcrAic climate. This upScts the theory
n~Ycviou>ly entertained, that when these Tor
~inJ,iun> are found together on LAND tIcIy
must have been separated from caca oth'i
ly long periods. and strikes NJ the root on
geological assumptions regarding time. A.
tho u"rthcru extremity OF the Bay OF Dis
c..y the drcdgc was worked al ti!c cAtla-
ordinary depth of 80 iath0mS, winch J.
nearly cuiaI to the height OF Mont Blanc,
and $50 feet deeper than Che bed OF me
Atlantic cable. On many occasions u drcugc
weighing eight hundred weight, and carry
iny one and 4 halt hundred weight Of mud,
ra~ brought up from Il d"irh o! 2,JOo IL
InoiH>.
Ecrardin. Sea temperature. it vas found
,t3t II varied considerably with differences
81 latitude and season but when high de-
riiucd rapidly. and was lost 1t abont lul
athCmS. II deep water there was II rallt
decline to about loo tathomS. at which 4
tcmprraturc Of So was found, and at 80
fitIiomS there was n further fall 10 80.
This showed that the general temperature
Of the North Atlantic basin was higher
than that under the equator or Ill the Art-
Iiln Gulf, which falls To SOC, or even lower.
. Tnc abundance OF animal life even in the
Gcrueat ocean abvSScS was most cNtraordi-
nary. From the ~profoundc>t depths AMI
NAL, Of high organization and with perfect
ewes were brought up, including siliceous
sponges and toraminifera. and ZoophytcS,
~cchinodcrm>. molluscS, annelidS, and rus
taycAnS. Altogether, III new species OF
inollusca were found. Sea water was
brought up from various depths for chcmi-
cal analysis, as to the character of its re-
tanned gases. Near the surface the gas col-
sisted Of about ~ - per cent. OF carbonlc
aciG-thc rest chiefly oxygen and nitrogen:
Tut at 700 iathomS the proportion Of car
houic acid reached 10 per ccnt. After the
surface Of the ocean had been agitated by
wind, the carbonic acid WAS much dlmln-
ishcd. the inference being that the agitation
liberated the carbonic acid, thus permitting
the ascent Of that in constant formation by
the abundance OF animal lie below, and
thu, rendering the continuance of life pos
,ibIe in the depths Of the ocean.-Ner York
Ciumcrci0}.