Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1869-02-18
The Bottom Of the Oceau
BY PROFESSOR uuXLET.

In 1858, Lieutenant Brooke obtained mud
from the bottom of the North Atlantic, be-
tween New foanaland and the Azores, at q
depth Of more than 10000 feet, or-two miles,
by the help Of this sounding apparatus. Tie
specimens were sent for examination to Ehrea-
berg, Of Berlin, and to Bailey. OF West Point
and these able mieroseopists found tha, this
deep sea mud was almost entirely composed
Of the skeletons ef living organism the
greater proportions of these being Just Iii Q
| the Gloo gerinsa, already known to occur IN
the chalk.
Thus far the work had been carried On
simply in the interests of scierce, but Lieu
tenant Brooke's method of sounding acquired
high commercial value when the enterprise
of laying down the teegraphic cable between
Great Britain and the United States was IN.
deltaken. For it became a matter of immense
importance to know not only the depth of the
sea over the whole length Of the line along
which the cable was to be laid, but the exact
nature of the bottom, so as to guard against
chances Of cutting or fraying the strands of
that costly rope The Admiralty Consequent
~ ordered Captain payman, an Old friead
and shipmate of mine, to ascertain the depth
of the whole line of the cable, and to bring
back specimens Of the bottom. In former days
such command as this might have sounded
which the young prince in the Fairy Tales is
ordered to do before he can obtain the hand
of the princess. However, in the months of
June and July, 1857, my frienl performed
the task assigned to him with great precision,
wihou. so far as | know, having met with
any reward Of tha; kind. The specimens Of
Atlantic mud which he procured were sent to
me to be examined and reported upon
The result of all these operations is that we
know the contours and nature OF the surface
soil covered by the North Atlantic for dis
tance of 100 miles from east to west, as we'll
as We ali know that Of any part OF .le dry
land
IL is a proiigious plain, one Of the widest
and most even plains in the world. If IL
sea were drained off you.mght drive wagon
all the way from Valent.a, on the west coast
ofIre.and, 20 Trinity Bay, in New Foundland.
And, except upon one sharp incline, abou.
two hundred miles from Nalentia am not
quite sure tlat it would even be necessary to
put the skid on, so gentle are the ascents and
desccnts upon that long route From yalent
tia the road would lie down hill for about 2o0
miles TO the point at whicn the bottom is COW
cred by ], 100 fattoms of sea,water Then
would come the central plain, more than 900
miles wide, the Inequalities of the surface of
which would be hardly perceptible, though
the depth Of the water upon it varies from
10000 to $4,000 feet; and there are places in
which Mont Blanc might be sunk without
showing its peak above water. Beyond this
the ascent on the American side commences
and gradually leads, for about 800 miles, to
the Newfoundland shore
Almost the whole Of the bottom Of this cen,
trail plain (Which extends for many hundred
miles in q north aud south direction) is cov>
cred by fine mud, which, when brought 70
the surface, dries into grayish- white friabls
substance. You can write with this on
blackboard, if you are so inclined, and to the
eye it Is quite like very soft, grayish chalk.
Examined chemically, it proved 70 be con>
posed almost wholly Of carbonate Of lime; and
if you make section of it in tha same way
as tha. Of piece Of chalk was made, and
view it with microscope, it presents innu>
merable Gio5yeria9 embedded in the granu
lar matrix.
Thus the deep sea mud is substantially
chalk.