The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-11-10
AGAsSIZS EXPEDITION.
Exploration Of the Constitution and
Character Of the Sea Bottom.
Orgenizatton Of the Expeditcn-The Steamer
Hasaisr Economical Consumption Of
Fnei-Dsep Sea Sounding Appara-
Adjusting Compssses,
BosrOS, Nov. s. 1871.

immense practical value OF thorough and systematic
scientific research is being universally admitted,
rev words descriptive OF the object apo general
plan OF an expedition which is sSGh TO leave our
shoroa mag not prove unacceptable
The constitution and character Of the sea bottom,
,'s past aud present inhabitants and their maniler
1na mean. o sustaining existence, have always
boen snigeoSs which have engaged Tie attention OF
every thoughtful naturalist, ana when should not
Hck Interest 10 each merchant and manufacturer
Of our Community. Such questions % whether
tho sea " or IS not populated at the depth OF
ihree miles, how the creatures which exist there
support life: what Is the character oil The bottom,
hDd what its rate or formation. may, indeed, seem
10 have LITTLE no connection with ordinary bust.
ness matter. The movements OF the p,anefs or the
polarity OF the magnet appear at rst sight to have
rs ltttic yet no merchant who risks hts MI in
cargo Of Silks rom China. spices from tic Indies or
bark from Teru, would. deny their value or question
their importance.
Now. although the practical bearings Of such
questions as the above are not yet evident nor 80
generally recognized, they inst undoubtedly
exist BY learning the processes which are going
on at the present time in the formation OF the
sarth's crust we infer the manner OF formationn time
gone BY and thus add and important facts to the
great science OF geology, from which the miner and
metailnrg ist obtain the information which enables
tnem 10 draw from the "unWlliIig OF MOther
Earth the orca and metals, the food and fuel which
contribute 20 onr comfort and sustenance.
by bee ming acquainted with the habits and
manner a living of the animalcu.e, which exist
NJ grca, 0cf, gain facts which are sure to form
the groundwork Of the science Of physioloGy-the
OASIS OF All rational medical KnOwledgc. II was
through observation OF the habits OF their larger
brethren. The cetacea, that the Gulf Stream was
discovered: ana there are just as important posi-
billties in connection with these microscopic proto-
Eoa, though apparently so much more insignificant
BY learning tho density, temperature and chemical
constitution, OF the water, discover the
causes OF these ocean currents which aid or distress
she mariner N his passage from port to port
by ali such facts we help TO bulid up the rapidly
advancing Ecence OF meteorology, BY which We am
ticipate and Prepare for the zephyr or the cyclone
tho "1reatl from heaven OF the blasts from hell"
Tho iron steamer Hasslcr, q three-masted schoon-
efrigRed propeller has been for the last six months
IN the course OF preparation at philadelphia snip
yard. She Is destined for coast survey duty on the
coast OF california, ana is about leave for That
Statlon. Through the lberality OF the government
the vessel has been put at the service OF Professor
Agasstz anG scientific star for the purpose Of
taking de5,. sea sounding. making, obser-
vations the ocean currents ana In
yestigatuig general physical ana biological
problems. she has been fitted up with
especial reference to this purpose, and Is amply
provided WITH all reasonable accommo datons. No
expense mas heen spared In tho purchase OF scientific
apparatus ana 1T is safe to say that no expedition
has started during the present century with equal
prospects AID advantages.
Tie Officers Of the vessel are
COfdfeGrdt7:-Phllip Z. johnson
Lfe0te0n1t C0yannan0r'-C W. Kennedy.
LiCateGQr.t--M. s. Day.
xas,ega~-ii. B. Mansfield and Z. W. Romay
E,qisee, ST. Chief P. D. Garfield; Assistant, J. l..
Gnght.
CUDtat,'s Cierk-Dr b. +. Martin
The scientific party consists of Professor Agassz,
Dr. Thomas aill, ex-Presidcnt Of Harvard College;
Dount Pouri,.ea, OF the United States Coast Survey;
Or stclndachnev. OF Cambridge and DR.. j. william
white 0; philadelphia.
The vessel il propelled by compound engine Of
200 horse power, designed by Charles r.. Emery, OF
New York ana steam Is furnished by two boilers
Or the retern tubular type The design was made
with special reference 70 economy Of iue, which IL
Of great Importance on the Pacific coast, where
EoOd coal i or high price ana coang stations are
widely separated. The requirements, as liked by
,Uaprain [. Z, Patterson, photographic Inspector
United States Coast Survey were that the vessel
(which IL &c go tons burthen,) should make eight
knots al boar at sea q consumption OF four tons
W Goa ree lay OF twenty-four hours. The ma
Anlnery moi been run in ali an entire day before
we startea and therefore required frequent adjust
mant durlG the early part Of the trip, but Ia due
time II operated satisfactorily. We made, under
steam alone, Ten knots on hour, and under steam
and sal the epeed at time was rs high as eleven
Knots pel nour. The average speed at sea under
steam oioue. working the engine easily, was be-
tween seven and eight knots, which WAS accom-.
piisbed on consumption OF two and half Ions OF
s0cust Mountain coal a day-a result at once most
gratifying and remarkable.
At duatter-past three P. NJ. Oh Tuesday, the est
Of october. we hauled out into the stream from the
yhip yard oi Dialogue Wood ho,sed In our steam
launch an" other boats, and proceeded down the
river cl route for Boston, where VIC take aboard
khe major NV or the scientific party and apparatus.
We steamed along under the charge OF pilot
until five minutes past eight 7. Nj, when we came
10 anchor or Newcastle, the weather being overcast
and cloud. We remained there until hali-past six
a, M, wh,l we again started on our journey, and
6roceeaed with occasional stoppages To adjust tho
enginc, M we reached the Delaware BreaKwater,
hgigantic u,,rument OF the skin and perseverance
pf our modern engineers.
Z Here a very important and necessary duty was
xey,siion or the compass When ships com.
bass is paced on board In the position IT Is perma
oent 20 retain arc Of c OF To sei % ho nn
vicinity aud thus caused TO vary from It's normal
SG o pan was as resoried toA small
party OF us went ashore In cutter carrying COM
and @ w tGSk 9 v sn on se
10 be free from almost all local influences. series
pr simultaneous observations was men taken, those
taking theirs. Now, II the ships compass were en-
lrely unilJuenced by local conditions such oDserya-
HONS should lie exactly the reverse OF each Other
< e. whcn tie snip bore due northeast from Us we
should have hcen by their observations due south
west froir them. The amount of variation from
What slould be the right direction constitutes the
STocsl deviatian.r
The pIci left us soon after mis- carving WIN nm
pur letter., and we stood out 10 sea- We passed
Eape NAV duttug the afternoon, the Stockton House
being, az + usual at that place, the hral and las
Hesoate, as i keeping guard over tho Lniputian
cottages witch surround 1t, and mourning over the
tepartcd icativltlcs OF two or tnreo months ago.
Ii seems as If at this time or the year 1t must 10
bauntel w ehostly music and n,asqueraders, TOPS
Ind nirts bcies and bathers, who a short time
Since Bioa rs rotunda, crowded fts piazzas aud
lwsrmcd over its beach, until IL rescmbed an I'M
fnence ant hill. IL faded out OF sight however.
mud thcn tic umhlshln at the MElXe Eathom Bnnku