The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1871-06-08
Wonders Of the Sea Bottom.

The wonders of the ocean are not
less than those of the land. Beneath
the sea there are mountains, valleys,
forests and plains, ocean groves of
coral in wondrous formations, forests
of submarine vegetation in a multi
tude of strange and beautiful forms.
There are ocean caves and ocean riv-
ers; and an almost infinite multitude
of submarine animals, polypi, insects,
shellfish, and other fish, little and
great-a world of animal life as great
in its variety as that of the land. The
sea has its elephants and tigers, its
and ferocious beasts of
prey, surprising anything known to
the jungle of India or Africa. A
world of busy and struggling life, of
endless wars in which the greater at
tack and devour their smaller and
weaker neighbors. In the unseen
depths of the sea there are plants and
flowers as numerous and abundant in
forms almost, if not quite as beautiful,
as these of the upper world in the
tropics. The work OF deep sea
soundings has of late years been re-
duced to something like a SCIENCE
The revelations of this department of
modern investigation have made us
acquainted with strange and hither-
to unknown world and not the least
interesting things brought up from
the ocean depths are the minute shells
denoting microscopic insect life that
once existed on primeval shores, and
which now forms large proportion
of the ocean bed. The invention of
Past Midshipman Brooke, who was
associated with Professor Maury, con-
sists of cylindrical iron rod passing
through a perforated cannon ball
which is attached to two movable
ears at the upper end of the rod by a
sort of sling, so adjusted that when
the apparatus strikes the bottom, the
rod can be detached and drawn UP
with a portion of the ocean mud OF
sediment adhering to the little hollow
cup at the bottom of the rod, which
is prepared with soap or tallow SO
that specimen of the submarine soil
may adhere to it. Every time this
is used the shot and sling
are of course lost, the rod alone be-
ing recovered when the line is pulled
in. By this contrivance, specimens of
the sea bottom have been brought up
bIlO llCptu VI IOuE
Between the islands of Cuba and
Hayti the navigator floats above a
perpendicular ravine from 1000 to
5000 ieet deep; depth considerably
exceeding the height of Mt. Wash
ington. Between Hayti and Porto
Rico, and between the latter and the
Windward Islands the average depth
is not quite 1000 feet. Beyond the
Windward Islands. to the east and
southeast, the plummet falls suddenly
to depth of about 17,000-a meas
urement of 1000 feet greater than the
height of Mount Blanc. Sailing on
toward the African coast the subma-
rine bottom is found to rise suddenly
at a point perhaps so miles from the
Windward Islands, showing 1900
feet. Again it descends suddenly to
10000 feet; and then continues to
mark depth, varying by sudden
changes from 10000 to 10000 feet, all
the way along the Atlantic Ocean, un-
til near the Cape de Verde Islands,
depth, even close in shore, is about
Ia, 700 feet. These pinnacled isles
rise to the height of 10000 feet above
the sea. Deep CULTS separate the one
from the other; and still deeper
gulf, with almost perpendicular sides,
like huge submarine canal, separates
these islands from the African coast.
These, and most other CULTS of the
ocean bottom, in different parts of the
world, are supposed to indicate the
places and the extent of the disrup-
ton by which that mass of matter
then in far less dense condition, was
thrown off, which constitutes the
moon.
If we add to the measurement oi
the depths beneath the sea that of the
heights above, we can form an ap.
proximate estimate of the stupendous
forces in the interior of the globe
which produced such irregularities
on its surfase.
Maury's chart shows very clearly
the comparative ocean depths, where
sOundings have been made. It re
mains to be ascertained what tn,
depths of the great Southern OceaI
are. The deep sea basins which sep
arate Asia and Africa from Australi:
and America havefnot been explored
chiefly because there, for vast space
of blue sea, the navigator sails fear
| lessly before the wind, and breads M
rock or shoal which would make hin
desirous of knowing lhe depth of wa
ter on which he floats. The SAM
thing is true of the Southern Allan
tic; and in fact, the greater part o
the world beneath the sea remains t,
be explored. 1t is believed, however
that the average depth of blue waite
is from to miles.
It is pretty well ascertained tina
the greatest ocean depths do not ex
ceed, as rule, the heights of the lot
test mountains; say, about five o
five and a half miles. In its configu
rations, the bottom of the sea bears
close resemblance to the mountain
and valleys of the dry land. Their
are plains, valleys, ravines, escarl
ments, deserts of sand, immense dc
posits of mud, rolled stones, pictul
esque rocks, and even water-sprin
and volcanoes.
The sea-green light below the wave
only penetrates q short distance. Th
profound depths are dark. Yet, eve
there, there is abounding life, Insect
and fishes made with organs of sens
and perception to fit those sileI
ah0das in the world 0f water aI