The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-02-08
MARVELS OF THE OCEAN.
Millions Of Skeletons at the
Bottom Of the Sea.
WONDERS OF THE WEST INDIAN ISLANDS.
SOLE NOE AT SEA.

= Ole N DE AT . e A.
UNITED STATES COAST SURVEY STEAMER HAssLER.
PERNAMBUCO. Jan. l6, 1872. !
At ten O'Clock on the morning OF December % we
get under way and steamed out OF ST. Thomas har-
Dor. the United States frigate Shawmut which
was here on our arrival, had departed at daybreak
Tor SANTANA Bay, carrying our letters, which were
there TO be transferred to the Tybee, mail steamer
running between New York and st. Domingo city.
Our course was nearly due SOUTH as we intended to
make anumber OF s0undings In the channel between
81. Thomas and Santa Cruz. We were, however,
surprised and disappointed to ind on getting out
Bde that the strong easterly trade wind prevalent
there had produced q short, chopping sea, which
caused 80 much motion in the vessel as to preclude
any possibility OF work. We steamed straight
ahead, however. trusting to ind quieter waters In
she neHhborhoOd of Santa Cruz. Az we proceeded
the outline Of the hills grew more and more inds-
tinot, the lights and shadows ON their sides be-
came blended and s0ftened into one uniform tint
and the whole island seemed to sink with barely
perceplble motion into the sea. For several hours,
however, on looking back We could plainly discern
the eastern OF the three divisions Of the town.
which Is opposite the mouth OF the narbor, and
could catch the reflection Of the from its white
cottages they stood in relief against the dark
background Of the mountain. until they became
microscopic in size and then faded out OF sight.
a. We receded. or to the westward
SAIL ROCK
70 closely resembled o ship with oil her canvas
spread that It was not dfcult to believe the legend
which we had heard at st. Thomas OF certain
valiant buchanan who, during one OF the many
wars involving the West Indes had bOmbarded 1t
furousy from midnight till dawn without discover
ing its true nature. About sighted the west
BGn extremity OF Santa Cruz, the distance between
II and 81. Thomas being only thirty miles. At five
P. M. we stopped and took our nrst sounding, at o
distance OF four or five miles from the coast ana in
rom 400 to 600 fathoms Of water description OF
lhe apparatus employed and the method Of using
IT, both Of which are believed to include all the
latest and best improvements, may not be uninter-
estng.
The ship Is furnished with an auxiliary engine
situated on the main deck, forward. supplied with
steam from the main boiler, and especially adapted
Tor reeling IN the line, 1t has two 0scilatng cyn.
aers, seven inches by seven inches, which, taking
into consideration the high pressure OF the steam
used, give 1t ample power for the service required.
In hosting only lew turns Of the line are taken
around the winch end Of the engine ana as 1t comes
It Is ooied away ON iron cranes In the gangway,
each crane containing about two hundred fathoms.
the Ola plan was to have the line on one large reel
% have many disadvantages, the principal one
being that TO hold sufficient line OF the size re-
CURED FOR great depths necessltated the employ
ment Of q reel SO large that It could
not be USED on board small vessel with
plan was the TACT that tue line was wound In It
continually increased the size Of the cylinder,
iurn It. About three Thousand iatnoms Of line are
constantly Kept on deck. In 200 Iathom coils hang
sonsss'so Of the SHIP being 1san ore
ntefn over q fixed point. stout boom Is
rugged over the how at an angle Of forty 1--we de-
Sy aaa s
lern and seized to IT 10 large "ous eye" To this
fastened 2 pendant pend OF four and 2 half inch aa
mastnead and down to the deck, where 1t is hooked
into an apparatus called an '.accumnlator.n THIS
% SNs Arranged as @ relieve the Sounding line
Of any sudden strains caused BY the pitching OF
just below the boom. IS hooked a large leading
block, through winch the sounding line passes.
creS eaa iDs m - e line and
then one oil Massey's Indicators, which records
ne depth by means OF inc revolutions OF wheel
About Jour hundred fathOms OF line are cotled
down on the deck, carefully, fr quick running.
After this amount is out the speed becomes much
slower that the coils be taken from the cranes
and Kept clear OF turns by a.couple OF men. It
Is difIlcut to determine by the line the exact time
ct which the lead arrives upon the bottom, and gen
orally In deep water one hundred fatnomS or more
additional run out alter the lead has struck.
used except that the lead attached aoOut eight or
ten est ABOVE the arodge and no indicators Or then
santa Cruz the average time In reeing in the line
was about nvo and q half minutes TO each one nun.
dred iathOms Their result showed the entire appa-
satus to be IN perfect working condition
The bottom, at the distance OF three miles from
consist Of ioraminilerous sand, or sand composed
almost exclusively 0f
or shells OF millions OF defunct animals, each OF
which was formerly microscopic mass OF flesh or
c% their soSon 10 sea Wer Inc me salts and
appr0prating them TO their own use, forming the
the SsS
and which have QUILT up the vast chalk lorna
tons, extending over continents sometimes under.
lying the tertiary deposits and again coming to the
In England they constitute the celebrated North
and South Downs In Surrey and the immense ranges
Or hills which skirt the coast. Some idea or their
ninuteness may be conceived when we remember
such sand contains $780, 900 individuals In the
specimens OF bottom obtained by the North Pacific
Exploring Expedition these forameniiera were very
rare, sliceous spicules Of sp0nges and shells OF
diatoms predominatng. so that It would seem as II
while We are having cacareous deposit IN one
Owing to our late arrival at the narbor Of Frede-
Yichstaed and our early departure on the following
morning but little opportunity was Afforded for see.
Ing the island, but as IL was bright moonlight q
small party OF VI went ashore and were amply re.
tanned by some Of the gentlemen OF the town, and
subsequently stroled 0r somc distance out on one OF
me broad, even, urn roads, which, We learned wero
wo first made acquaintance with
TIE POISONOUS MANCHfNEEL
(hipp0mane manclnella) about which such strange
stories are told, OF persons who expired while
seeping beneath It's shade OF crabs feeding on It's
seeds ana becoming themselves prisoners; Of IN
sanity produced by It's "milk' falling the head,
and many others equally mythical. There Is no
doubt, however, that the juice Of this plant Is o
powerful epplastc, producing intense irritation Of
hny portion OF the Cutane0us surface to which Is
applied the general properties =, are nose ., an
lnl0 att a 10 ARCHAEOLOGICAL or