The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1873-04-01
TIE DErTu OF TIE OCEAN. The o

THE DErTu OF TIE OCEAN. The ocean
is not "bottomless deep" except to the
poets and to young ladies, neither of whom
are familiar with the modern improve
ments in taking soundings. Not only
have skiliu seamen known how to reach
the bottom and fetch parts fit up to the
top from great d pths, but mathcmatic.
iaas have given themselves the trouble to
calculate theoretically its average depth.
Button gave this at 240 fathoms, or IA
40 feet; Lacaile gives from 264 10 273
tathoms Laplace, enormously estimating
the mean elevation Of the land at $3.50
feet-three times the height DOW allowed
by physical geographers-thought the
waters of the sea must be Of equal depth.
Young assigned depth of 2735 fathoms
to the Atlantic and about $500 fathoms
to the great South Sea. According to
this estimate, other mathematicians add
the Pacific must be at its deepest point
fifteen and half miles in depth which
is scarcely probable. But though little
is known Of the greatest depths of the
oceans, we do know that their bottoms
are Of unequal depth, and that they con.
tain mountains as well as vast rolling
plains; and Mr.. Reclus takes advantage
Of such soundings as have been made to
illustrate in q striking manner the ine-
qualities of the bottom. If, he remarks,
the waters of the Mediterranean were
suddenly lowered about ITO fathoms, il
would be divided into three distinct sheet:
of water: Italy would be joined to Sici'
ly, Sicily would be united by an Isthmu:
to Africa, the Dardaneles and the Bos
pborus would be closed, but the outlet o.
Gibraltar would remain in free communi
cation with the Atlantic Ocean. If thu
level were lowered by about $50 fathoms
the Egean. the Euxine, and the Adriat
ic would wholly disappear, or only leav'
), in their beds unimportant ools tho.re
mainder Of the Mediterranean would b.
divided into several seas like the Caspi
an, either isolated. or communicating will
each other by narrow channels, and tn
l. terminal promontory of Europe would b
Joined by the isthmus Of Gibraltar to tn
mountains of Africa. A depression O
about 100 fathoms would leave nothin
2 but three inland lakes; to the west,
triangular basin occupying the centre c
the depression between France and A
geria; IN the middle, long cavity cS
tending from Crete to Sicily; and eas'
R, ward, hollow lying iu front of;he Egyf
tian coast The greatest depth of to
Mediterranean, exceeding 22O0 fathom
lies to the north of the Syrtes, almost
the geometrcal centre Of the basin.
W Again, the British Channel, that lea
agreeable of seas to good Americans wisl
~ ing to reach Paris from London, is ma
row arm of tho sea, which may be col
sidered as a mere accident of the earth
surface, as a kind of maratime trench, {
uncomfortable is its depth compared wi
= that OF the ocean. In order to form
true notion of the depth OF the Channe
compared with its width, one must ina
ine a miniature Of this sea drawn on
scale of one yard for two-thrds OF mil
on a perfectly horizontal surface. Th
- sheet of water would not have less thi
% SAT yards of length, and its width won
vary, according to tho constitutes, b
200 tween SO and 240 yards, Aud yot. nc
4ias 1iss withstanding this considerable suria'