Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1873-04-17

perfectly horizontal surface. This sheet
OF water would not have less than 541
yards of length, and its width would vary,
according to the coast-lines, between SO
and 240 yards And vet, notwithstanding
this considerable surface, the greatest
depth would be less than two inches at
the entrance In the deepest hollow of
the Channel between the hillock repre-
senting Start Point and that of the Sept
lies, it would be less than two and half
inches. A sparrow could hop this minia-
ture ea.
Considered as whole, the y orth Allan
TIC Is depression whose sides descend
gradually toward central hollow situated
between the coasts of the United States,
the Bermudas, and the Bank of Newfound
land. A fall of the waters of less than 10
fatho,ns would reveal the submarine
groundwork upon which France, Spain
and the British Isles rest. This is indeed
the true foundation of the European con-
tinent, for Immediately beyond this base
ment. which forms the extreme angle of
the Old World, the bed of the sea at an
inclination of about eight degrees, de
scends gradually from 110 fathoms to
l,64o and 2,1S1 fathoms below the waves
A fall II <, level of / ,094 fathoms world
diminish the width of the Atlantic more
than half would leave the Gulf of Mexico
completely dry, and leave only an elon-
gated lake in the central part of the Car
rlbean Sea. Ii the present level were low
cred by 2,1S7 tathoms, a continent sepa-
rated from Europe and America by two
narrow channels, and extending over a
space of from about $50 to 1860 miles,
would stretch into the torrid zone; and, by
a remarkable coincidence would affect
that peninsular conformation and south
erly direction presented by Greenland,
Scandinavia, Spain, Italy, Greece, Arabia,
India, and the three great continents OF
the South. A lowering of $3.50 fathoms
would completely unite Newfoundland to
Ireland, and consequently form a bridge
between the Old and New Worlds Even
| of the central Atlantic there would remain
only narrow Mediterranean" sea in
front of the Antilles and Guiana Finally
let the waters be lowered by 1915 faith
oms, and the northern part of the Atlantic
| would be reduced to a small triangular
| Caspian" situated between the Azores
the Bank of Newfoundland, and the Ber
mudaS.
Though the Pacific Ocean is scarcely
151a miles in depth, it is known to be in
| one part nearly nine miles deep, or SC
uttp llldj lWO Vi lnt nlgHCSI mountains Oh
our globe might be piled one on top of the
other, and sunk into it, and vet scarcely
emerge above the surface. The depth OF
the Pacific has not only been ascertained
| by numerous soundings, but Professor
| Franklin Bache calculated, from the rapid
| ity with which the great tidal wave ac
companying the earthquake of 1854 in ia
| pan crossed the ocean to California, thai
the Pacific has, between the shores of ia
pan and the United States, mean depth
| of about 2,342 fathoms
The highest part of the continents raised
| above the surface of the waters is of mucl
| less elevation than the depth of the sea
| and we can estimate the land above the
level of the sea at only about a forfeit
part of the mass of waters, and as much o
| this land is unavailable by mankind, We
| get here some notion of the very limited
| use which we are, as yet, able to make o.
| the planet we inhabit.-Ha5pers Naga
! zine.