Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-07-04
WHY THE RED SEA Is CALLED
RED.

A question that has puzzled scholars
found q solution some time since in the OBJ
seryation of an American submarine diver.
Smiths Bible Dictionary discusses learned
ly the name of the Red Sea, written e
erlihrd tdlLGSSd ir the S2ptuagint. The
Dictionary surmises that The name was
derived from the red western mountains,
red coral zoophytes, ETC., and appears to
give little weight to the real and natural
resson which came under our Americans
notice. On one occasion the diver observed
while under sea, that the curious waveriDg
shade ws, which cross the lustrOus, golden
floor like Frauenhofer's lines on the spec
trum. began to change and lose themselves.
A purple glory of intermingled colors dark
ened the violent curtains Of the sea cham
bers, reddening all glints and tinges With
an angry fire. Instead OF that lustrous
golden armament, the thallassphere dark
ened to crimson and opal. The walls grew
purple, the floor ss red IS blood; the deep
itself was purpled with the venous hue OF
oxidizsd life currents
deThe view on the surfsce was even more
magnificent. The sea at first assumed the
light tawny or yellowsh red OF sherry
wine. Anon tnis wine-color grew instinct
with richer radiance; as far as eye could
see. and Fishing in the crystalline splendor
OF the Arabian sun, wss glorious sea OF
rose. The dusky red sandstone hills, with
a border of white sand and green and now
cred foliage, like an elsboratelJ Wrougnt
cup of Bohemian glass enameled with 0rll-
liant flowers, held the sparkling liquid Pc
tails of that rosy sea. The surface, on ex-
animation, proved to be covered with q
thin brickdust layer of infusn"il slightly
tinged with orange. Placed III wute
glass bottle, this changed into deep violet
Int the wide surface of the external sea was
Of tha; magnificent and brilliant rose-color
It. was a new and pleasing example OF the
lustrous, ever varying beauty OF the ocesr
world, 1t was caused by diatomace8
| minute algae, which under the microscope
| revealed delicate threads gathered in tiny
| bundles, and containing rings, like blood
disks. of that curious coloring-matter IL
| tiny tubes.
This miracle of beauty is not,without it!
| apalogies in otter seas. The meduse o
the Arctic seas, an allied existence, people
| the ultramsrine blue of the cold, pure ses
with the vivid patches of living green thirty
miles in diameter. These minute organ
| isns are doubly curious from their power
OF astonishing production and the strange
electric fire they display. Minute as these
microscopic creavule es are, every molo9 anC
| fash is the result of vOlitioD, and not
mere cbemic or mechanic phosphorescence
! The PhOtocdris light flashing cirrus, on
being irritated, in brilliant kindllng sparks
| Increasing in intensity until the WholS or
i q,nism il Illuminated. The living hTt
! washes over its back, and pencils in green
ish-yellow light its microscopic outline
| Nor do tn 80 little creatures lack beauty
| os their own, Their minlte shields o
| uure translucent slick are elaboratCly
Yrouobt in microscopic symbols o
mimic heraldry. They are the cbiyalry
of the deep. the tiny knights with lance ant
| cnrrass. and oval bossy shield carved l.
Quaint c0neeits and ornamental fashion
| Nor must we despise them when we renee
! uDon their power Of accretion. The Call
onaI ae, invisible to the nsked eye, can, o
! ,heir neraldic shields and finty armor
make two cubic feet of Bill polishing slate
in four days. BY straining water, wei
of greenish cloth of gold, Illuminated by
their play of self generated electric light, ha
been collected. Humboldt and Ehrenbers
speak of their vofacity, theiT power of dis
charging electricity at will, and their sport
irg about, exhibiting an intelligent enjoy
mept of the life God has given to them
Man and his works perish, but the monu
mepts of the infusolia are the fllty ribs o
the sea, the giant bones of huge continents
heaped into mountain ranges over which tn
granite and porphyry have set their ston
seal forever. Msn thriges in bis little zone
the populous infusoria crowd every nook o
earth from the remote poles to the burnin
equatorial belt.-Lippiaeott's Magazine 10
July. E.f