The New York herald., 1874-08-28

UNITED STATES STEAMSHIP TUSCARoRA,
HAKoDADI, Japan, June 20 1874. I 4
STR-i have the honor TO report 10 the depart
ynent tnat lett Yokohama on the sth inst, and at
dawn the next morning began the work OF sound
ing honeward, on great circle passing through
the Island OF Tanaga. OF the Aleutian group (about
latitude 80 degrees north, Longitude l76 degrees
west from Green wichl, and toward Puget's sound.
when aboat 100 miles east by south from King
kasan OF Sendai Bag, on the east coast OF Japan,
the lead sunk 10 a deptn oi 80. latloms, show
miles This result seemed EXTRAORDINARY In so
short distance from land; but the next cast re-
vealed depth still more astonishing, the
nnker carving the wire down 4.343 fatnoms,
without reaching bottom. On this occasion, when
some 200 iathoms OF wire were run OUT the sinSer
was suddenly swept under the ships bottom Dy
the strong undercurrent and all enorts to get the
wire clear and TO keep II from tending underneath
were unavailing, the difficulty being Increased by
fresh breeze and a moderately heavy sea. FL
only about $50 fathoms were LETT on the reel, IL
broke close to the surface, and about i've miles
were ost Inc straan sae feel Was a1 very greaI
the pulley line, II took three men TO check and
hold the drum, and the wonder was that the wire
had not parted sooner.
THE powEEPuL uNpKKCuRRENr
This great strain must have been due 70 the
sweeping 1t with great force from the ship, as
that cast we have sounded repeatedly IN
depths OF more than 200 faJhoms and had no diff
dculty IN reaching BOTTOM. The position OF the
cast as shown by observaJlon, was about forty-fve
current having carried the ship beyond the position
where IL was intended to sound. At the time the
wire broke was enang rrnG as.ern ana IN n Snder she
though ] am inclined TO think 1t pulled fairly IN
two. Taking into consideration tile result Of this
cast and all the circumstances attending IT, con-
ciudeo that II fine wire and comparatively
heavy plummet could be so affected by the Japan
stream, the effect upon bignt OF six or seven
miles OF teiegraphic cable would be almost incal.
culaoe and render the process OF laying 1T exceed
hgiy dltlccit II not impossible.
ANOTHER TEST.
therefore determined 20 back in shore and
skirt the stream, beginning new great circle OF
|
concluded to increase the weight OF the snKer
some twenty pounds By adding lead casting 70
IN the running down or the wire and TO oppose
more resistance 10 the undercurrent- Ideemed 1T
necessary, 100, to increase the distance between
from thirty miles 10 Iorty miles, as the strain
on the reels IN such deep water enormous,
unserviceabie in very Jew casts. it WIN
be seen by an inspection OF the track chart
nne diverges rom the coast OF Nipnon and
enters the edge OF the Japan stream, but yet runs
parallel the Island OF Yesso, the water begins to
deepen rapidly, and No. "a, the third cast
from the initial point OF curve, depth OF 3,493
on depths OF a.5s7 iathom- ana 35o7 iatnoms are
reached; then the ocean bed, or trough or the
the next position, where the snKer not detached
until 1t has descended 30 the extraordinary depth
OF 4.34o rathoms
PLAYING HAVOC WITH THE ArPARArUs.
good specimen OF bottom SOIL was brought up
lrom that great depth, and the Miller-Casela ther
mometer, No. Is, 1856, came up perfect wreck. Inc
small bufb was cracked longitudinaly and broken
In two, the tubes broken into fragments, the
double bnlbs shivered into atoms ana the eoonite
protection plate cracked and piece crushed out
OF it. showing the enormous pressure to which IL
had been subjected. the thermometer sent down
at the previous cast, in S,507 iathoms, came up
tact, though in that case the pressure was more
square a H inch, reckoning ' the T pressure al
ton for every 500 fathons IN depth.
iathoms water-the last two revealing depths OF
All iathoms and 4,655, respectvely-and on both
occasions the wire was lost. Ia the first OF these
vctay fln flnl N n 10 Drn
OF the reepg in balance wheel in the most unac-
countable manner, ierking the wire in sucn a way
latter case the wire broke fairly in two from the
great strain imposed upon It in hauling II back
from such enormous depths. The wire was coming
IN gently at the time, 400 iathoms having been
Yeeled In at the rate OF 100 fathems in ~ minutes.
Sometimes the wire comes in much easier than
at others, and cast No. 81 made in APO fathoms,
occupied only hour 81 minutes AZ seconds. Tne
under currents upon the rod, specimen cup and
small lead, increasing or diminishing the resist
Snce in hauling in according TO the extent OF curve
from the perpendicuiar. Ihe actual weight OF oA
miles of the wire in water would be no more
than e5 pounds; add to this the weight OF
the rod specimen cup, small lead and 25
1athoms Albacore lne-say IL pounds-and the
total weight TO haul back is only &c pounds. The
friction, then, in order 10 pull the wire apart.
would nave 10 be l20 pounds and upwaros. 1t Is
proper 10 say here, however, that the wire re-
ceiyed in Yokohama, and winch is now in use, is
not SO strong as the wire first furnished the ship
Dy at least fourteen per cent, the latter bearing
THE RECORD OF THE souNDISes.
The conditions under which all these deeD casts
were made were eminently favorable. The WIND
was light, the sea smooth, the swell remarkably
gentle lor the Pacific ana the snip as quiet and
steady as though lying at anchor. The WIRE ran
straight down as though sounding in q pond, and
the indications OF the uynamometer were as won.
drousiy accurate and unmstakape as ever. In
deed, nave no hesitation in saying that the mo-
meDt oi touching bottom was as instantly and ac-
curateiy known at 4.o55 fathoms--or at depth OF
more tndn 5M statute mles-as at LOCO ia thoms
or 100 iathoms. and any system Of tell
the Intervals Of descent Of rope or cord must
be crude and unsatisfactory as compared with the
fndspntaole results obtained with the Thompson
machine and wire. There seems 70 be no limit
compars stiyeiy, to the capabilities of that machine
except, perhaps, In the strength Of the wire. Tue
results OF the three last casts showed the water TO
De deepening all the willie and couid not AFFORD
70 lose any more wire, ior, unfortunately, when
the does break IL breaks near tne surface and
large amounts are lost-tne three accidents de-
scrlbed involving the loss Of about fifteen miles,
THE DIFFICULTIES OF TIRE ROUTE
Two more such accldents-wnch we're not un-
likely 20 happen IN the doubtless still deeper water
further on-wouid have left me without means ior
work, and believing, as before stated, that such
poses resolved to run IN shore, and sound sack
along the coasts OF the Kurlle lsands to the pos
iton OF cast No. % latitude, Al degrees 10 minutes
North, longitude IA degrees East then to return
and skirt those Islands ana the coast Of KANT
scnatga as lar as Cape Cbipounsky, thence cross
the nne litte longer; but interpreting the in.
structions OF the department 70 mean the Gnding
this action viii be approved. II tile line
on the great circle route for the proposed
cable has faled at least for the present. the re-
suit OF these soundings viii be OF interest ana
value TO nydrographic science, as establishing the
lacL ol depths IN the sea hardly to be expected in
view OF the numerous BoundlDgs made by Her
haJesty's snip Challenger and this ship over wide
expanses OF the Atlantic Pacific and Indian
oceans, and confirming the existence o! very
ueep trough under the Japan Stream similar 70
mat cut Oy the Gulf Stream on our own coast.
PREPARING FOR ANOTHER TRIP.
reached the vicinity OF cast No % on the after
noon Of the 23d INST. and then bore I'D FOR this
port for coal arriving here the next morning
sixteen hundred miles OF soundings had been run,
and deemed II prudent 20 replace the coal
burned before running tue soundlngs 70 the NORM.
ward, as good deal OF hight weather prevails in
we passed by Iturup, OF the Kurile rroup' dense
volumes OF smoke were seen rising out OF a crater
on the eastern end OF The ialanh9 n thn .unn.aa-