The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-05-29
OCEAN SOUNDINGS
The TuscarOra's Work from San
Diego to Yokohama.
BED OF THE NORTH PACIFIC.
Reported Results of the Sub
marine Survey.

WASHINGTON. May "a, 1874
The detailed report Of Commander George r..
Ee!knap United States Navy, commanding the
United States steamship Tuscarora, was received
NJ the Navy Department yesterday, and is as fol-
lows
UNITED STATES STEAMSHIP gUscARoRA,)
THIRD RATE.
iokoHAsA, Japan, April %, 1874.
SIR have the honor to report the arrival OF
this ship, under my command, at this port yester-
day, the 22d inst, after passage OF thlrty-four
days from Honolulu, via Port Lloyd BONN Islands.
SUCCESS or THE soUNDINGs.
The weather was generally very favorable for
the work in hand and the southern line Of sound
ings from san Diego, CAL, to this point is now
complete. seventy-three casts were made the
deepest being in 32s7 fathoms, at which depth tho
working of The patent reel OF Sir William Thomson
and the piano wire was as admirable and satis-
factory as ever. At that great depth person
standing ON the topgaant forecastle and watch
ing the running out OF the wire from the reel In
the ganeway could tell the moment bottom was
reached.
The attempt which, in my report from Honolulu,
] Informed the department would be mGde to les
sen the labor OF hauling in resulted very satislac
torily, 80 that the work can now be done easier
and quicker by four men than six men could do it
hand. One cast in 1899 fathoms was made IN In.
37m. sos. another in 1900 fathoms occupied only
III. 29m. 32s sketch OF the device adopted was
sent IRON Honolulu tNoTE-This device con-
sisted in entirely deachlng the heavy shot used
siaker Immediately upon the apparatus
reaching the bottom, while the bottom was reached
more rapidly by adopting the water holder guide
OF spiral shape, which, revolving in the descent.
forced the water through holes in the upper partI
Two accidents occurred in running this last iine
winch resulted In the loss OF a considerable amount
of tile wire. In one instance, sounding IN 3,046
fathoms, the trade wind blowing very fresh, caus-
ing a heavy sea, the ship gave heavy, lurchtng
roll when reeling in, throwing the wire across the
rim OF the drum, the edge OF which, acting ike
knife edge, cut the wire short OF and nearly 5000
fathoms were lost. This was the first mishap IN
$50 consecutive casts with the same reel OF wire,
and the more to be regretted on that account.
Again, sounding in 1856 fathoms the sinker caught
IN some way, and could not be detached, and after
repeated attempts to get rid OF the shot deter
mined to haul 1t back, for there seemed to be no
other way out OF the difficulty; but in getting
ready To reel in the STRAIN was so great that the
paw OF the machine was torn away, and though
two men had hold OF the drum over thirty fathoms
Of the wire ran out so rapidly that 1t kinkea and
broke, and $500 fath0ms more were lost These
accidents were exceptional, and by no means
ought to work disparagement to the wire, the
tenacity OF which is marvellous, and lis adapta-
bilty Tor the purpose in question uneGualled.
pEEPEsr WATER THE PACIFIC.
believe it has hitherto been the opinion or sci.
entists that the eastern part OF the Pacific is the
deepest, but this line OF soundings, run through
the heart OF the North Pacific, proves to the con-
trary the deepest water having been found much
the shores Of Asia than to the coast OF the
United states. line run from the South Ameri.
can coast towards Australia might, however, give
different result.
glance at the profile charts shows that after the
ocean bed proper Is reached, near San Diego the
bed descends in comparatively gentle curves ana
undua mons to the vicinity OF the Hawaiian Islands,
where depth OF 1854 fathons IS found; thence.
westward. the bed slowly drops I'LL the lead
reaches down to 3287 fathoms, or about three and
three-quarter statute miles, In the neignborhood
OF the BONN group.
But, While the bed Is comparatively regular, and
the character OF It's soil nearly uniform between
mountains Is found TO exist between the Hawaiian
and BONN groups, with soil OF varying character,
mud in the specimen cups, and The sioes ana tops
OF the noun tainS coral limestone and sand, with
fragments OF lava In three or TOUR instances, TOO,
solid rock was struck, the cups coming UP empty,
and the points freshly battered In others the
from the plateaus was found 70 contain particles
and fragments or lava and in one specimen
brought up sixty miles from the base OF Of tho
submarine peaks quite . lump OF the same mate
rial was iound. Coral. sand and lava Is also found
all the way from the BONN group to the coast Of
Japan, and IN short, the entire region OF the
Hawaiian Islands would seem to have been sub
jected at some remote period to Volcano disturb
ances. Looking at the disintegrated coral lying at
doubtedly sunken crater, could not but be
s1ruck win mn the similarity Of It's appearance to
marine peaks IN the mid.P acinc.
MARCUS ISLAND.
Six OF these submarine mountains were dis
Z anf N faa
height, and Marcus Island, which rises scarcely
more than from thirty to sixty feet above the sur
miles from that island gave depth OF l,4oe faith
Oma coral and lava bottom. and the nigh, wide
black volcanic-looking rocks, presented the same
dazzling white appearance CHARACTERISTIC OF the
beaches on the shores OF the BONN Group; and
those beaches all composed Of broken coral.
Hence III may not be unreasonable to suppose that
Marcus Island forms the apex OF volcanic cone
4 or island, perhaps, IN ages past much higher than
now. A thick growth OF trees crowns the island,
CURIOUS QUESTIONS.
! Had there been time and the objects OF the ex-
petition had permitted It Y would have been In.
4 Lerestng to have sounded about the localities OF
these submarine elevations revealed by the lead.
to have determined their extent and conf0rma-
tion-whether standing az solitary sunken volcanic
ming in a northwestery and southeasteriy dlrec-
ton, as combinations OF che groups of-islandste
Professor Dana, In his work on c5rals and coral
islands, says:-"A range Of deap sea cones or
sunken volcanic islands would be as interesting
discovery as deep sea spongs0 on coral, even ri
ment, TO come to tue SURFACE In tue dredge." May
not the Tuscarora IN behalf OF our naval SERVICE
lay claim TO such discovery, or. at least to have
gotten glimpse OF ftY
THE OCEAN FED.
Inc OCEAN bed between the BONN ana the en-
trance Of Je1do Bay is irregular, rs miShJ nave
been Suppcsed, rom the almost ontinuous chain
VI tsapns, lying nearly paralel 10 the route
Toupded The deepest water found was 2,435
4 f4fhoms anu the next deepest 1863 iathoms.
L Should cable ever be laid by this southern
= route good place 10 LAND v In Port Lloyd would
be in or near the tcn-fathom hole.
s, POSSESSIONS OF THE LATE COMMODORE PERRY.
I saw deed in the hands OF the heirs OF Mr..
Nathaniel Savory, an American, long resident Of
the Islands, but lately deceased, which conveyed
to the la5c Commodore NJ. 9. Perry, then COM
mandnQ the Japan Expedition, all the land bor-
dering on that part of the narbor. The deed was
lett in Mr.. Savory's hands with the understanding