The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1880-12-23
SADNESS OF THE SEA.

III SfdHtGsls "ltuJtIt tii iltI14S d - tlLc
cause of which it is the effect That the
sea is salt everybody knows; bat Why
salt? Why are not the rivers salt also2
The degree to which saltness peryades
sea water varies. Some parts OF the
ocean are saturated with saline matter,
others are almost brackish. The water
Of the Caribbean sea is dense compared
With that Of the Baltic iu the proportion
II II to l9. The kind OF salt, how
yer, to be found in sea water IS uuiver-
ally the same, whatever the density of
the water may be. Local causes may
effect water TO certain extent, bat ex-
perieDce shows that the salts extracted
from seawater, in whatever part OF the
world, are substantially the same in kind,
me only difference being in quantity
fhe salts contained are: Chloride of
j 'dium common salt), chloride of potas
sium, chloride of Calcium, chloride OF
magnesium, bromide of magnesi um,
sllphate of line Common chalk,) sui
pIate of magnesia, carbonate of magne
sla.
The actual contents are set ont in full
because there is common belief, found
e on a confusion of terms, that common
table salt is the only ingredient IN sea
water. As regards the aggregate quan
t'ty of salts contained, some idea may be
formed Of it by sta,ing that if all the salt
contained III the water annually evapor
tted from the north east trade wind reg
ion of the Atlantic could be heaped into
60 the British Islands to the depth of
f,urtaen feet.
A moments reflection will serve to
snow that in latitudes where there IS a
,eat eyaporating power, and but slight
4-lutiug influence. the sea water must
scessarialiy be rich IN salts; and that III
9tltudes where the contrary conditions
list, the water must be poor. That
Jch is the case has been proved, and it
attested among other signs, by the
DIOR OF the water, which in rainy, sun
,ess districts, Is of light green; in rain
less. sunny places of deep blue-vitrioI
piue. The compensatory balance be
.seen briny water and brackish is kept
p by q system of currents, which per
,des the whole ocean. These currents,
unning from north to south, and from
e south to the north, are the means of
4ualizing, to some extent, the charge Of
-allue properties which the water respect /
vely hold in solution, the water of the
.l'd climates ha;ng strengthened 1J rt1u /
laavily-laded salt streams from the south,
tie southern waters being refreshed, as
il were, with drink from the compare
lively frest waters of the north. But
after all mas been done, the equatorial
saas are still 50 rich in salts that they
have q super abundance, and are glad to
be rid of their burden to anything that
requires il. An abundant demand is
sept up by the myriads of coral creatures
which live aud move and have their being
in the tropical seas, and require for the
purposes of their work an amount of
ealcareous and saline matter, proportion
lts to that which the ever burlenel wat
srs have to spare. The excess is drawn
by them on demand, and appropriated
10 those manufactures which these small
workers undertake to the glory OF their
Maker.
The source OF salts is found in the
washing of the coast and in the contribu-
tians which rivers bring. Rivers, in
their way to the sea, gather from brooks,
springs, surface drainage. and other such
sources a great quantity of soluble mat
tor; they wash down, also, consider
aole amount of earth which the sea water
can. though they cannot, dissolve. Into
the great reservoir Of the ocean they fling
theig s5ilty cargo, which is absorbed in
thu pores OF the water, and is then dis
tributed by means of the oceans circu-
Ia ory system already advertei to.
The sea Is salt by reason Of the earth
washings poured into 1t; it has different
densties because of the influence Of rain
falls; rivers and evaporation; it is pre-
vented from staguating by a universal
system of ocean-eurrents; and it yields
out of it abundance materials for the
building up of continents yet to be-
/ Snch are the facts aud conclusions involv-
| el in the consideration Of the saltness of
! the sea.