The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1880-11-03
THE WONDERS OF THE OCEAN
Discoveries Made by the Deep Sea Dredg-
ers on the Edge of the Gulf Stream.

; Discoveries Made by the Deep Sea Dreds
: ers on the Edge of the Gulf stream.
, In the opinion of Prof A. F. VerriII. {
: Tale College, the recent deep sea dredgin
expedition off the coast Of Rhode Island. o
the edge OF the Gulf Stream, under tn
auspices Of the United States Fish Commits
sion, proved the most successful ever sen
out by this or any other country. In tire
days more specimens were obtained thai
Dy any other expedition IN as many months
Indeed, the English expedition on the Chal
ienger, which was at work deep sea dredg
ing for five years continuously, did not &C
compiish more or get larger collection.
The dredging was done from 70 to lis mile,
south OF Newport, in the region known OF
the charts rs Block Island Soundings, the
depth OF the water being from one-q uartel
| to three-quarters of a mile. The specially
| constructed steamer Fish Hawk, fitted up
| with the most approved scientific appliances
| was used, and the expedition was under the
direct charge of Prof Baird of Washington.
/ The ground was especially favorable A
peculiar beam trawl was used for scraping
/ the bottom Of the ocean. 1t was a net forty
or fifty feet long. The mouth of it was
spread open by an oak beam fifteen feet
long and six inches in diameter. The beam
rested upon heavy iron runners, to keep
the network bag about two feet off of the
bottom. The lower side of the mouth of
the net was formed of a receding rope
weighted with lead. This rope dragged
along the bottom, and scraped the shelfish,
shells and what not into the net. Fish
swimming al that depth were also scooped
in, and once inside they were entangled in
pockets that prevented their escaping. This
trawl would be thrown out and drawn along
behind the steamer, making a swath half
a mile long and twelve or fifteen feet wide.
Then the powerful hosting engine would
be set to work and the trawI and its contents
hoisted aboard the steamer. AS much as
1000 pounds weight of stuff would be taken
from the bottom of the ocean each time the
trawl was hoisted. Two barrels of alcohol
a day were used in preserving rare speci-
mems. To put them in shape will be the
work of weeks. To thoroughly arrange and
classify the thousands of specimens OBJ
tanned will occupy the commission all win
ter. Most of this work will be done here
by Prof. Nerrill and his assistants.
Eighteen species of fish were caught
heretofore unknown and undrscribed, be-
sides others known to Greenland and North
ern Europe but not to our coast also,
wonderful variety of crabs, shrimp and
lobster like creatures, some of them very
handsome, and forty species of them en-
tirely new. One hundred and fifty differ
ent kinds of shells, lis of them not before
known on this part of the coast, 50 not
known as inhabitants of American waters,
and thirty wholly unknown to scientists
heretofore, were obtained In addition, two |
new kinds of devil fish, one about a foot |
long, 200 specimens of a new and pretty |
squid, and 20 new kinds of starfish were |
taken. OF these starfish, thousands of |
specimens were netted some of exceeding |
beauty. Quite a number of new species of |
corals were caught, some of them being |
brought up by the bushel OF fan coral |
some beautiful specimens were obtained.
Hundreds of anemOnes, brilliantly |
cooled, some of them measuring a foot
across, delighted the eyes of the men of
science. One strange discovery was worm
inhabiting quill like a goose quill. The
quilts were about a foot long, and soon after |
being taken out of the water grew so hard /
that they could be and were used for pens.
They stood up in the mud at the bottom of
the sea. The worms inside were opal colored,
and when taken out of their strange tene-
ments glistened and presented rather
pretty appearance, so far as color was con-
,erned. There were raked up by thousands,
and none of the scientific men ever heard
IF them before.
The discovery was made that the tileish
3 plentier than the cod. A Gloucester
fisherman last winter hauled in the first
,ilefish. Since then few have been caught
Prof Verrill, however, caught three with a
trawl line. On opening their
tomachs he found therein some of the rare
:rustacea that abounded Whereabouts, and
lie knew it was their feeding ground. He
s satisfied that they are plentier there in
season than Goldfish off Rock Island. One
If the three fish caught weighed fifty
pounds. The tilefsh, as described by Prof
Verriil, is a magnificent fish of a light
brown color, shaped like sea bass, and
spotted all over with yellow. 1t is fine eat
ng, and he is convinced that it is destined
o become a favorite market fish now that
t is known where it can be readily caught
All of the fish caught by the dredges
nave gone to the headquarters of the COM
mission in Washington. The other speci-
mems came here in many boxes a few days
lgo, and the work of arranging them is now
,eing pushed forward. As many as one I
hundred series of the various speci-
mems will be made up and distributed
Imong the museums of the country, the {
irst choice going to the National Museum I
It Washington, the second to the Peabody
Museum here, the third to the museum at {
and so on. A complete and I
detailed report will also be made by the I
The records of the temperature at differ
mt depths were always made with great I
are. At a depth of from 100 to 1921
athoms the temperature was usually from s
IL go Fahrenheit. From 1929 to 325 '
athoms it was from 42o to 40, and at 500 ]
athoms it was 400 The pressure at 500 {
athoms or over was very great-suficiept |
o crush and press together the wood that /
ncased the thermometer until it was a
hapeless mass, and to so press the rope used {
o lower the instrument that it came up l
hardened and squeezed together until it re-
embed a bar of metal. 4
In the nine years the Fish Commission s
las been established it has dredged 20OO
ocalties (both shallow and deep waters,) | t
etween Long Island Sound and Halifax, q
nd out as far as 200 miles; but never be- t
ore did they have such good luck as last
Month on the Fish Hawk.-N. Y. Sun.