National Republican., 1883-07-17
Important Scientific Work Accomplished by
the officers Of the Enterprise.
Description Of the Apparatus for Deep
Sea Measurements.
Fiay-6ur Goats Showing Depths Varying from 73l
10 D3i47 FathOms in NdOCean.
A Range OF Submarine Mountains IO,56O
Feet High.
N,,B yoyE Tclcorop

Of the United States corvette Enterprise from
Norfolk, via the Cape do Verde Islands, to
Cape Town, the officers of the ship, under the
direction Of Comdr. A. s. Barker, did con-
siderable scientific work, the most important
of which was under tho charge of Lieut. q
G.. Norris, the navigator of the ship, and con-
sisted of a series of deep sea soundings, in
number fifty-nine the first being taken
somewhere near mid ocean, in latitude
30 deg. 35 min. north, longitude
% deg. 81 min. west, the depth reached
being 1854 fathoms. The apparatus used
though complicated, proved very efficient,
and is known as Sigsbee's Improvement on
Sir William Thompson's invention. Tho
sounding limo is made of No. % piano wire,
and weighs about fourteen pounds to the
mile The cups for bringing up bottom spe
cimons were Bclknap's No. q and the snker
used an eight-inch shot weighing sixty
pounds, the sinker, of course, being detached
us soon as the bottom was reached. When
ready for use the apparatus was placed in the
starboard gangway, and when about to take q
cast the ships motion was stopped and all sails
furled, only enough steam being kept up to
move the engines, the ship being kept head
to wind, and backing or going ahead very
slowly in order to keep directly over the WIRE
No difficulty was found in keeping the ship
exactly in position
In fact, when the deepest sounding was
taken tho ship was kept in place rs easily as
when sounding in only few fathoms of
water. The average time taken in making
the casts was one hour, and they could only
be taken in good weather and with smooth
water. Tho second case was made in latitude
80 12' north, longitude 42o 35' west, whom
bottom was found ut 2,166 fathoms or about
fpyn n bu1f mill hn IN nf
the bottom obtained was gray ooze, composed
of sand and minute shells. The second
sounding was taken fourteen days prior to
the arrival of tho Enterprise at the Cape dc
Verdes, the first having been taken January
16, two weeks after the ship left the United
States January 27 the third cast was made
in 2,603 fathoms, but there was no change
in the character of the bottom brought up,
it being the same rs in the first two.
On January % tho fourth cast was made in
latitude 26 deg. AZ min north, longitude 81
deg IS min. west, in a depth of 3093
fathoms, Hore the nature of the bottom en-
tirely changed, being a red oo2e formed of
minute shells and mud. The amount of bot
tom brought to the surface by the apparatus
at each cast would average about enough to
fill two-ounce phial, though sometimes
when the bottom touched was very hard but
very small specimens could be obtained. No
more casts were taken until the Cape dc
Verde Islands were reached, when after leav-
ing Port Grandc for Praya a fifth cast was
taken in 1,47l fathoms The bottom here
was found to be gray sand mixed with shells.
The last cast was taken about three miles
from the Island of st. Saco, in 1,06l fathoms,
abe character of the bottom being the same.
v After leaving Porto Praya the regular work
Ilommenccd, soundings being made at inter
7Ials of about 100 miles, commencing in lati-
I tude IL deg, 10 min. north, longitude % deg.
( 45 min. west, and ending just of the Cape of
Good Hope The first of the regular series
OF casts was taken in February IL, 16S3 in a
depth of 2,742 fathoms, the specimens boing
the same as those found TO the nOrthward of
the Cape de Nerdo-viz., gray ooze The
next cast was taken in latitude deg. % min.
north, longitude "a deg. 0S min west, in
2,66S tathoms. Bottom same rs before Cast
No. was taken In latitude deg. rs min. %
sec. north, longitude "a deg. "a min.
west, i'll $500 fathoms Here tho most re-
marllable specimen found during the course
of the sOundmgs was brought to light.
1t consisted of minute shells Of every con-
ceivablG color, which smclt exactly MS if they
had been taken out of n clam or oyster bed.
No better evidence us to the existence of ami
NAL life at vast depths could possibly be de-
sired than this, and subsequent sOnndings
frequently brought up strong corroborative
evidence on this point. These minute shells,
after being exposed II few hours to the atmos-
phere commenced TO turn of lighter shades,
with u chalky appearance. Those kept in
the bottles from tho atmosphere ro-
tanned their color several days, only
losing it very gradually. Cast No. 10 was
taken in 2,307 iathoms, and there was no
great change In the nature of tho bottom.
Cast No. IL, made in latitude deg. 20 min.
north, longitude "a deg. 40 min. west, in
2,320 fathons, showed a decided change in
the bottom, the specimen obtained boing
very dark greonsh color Casts Nos. l2 and
- showed tho depth to beshoaling gradually,
2,2l3 and 1919 fathoms respectively, the bot
tom of gray oo2c At tho next cart No IA,
2,621 fathOms was reached, in latitude deg.
- min south, longitude q dog. Al min.
west.
Here tho character of the bottom changed
10 a iron mud. From cast No. - to No. 10
depths varying from 1900 TO $500 iathoms
were rcachcdan the same bottom soil brought
up. On Feb. ~, In latitude Is deg, 27 min.
SOUTH longitude 80 deg 81 min. west, about 800
miles from tho coast of Brazil, another change
of bottom soil was found, tho specimens
showing Ii TO be n yellOwish brown ooaG.
This character continued until cast No. 28
D., when il again altered 10 a dark brown, sticky
mud, found ut 1000 InthOms. From the lati-
tude Mt Bahia 10 Trinidad island, " distance
of 800 miles, the bottom OF the ocean seemed
very lovol, there being very slight changes
In the depths reached Cast No. q, In latitude
20 deg. SO min. south, longitude ~ deg q
min west, a dopth of 2,9OS iathoms was
reached and, and chocolate cOloIed, sticky
mud was found. Cast No. 2S was tho deepest
found-3,l47 iathoms-and was IN latitude 90
deg. SO min. south, longitude "a deg. "A min.
west, and was made March o, Thus, ut this
place the depth of tho sea is about three miles
and twO-thirds. IL is ~ wcll to monton
that when engaged in doop sea sounding in
the Pacific ocean in the year 1874 Lieut.
Norris, then of the United States school ship
Tuscarora, made the deepest cast ever taken,
finding the depth OF water to be 1866 fathoms
The sounding was made near tho Kurile ISL
ands, near tho entrance 10 Behring's sCa.
about 100 miles from cast No. IS cast No, 20
was talSen In 22ss iathoms, showing differ
enco of 5,15i feot, or nearly mile difference
in depth in q distance of only 100 miles,
very hard bottom was found.
From cast No. ~ TO cast No 35, depths
ranging from $3.50 iath0ms TO 2,2Ss fathOms
tho character OF the bottom was about tho
same--light brown mud mixed with small
shells. Cast No. 81, however, showed some
difference, pieee of lava being brought up
showing tho volcanic formation. Cast No
80, latitude so deg. 35 min. " sec, north, lon
gitude ~ deg. 40 min. 03 sec, west, the bot
tom was found at 400 iathoms, shoaling
suddenly. No, 81, in latitude 81 deg, IL min
06 sec. SOUTH longitude l2 deg. rs min. 53 sec
west, 1884 fathoms. Cast No. 80 latitude ii
deg, is min. 10 sec, south, longitude l2 deg.
,nt. 1 fat lnma lingt M