Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-08-11
The Bottom of the Ocean.

The Bottom Of the Ocean.
Prof. Huley In the Lutheran Observer.
In 1858 Lieut. Brooke obtained mud from the
bottom of the north Atlantic, between New
foundland and the Azores. at a depth of more
than TO- 600 feet, or two miles. by the help of his
sounding apparatus. The specimens were sent
for examination to Ehrenberg, of Berlin. and
Bailey, Of West Point, and those able micro
scopists found that this deep-sea mud was
almost entirely composed of the skeletons of
living organism, the greater proportion of these
being just like globigernae. already known to
occur in chalk. Thus far the work had been
carried on simply in the interests of science.
but Lieut.. BrOOke's method Of sounding ac-
quired high commercial value when the enter
prise of laying down the telegraphic cable be-
tween Great Britain and the United States was
undertaken. For it became matter of i'm
mense Importance to know not only the depth
which the cable was to be laid,
but the exact nature of the bottom, so as to
guard against chances Of cutting or fraying the
strands of that costly rope. The admiralty con-
sequently ordered Capt. Dayman, an Old friend
and shipinate OF mine, to ascertain the depth of
the whole line of the cable and to bring back
specimens Of the bottom. In former days such
command as this might have sounded very
much like one of the impossible things which
the young prince in the fairy tales is ordered to
However. in the months of June and July, 1857.
my friend performed the task assigned to him
with great precision, without, so far as know.
| having met with any reward Of any kind The
specimens of Atlantic mud which he procured
were sent to me to be examined and reported
upon.
The result ofthese operations is that we know
the contours and nature of the surfa ce-sofl COW
cred by the north Atlantic for a distance of
], 700 miles from east to west as we'll as we all
hot nf RI Of fhn dow op
prOdlgiOus plain-0ne of the widest and most
even plains IN the world. If the sea were
drained Off you might drive wagon all the way
from Valentia, on the west coast of Ireland, to
Trinity bay in Newfoundland: And, except upon
one sharp incline, about two hundred miles from
Valentia. am not quite sure that it would be
even necessary to put the skid on, 80 gentle are
the aseents and descents on that long route
From Valentia the road would be down hill for
about three hundred miles to the point at which
sea water. Then would come the central plain.
more than 1000 miles wide the Inequalities of
the surface Of which would be hardly percepti-
BILE. though the depth of the water upon it varies
In which Mount Blanc might be sunk without
showing it's peak above water. Beyond
this, the ascent on the American side COM
mences, and gradually leads, for about
three hundred miles. to Newfoundland shore
Almost the whole bottom Of this central plain
(Which extends for many hundred miles in q
north and south direction) is covered by fine
mud, which, when brought to the surface. dries
into a grayish white friable substance You
can write with this on blackboard, if you are
so inclined. and to the eye it is quite like verv
soft grayish chalk. Examined chemically it
proved to be composed almost wholly Of carbo-
nate OF lime; and II you make section of it in
the same way as that of piece of chalk was
made, and view it with microscope, it presents
innumerable globigerinae embedded in the
granular matrix. Thus the deep sea mud is
substantially chalk.