Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-11-08
DOWN In THE DEEP.
BENHhTH rHk GULF STREAM.
Recent Explorations by che United states
Fssh.Cemmission steamer Aibssrcss.

made fiom July IN September % drcdgings
were obtained. In most Of these q large
beam.trawl YVES used very successfully,
even ~ great depths. OF these DIRE igings
. were in depths between 900 and 2.60)
faihoms "a successfully; 20 were between
1000 and 1000 fsthoms; - between 100
and LOCO faihomS betocen 800 and 800
lathoms; SO between 80 and 400 faith Nms.
The ffsl itipwaS made while the steamer
was on h,r way north from Norfolk. Vs..
and some Il the localities were OIL the coast
OF MARYLAND. The most southern being IN
north latitude 80 81, but most Of the
others have been made In the reg,on south
and southcaStof MaTtha's Vineyard, though
some of tbtm were long way OIL the coast
The Eve stations in depths below 1900
fsthoms were more than half way 10 Bcr-
muda, and nesr|y east OF the coast Of Viz
ginis. between north latitude go 05' 30"
and Sc 49, 30''. and between west longi-
tudc GS' ct aud 10 ~.
The results are highly satisfactory, both
in the wny Of physical observations and
geological discoveries.
CHARACTER oF TIE DsEr-sEA DEPOSITS.
some very interesting and important dis
coy cries were made in regard 10 the nature
Of the materials composing the sea bottom
under the Gulf str, am at great depths.
These observations are Of great interest
from geological point Of view. and some
Of them are contrary to the experience OF
other expeditions and not in accor lance
with the gCnCially-accCpted theory of the
nature Ct the deposits far from land. The
bottom between COO and 1000 fathoms. in
other regions. has generally been found 70
consist mainly % the minute shells Of
II. - as ta -ttpf
and fan TO the bottom as they die.
This material il called glOhigetins oOze.'
on our northern coasts. however. although
there is more or less impure glohigerlna
ooyc. II such dCyths. nj most localities be-
pcath the Gulf Strram. thie Is by no means
slways Tic ease. The oose is always mixed
with some and and frequently with much
clay mud. In pumber Of instances The
hoiiom in depths between 400 and l,2OD
fsibcns hes been found 20 consist OF
Tough and compact clay, so thoroughly
hlrdcscd that many large angular, masSc>'
sometimes weighing more than 100 pounds,
have been brought mp in The traWl ana
have rot lcen washed away apprtciaoy'
uotwiti standing the rapidly with when
they have been drawn up through
about two miles OF water. Ia lact'
these masses 81 hard clay resemble
lsree avgrllr blocks Of stone. but when
cut with knit, they bavc consistency
somewhat like hard CASTLE soap. and In see
lions sTe notified with lighter and darker
tint, Of duh green. olive. and BLUSH gray.
when dried they develop cracks and break
ilp into Angular fragments. This material
p, genuine clay, mixed with more or less
sand. showing under the microscope grains
of qu,TiZ and feldSpT, with some scales OF
mics. More or less Of the shells OF Slobi-
strins and other foraminiiera arc contained
in The clay. but they make up very small
percentage OF the mateTisl.
Ia other localities, between 1000 and
f.GuO iaihoms. the bottom is covered with
OF largely composed Of hard, very Irregular.
Nattcned. ctust-likc connections OF clay and
iron oxide. with more or less manganese
eNide In the creviccs. aud worm-burrows
with which thev are filed. Al some local
lite, several hundred pounds Of such
na,scs were brought u. varying IN size
from 4 few ounces up 10 twenty
hounds or more in weight, and from Que
Inch six Inches in thickness.
Atsisti0n ,22S, In 1852 istsODs. north
latitude so %. west longitude 49, OG'. a
large quantity OF Irregular, crusiy. and
caYcTnOus cOncretiOns and masses oil inrru-
gIauu. clay. with considerable black man'
.snese oxide lining the holes and cracks.
was dredged. The lsweT side Of many oil
the nlassts consisted OF sticky blush clay.
n was estimated that ahsut q ton oil this
material came up. There were adherlns 10
She,e bard masses some eOTals. gorgonlanS,
hvdrWds. and bryOZOa. with the rare
hrschiopods, DiScirG hhdnt'cd, ana H0'd-
AciriiG Uranium. in considerable numbers.
Rounded bOulders and pebbles oil
.ronitc. gueiss, and other crystalline rocks
occurred at number Of stauons undertae
Gulf stream. Uue boulder. weighing over
80 pounds. was taken in LIS fathom>.
The following are other ioc2lules: station
a.lal. H. 1868 fathoms. north latitude ~
a.. west longitude P0 u3. Sranitlc
boulder. about four inches ~ diameter,
ill., surface cOTered win adnerehl
spccies Of foramisiera and some an
nelid tubes: station 2,226. in 2,O2l iath
om>, north latitude 80 o.. west Longitude
40 81. large number oil pebbles ana
small boulders Of granite, pOrphvry. Nc.-
and some coal-cinders. The pebbles were
more or less covered with adhcreat fOran-
ipifers and bryozoa. Scattered bOulder'
and ptbbles have also occurred at many
ether locslitie. along the inner edge Of the
Guf stream. These have probably al
been carried out there bv ice floating away
from the coast in spring.
4 curious instance Of the occurrence 81
abundant relics OF human handiwork wa
observed this wear. NJ station 2.232 II
AZ tathoms. north latitude 30' 0S' 10"
west longitude 100 So ~. beneath IN
Gulf stream. a large number OF cOmlnp IL
bricks " III mortar and SCOT stu adheiih.
10 them we're brought up in the trlW
some were nearly entire, hut most we're Il
fragments. Anuelid tubes, brachiOpodS
fAfreL;d qpOmOn.) and ether forms
decp-sea lie were attached 10 them, bu
only IN small quantities, showing INA
they had not been On the botlol
yerY long. These NAV have CON
frpm some wreck Or they ma
have formed the deck furnace OF som
wbalin: vessd and have been thrown eve
hoard OIL the hOmevaTd trip. Al any raj
the accident Of hitting upon The precise i
cali,y Of such relics isvsry curious. Othc
wise than in this instance We have rare
found IN deep water any human traces e.
cept coal cinders from steamers.
i'm all the ten lOcshlis. between 1000 an
5000 fsthOms. the bottom Wa "glObiSerll
0ozc." We have never nei with the " II
ciay," which ought " oseur at such dept
according 10 the observations made durr
The cruise Of the Challenger.
TEMPERATURES.
The temperatures observed vita q
much improved thermometers now used Z
the AlbatrOss were between a6.5' and 8
Fahrenheit in 1000 10 2CO0 iathoms. 81
temperatures essentially The same as the
we're also taken in 1000 b. 1900 fathom
and even in 96J fathoms one Observable
ave 3GSo Fahrenheit. |, follows irO
these observations thai ncarlv the lnr
mum temperature is reached At about %
faihOms in this region.
CHARACTER ~ TBE Lifk.
The geological results TIL. year ale We
important. Many additions 10 the fsUl
Of great depths were made, aud lar
proportion Of them are undeseribed form
some Of the fishes were Ot e1eN lnteres
Huge spiny spider-eT3bs tLttOdSS aga
SiziN over three feet across were taken
600 TO 1890 iathsms. and another vel
large crab (GergOa QutEQuedeftSl occurr'
in great abundance in S0G 10 1000 fathOm
while in 2.j14 fathons q large and sir0r
lobster-lke species (k'0tdopSiSl was take
Numerous species Of handsome shrim
many OF them bIisht-esioTed. aud some
Veiy large size. occurred ~ 1000 TO 30
fathOms. Even those from below 30
faihOms have large efe,. Some OF the
baNc not been taken before.
Many very interesting kchinCderraS ha
been obtained this year and last IN ado