National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1885-04-10
CRUISE OF THE ALBArRoss.
Interesting Specimens Collected for
the Smithsonian Institution.


the Smithsonian Institution.
The arrival Of the Albatross at the
navy yard from winters cruise brings
a large amount of specimens of deep sea
life for the Smithsonian Insti tute. Dur
ing the winter tho Albatross has spent
tho time collecting specimens in the
Gulf of Mexico, of tho east cost OF Flo
rida, and in the vicinity of the West
Indies.
The work of getting specimens is pros.
ecutod in rivers whore the water is
quite shallow, and to tho depth Of 5000
yards in the sea. The object Is to collect
everything of interest. No attention Is
paid to Identification Of tho specimens,
that work being done entirely at the
Smithsonian Institution after they are
received here.
The two principal methods Of bringing
the inhabitants Of the deep to the surface
are by means of the beam trawl and the
tangle. The beam trswl is an iron franc.
work eight or ten feet wide, to which is
attached q net. This Is let down, where
tho bottom TO bo dragged is smooth, aud
is attached to windlass, and that, after
an interval Of fifteen minutes or half an
hour according to the character Of the
plhCtt IL uEhNh up anu tnoh tOIlos iuO
interesting time. Possibly IL will be full
Of curious monsters, and there may be
specimens that are new to tho scientific
world, which will give importance to the
finder. Ordinarily 1t contains medley
OF crustacean animals, fish, sponges, and
other sea plants, which are we'll known,
aud arc packed away In alcohol III jars.
The tangle Is an ingenious arrangement
to gather specimens whore coral reefs or
roughness OF tho bottom makes dragging
q trawl impracticable. 1t is an arrange
ment Of numerous slender cords hanging
from q frame in such manner that whom
lowered to the bottom objects easily get
| entangled In II and are drawn up. Dur.
ing beam trawling and tangling the vessel
goes ahead very slow when tho work is
done from on shipboard.
But in rivers aud other work where the
water is not Of great dopth the boats are
used. The fishing tackle is brought into
requistion, and, lying in the baking sun,
a nibble is tho all-absorbing theme OF the
scientists eye, But there are many scaly
specimens that come to the surface not tc
be picked in glass jars for scientific study
but to go through process in the frying
pan when their virtue as q comestiblo IL
tested. The result Of tho very frequent
testing is to grow scales on the backs o
the officers and crew Of the Albatross
though this scientific fact is not accepted
as n truth by all scientists yet.
During this trip Of the Albatross n,
pains have boen spared to secure speci
mems Of the tile fish for propagation IL
our cast coast fisheries, but without sue
cess. The history OF this fsh becoming
known to the scientific world, and IL
possible extinction within the per
iod Of three years, forms remarkabl
and aggravsting chapter in the history Q
fish culture. In tho spring of 1870
specimen Of this fish was caught on tn
gulf stream slope, south Of New England
: 1t proved to bo u now species, and pos
sessed excellent edible qualities, an
weighs from five to fifty pounds each. Sue
cess had not yet attended the efforts c
the fish commission in their eudeavor {
introduce 1t to our fisheries, whom In 1Ss
1t was discovered that an immense are:
extending from Cape Hatteras TO Nan
tuckot, was literary covered with thes
fish floating on the surface benumbed O
dead.
Their number was estimated far up |
! tho millions This fish was named b
tho scientists Lopholatilus Chamaeliou
ticeps which fact has been overlooked
their conjectures as to the cause of II
remarkable destruction which has bee
accounted for in many ways. Some SUI
gested volcanic eruption, but tho moi
tcnable theory advanced is that iceberg
entering the breeding grounds of the ti
fish in the warm gulf stream reduced th
, temperature below a living point.