The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1885-04-04
group was detected January 3, 1881, by
the Italian astronomer Piazzi.


The greatest depth of water yet found in
the Atlantic Ocean--4551 fathoms-occurs
in Long. SO deg. 30 min. W., Lat 10 deg
80 min. n, or about so miles north OF the
middle of the north shore of the island OF
Porto Rico About 1870 miles f. by n.
of this, and 10 miles N. of st. Thomas
island, a depth of 1876 fathoms was found
in 1878 by the challenger" expedition.
This until the winter of 1884 was con-
sidered the deepest water IN the ocean. To
the north and west of these point is great
extent of very deep water, there being no
soundings of less than PTS fathoms, over
an area more than 600 miles from north to
south and 1000 miles from east to west.
In the Pacific Ocean there are two areas
of very deep water-the deepest east OF the
islands Nippon and Yedo, about $50 miles
distant, and consisting apparently OF long
depression parallel to the course of the
island shores. There in Long. 153 deg f.
and Lat. As deg. N. the bottom is reached at
depth of 1855 fathoms, and in Long. 143
deg. 30 min. f. and Lat 80 deg. N. depth
of 4643 fathoms is found. The second area
extends from Long. 175 deg. Z. to Long
40 w., and from Lat. 5 deg. 5. to IL deg.
30 min. N. There depths of over 1000 faith
oms are found.
In the Indian Ocean the deepest part
seems to be a little south OF Sumatra, where
a depth of $500 fathoms is found, and most
of this ocean is over 1000 fathons deep.
OF the Antarctic Ocean we know little,
but everywhere on its borders the water is
f1om 400 to 5000 fathoms deep. In the
Arctic the only deep part lies between
Greenland and Spitzbergen, where sound
ings of 1000 fathoms were found by Nor
wegian scientific expedition in 1878, in
about Lat. IS deg. N, Long. 20 w. Ex-
cept this narrow gulf the Arctic is less
than 200 fathoms deep. The Carib-
bean Sea, 200 miles w. by S. of Cape Cruz,
in Cuba has depth of 1923 fathoms, and
the gulf of Mexico, 100 miles N. of Cape
San Antonio, depth of 1854 fathoms.
1t Is singular that these great depths are
in every instance found at no great distance
from the land In no case are they the
central points of the ocean basins, and the
very deep areas are not, comparatively
speaking, of very great extent.
It is now believed that Mount Everest
or Guarisankis, is not the Hottest point on
the earth, but that peak some 30 miles
TO the northwest is at least 1000 feet higher
than this monarch of mountains. 1t will
REQUIRE time and labor to settle the ques-
ton.
1t is definitively settled that Aconcaugua,
the great CHILEAN mountain, is not volca-
no, not even an extinct one. 1t is by no
means certain that it is higher than Sorato.
1t is we'll established fact that human
life can be sustained at elevations of over
10000 feet above sea level The expert
ence of Whymper on Cotopaxi, and OF the
Schlagenwites in the Himalayas, makes
this certain The faintness, and other dis
lressing feelings attending life at such ele-
vations seem to have been greatly over
stated. Many experience no unpleasant
sensations at the greatest attitudes yet
reached in mountain climbing, over u 900
feet. Some are seriously affected before
reaching an altitude of $4,000 feet.
Mount st. Elias must be accepted as the
highest mountain of North America. The
great difference in results Of tie measure
ments of this peak by different observers
appears to be due to two causes-first, the
great difficulty of taking observations on
that coast from the prevalence of fog-sec-
ond, they have not measured the same
mountain. The height as given by
Malespina Is 1854 feet, Tebenkoff 169SS feet
LaPerouse 1861 6 English photographic
Chart g 1870 " Russian %
g 1854 " Dali 1880 feet
1t is not volcano, but back of st. Elias
there is one wholly unconnected with the
great mountain, however, which itself is
time worn, snow robed granite peak
wholly devoid of the symmetry character
istic of volcanoes. j. W. HUETT.
Pain from Indigestion, dyspepsia, ana
too hearty eating is relieved at once by
by taking one of Carter's Little Liver Pills
Immediately after dinner. Don't forget
this.