The Dickinson press., 1889-08-31
OVER FIVE MILES DEEP.
SOMETHING ABOUT THE ABYssES
OF THE PACIFIC OCEAN.

Feet in Drpth-.A Horn shaped Plateau
That Serves as !, Connecting Link.
The pvc,,liarity of the Pacific ocean is
that it can hc divided into two distinct
parts, the dividing line being the mcri,l-
ian of 100 dcgs. west. The eastern half.
that which lavcs our shores, is remark
able for the absence of islands and the
uniform nature of itsdcpt,, for, with the
exception of the narrow strip of shallow
water surrounding the -Ncutian Islands,
and running along the American coast.
the sounding line shows an average depth
of from 1000 to 5000 fathums, undivursi-
tied 10y any remarkable elevations or dc.
tion TO this great and equal depth is Il
great submarine plateau, which extends
out from the Patagonaucolst and which
rises to between 5000 and 900 fathom-
from the surface This plateau is horn
shaped, and is evidently 4 connecting
link between the South American CON
tncnt and the Australian archipelago.
PARTIALLY ENCLOSED SEAS
Tho western half of tho Pacific ocean
Archipclagos and scattered islands are
exceedingly numerous, and the o,l,tl, of
the ocean is uniform, shadows, occurring
scattered over it ut irregular intervals,
Along tho Asiatic coast and between the
island groups there are a number of par
TALLY incloscd seas and these are srpa-
rated from the great ocean hy submarine
platcaus of sufficient extent and height
to warrant tho supposition that II mod
crate uphcaval would extend tho A~atc
continent rs fur south as Australia,
transforming the sc;,s into inland salt
lakes. Considerations of the PECULIAR
animal aud vegetable life of New Zca-
land and Australia lend probability TO
the speculation that these islands were
Joined to the main continent Of Asia at
some remote period, amt 1t is even pussi-
bic to trace the submerged coast line of
the great continent which then existed.
The same uphcaval acting upon the pl;,-
tcau extending out from the l'atnguiian
shore would almost make the Pacific i;
land locked ocean, the entrance To it ln,-
lng between the point of tie new land
stretching ont tu l2l d"gs. east latitn ie
and another hca'llau,l formed by what is
now Ducic Island, lying in the same lat
itllle, but about 10 dec. further north.
AS has been said, There runs along the
American shore Il narrow strip of slal-
low water, but the term shallow is only
to be taken i'm its comparative sense. Ii
is from 30 To 200 miles wide, the depth
running from nothing To 900 tathoms.
Outside this again is another strip Of not
quito SO uniform u width, wherein the
depth reached 2,0o0 fat,oIns, quite deep
enough To drown tall man The uni
form character of the scl ,t,th is
quite marked along the Californian
shore, but even here thnrc are ups and
downs, shadows ana depths. Tho coast
| line has strip of water Us it, imlnrdi.
ate border, in which the depth keeps at
about twelve fatllons along Il ledge or
plateau for a few miles out, and then
| drops sheer down for 300, COO and 900
fathoms. This shoro ledge is quite well
defined and generally u4blul,cn, but in
IL thcro sometimes occurs II crcvlsse or
valley, whose exploration il, u matter of
much curious interest. Directly oil
Point lllcncmc, at the entrance to the
Santa Barbara channel, there is found Il
remarkable example Of one of these sub
marine valleys. Commencing with a
depth of ten tathum5 100 yard, from the
beach, it INCREASES 10 fifty falhom5 in
| iivc-cishths of u mile and then drops
suddenly to ll3 fatlonIs, or GiS feet, in
less than two miles. Its general drcc.
| ton is south, and it is bounded all round
| by depths of from twelve To fifteen
fathoms.
Another ieiuarkablo example Of the
submarine valley has been discovered
and to sono extent traced ont in Mon.
tcrcy bay by Commodore James Alden
The head Of this valley is livc-riyhlls OF
a milo south Of the Salinas river, and the
twenty fathom line is only II quarter OF
u mile off the beach, the depth incluaa-
ing TO iis,y iAthoina in the ncXt quarter
OF q mile, AT this distance from shore
the twenty fathom lines are ctllcu-cighlh-
Of Il mile apart The general ,ircction
of the valley for the next two miles i,
southeast, whore there is u depth of III,
fatholns, the fifty fatliom lines running
about ighths Of Il milo apart; Theme,
the valley runs about west, reaching the
depth of 40 faillous in :, milo and go
fathoms III th..o ana olc-qjIartrr mile,
with fortytwo fallions less than Il mile
to the north The souudn9a are not
numerous enough 10 trace its outlines in
deep water, but tic Indications arc for
ten miles of its length that it rims south
west with no bottom at .,l.J Il,loIIl., II