Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1890-07-25
IN THE deep SEA.
Animal Life Supported Under Almost In
compreh ensible Pressure.

compreh ensible Pressure.
Animal life Is ultimately dependent
npon the vegetable kingdom. and that
kingdom in turn is dependent upon the
light of the sun. Miles below the ocean
surface the sun can not penetrate, or,
1T all events, vegeta lion, with all its
powers of boltling up tho solar rays,
can not there, so far as at present
known, maintain an existence.
The water at very great depths is, in
most parts of the world, near the freez-
ing-point. Further, the pressure upon
every square inch of the surface of a
body under three miles of sea-v alter,
instead of being about fifteen pounds,
as in atmospheric air, is three tons, or,
in other words, six thousand seven
hundred and twenty pounds. 1t was
not perhaps irrational to suppose that a
sponge or delicate fish would be
crushed into nothingness if each square
inch of its surface were subjected to
such a weight as score of the strong.
est coal-heavers in the world would
stagger under.
1t rather humbles ones pride in the
prowess of human reason to see how
some times its apparently most cogent
and most readily accepted arguments
| suddenly lose all their force when un.
expectedly confronted with facts.
The skilled ornithologist, after
pointing out that the owl in the bar
/
bers shop was so badly stuffed that il
could not be taken to represent either
an owl or any possible member of the
bird creation, might we'll be discon
certed when the impossibility stepped
down from its perch and proved to BIZ
not stuffed owl, but live one.
Even lawyers and law-givers, theolo
gians and political economists have &C
casionally made mistakes, and tn,
man.
Now thatwe know that animal life
can be and is supported under enormou
pressure in the cold, dark depths, wher
even kelp and sea moss take no foot
hold, reason is equal to the task of ex
planning how the difficulties of tn
position may be encountered.
Though plants can not grow withou
sunlight, yet when their life in tn
upper regions of the sea is over, the
may sink, as diatoms undoubtedly dc
through all depths to the bottom.
Even if the deepest living animal
had no access to vegetation, they Nigh
derive the benefit of it through chat
of consumers, ending with themselves
but beginning with vegetable feeders.
Many of the jewellers in the deep sc
have no eyes, and are, therefore, con
paratively unaffected by the absence
light; for others that have eyes til
gloom is relieved by the luminous o
gans which they or their neighbo
possess.
The temperature, we may be assure
! is well suited to the permanent i
habitants of each region, so that thol
surrounded by water nearly at IL
: freezing point would not thank us fl
warming it for them, any more than Il
Esquimau is pleased when rise of tor
D perature sets every thing adrift in h
4 pavilion Of ice.
The pressure, too, however stupendo
y to our Imagination, is evidently borr
without concern by creatures which a
o themselves permeated by fluids of Il
} same density as the surrounding m
VI dunn.
n Though also to our taste the chem
s try of sea water is unpalatable, ,
l. know that most marine animals can II
'r live without it; and while terrestri
G. life is limited to its distribution, a
y often put to sore straits by the scan
g. supply of fresh water to the denize
r of the sea the resources for the quenC
l. l. ing of thirst are always at hand, nev,
failing and practically infinite. Gold
r Days.