The state herald., 1891-01-02
IN THE OCEAN DEPTHS.
A TERRIBLE SQUEEZE DOWN
THERE.
Interesting rhisss About The subna.lns world
-'Dssp ssa IAnps-A Pressure That
crsshH Glass v Powdsr-stlIl
There's Animal Life There.


nature the ocean is perhaps the great
est OF natural wonders 1t is Difficult I
to Imagine 1t possessed with life, or
something akin TO it 1t has its moods,
It's lancies; to-day is calm, unrufiled
and serene; tomorrow, torn by emo
hons, rent by seeming passion--a YER
table demon seeking to destroy, beat
Ing itself down In impotent rage.
so vast body OF fluid, distributed
over different zones where opposite
conditions obtain and preserving Its
general size. evaporation and food,
seemingly equal. can but excite the
wonder Of all thinking people. Five
miles depth Of solid water. with its
zones OF temperature. It's vast rivers,
hot and cold. Its strata OF deposits, its
little understood conditions. Is surely
q mystery difficult to solve. and until
within few years 1t has been sealed
book.
Twenty years ago the ocean was
thought by the majority OF people TO
DO vast body OF wuter, warm enough
at tho surface to permit life and sup
port 1t, but at the greater depths life
was supposed. from the enormous
pressure, 10 be impossible. The mathe-
maticlan proved 1t by simple calcu-
lation, so nature was hero at fault.
Vast areas Of inter-oceanic space were
entirely useless, devoid Of life. incap-
able OF supporting it. a gloomy, dark,
unfathomable region, almost beyond
human comprehension.
Modern science has controverted NIL
this, and as mysterious as tho ocean
was the revelation OF Its wonders has
made II still more the object OF curious
attention. We know that 1t attains a
depth in some parts OF from five 10 six
miles. possibly more. We know It be-
cause 1t has boon measured, and we
have gained some idea OF tho pressure
from tho fact that glass instruments
lowered into the creator depths have
been reduced to powder, and iron,
copper, wood and rope are twisted.
bent and frayed.
The temperature at these great dis
tances from tho surface Is Just above
the freezing point II it were possible
Tor n man to descend five miles below
the surface no would find himself in
This low temperature. and still sup
posing him to Withstand the pressure,
he would be In the Same condition
that man would be- on shore with
twenty or thirty carloads OF pig.iron
piled upon him. This is OF course not
tupposable, yet 1t may convey some
Idea OF the state OF things in tho SUBJ
marine world.
The human explorer would not be
unaccompanied In his travels. As far
as no could penetrate he would pro-
badly find living creatures adapted by
nature 10 Withstand these extraordin-
Try conditions. He would find this
hbysmal realm. so long considered an
abode of darknoss cleaning with
lights Every movement would result
In blaze OF illumination. as II he
wero gifted with tho light-producing
power. Every animal In this uucanny
world would seom consumed by some
internal fro. appearing hero and
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