The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1891-06-09
ON THE OCEANS BED.
What the Floor of the Atlantic
Looks Like.

ONE OFTEN HEARS ABOUT THE
" floor . OF the Atlantic, saws Rene
Bache IN Kate Fields Washington, but
the significance of the term so applied
can in no way De 50 wildly conveyed to
the mind as by viewing wonderful re-
lief map that stands in the Superintend-
ent's room at the United States Coast
Survey Office. This is 3 big picture in
plaster OF Paris OF what is called the Bay
OF North america, which means the
great SWeep-in of the ocean from Nova
Scotia TO the West Indies, and of the
Gull Of Mexico, with all OF the United
States that lies north OF the gull shown
also. Just as the mountains on the land
are represented in elevation, the con-
figuration OF the bottom OF the sea and
gull is exhibited by the map, so that
you can see how the Atlantic and It's
great arm would look if all the water
were drained away.
The first thing that you remark is that
the bottom OF this vast bay OF the Allan
tie is a floor almost as smooth and level
as Western prairie. save quite near the
eastern shore OF the continent.
VAST PRAIRIE.
II the water were gone you could drive
very comfortably in a carriage over a
nice shell road all the way from the
Bermudas to within $50 miles OF Cape
HaiterSs. which would be the nearest
point Of dry land 10 reach. Then you
YOU would have to climb, for at that dis
lance from the coast the bottom begins
70 rise from the even depth of three
miles at which you have been journey
ing, 10 nearly q mile higher, in dis
lance about equal to that between Phila-
delphia and New York.
From that point on you would be
obliged to Gismount and do some walk
ing, inasmuch as the ascent becomes
quite abrupt, rising within few miles
TO 9 depth of only two or three hundred
feet. But the sor. of travelling you would
do in mounting from the ocean floor to
get TO the coast, would depend entirely
upcF what point along the coast you
tried TO strike, inasmuch as the contour
OF the slope varies greatly The line of
the bottom Of the slope follows in gen.
eral way the trend OF the shore south
west from Cape Sable 10 the southern
part OF Florida; but at some point Il is
much farther OF from the coast, It's dis
lance opposite Savannah being about
500 miles, and nearly IS much opposite
New YORK.
HOLES N THE OCEAN.
Il would be imprudent to try the
route from the Bermudas direct 10 New
York. because YOU would be likely 10
get into 4 remarkable hole that goes
down suddenly, Just before the slope be-
gins, from the level floor three miles
deep 10 nearly 3 mile deeper. But you
might 90 comfortably from within 200
miles Of Cape Sable 70 very near San
Domingo and Puerto Rico in the West
Indian group, travelling in s buggy
straight south more than the length of
he United States. You would find an
even road AZ little more than three
niles down below what is now the sur
ace OF the sea, descending q trife after
getting south OF the latitude OF Jackson
lille, Fla.
Then you would have TO look out, be-
ause, few miles to the north OF Puerto
Rico, the ocean floor takes 2 most as
ounding dip into one of the deepest sea-
holes that can be found in the world.
Reaching It's edge 81 about $50 miles
rom Puerto Rico, you would find this
tremendous gulf suddenly descending to
depth Of more than five miles below
What Is now the surface OF the water.
I is extraordinary how these West In
ian islands rise precipituously from the
epths, uplifting their mountains miles
Ugh out OF the sea. South of Cuba, in
be Caribbean sea, IS a hole even
more remarkable than the one Just de
cribed.
1t is much bigger than the one north |
I Puerto Rico, and forms an elongated |
alley nearly six miles aud a half in
epth. Who can guess what ocean mon
tiers, PUPPY, vast and formless, inhabit |
hese great ocean caverns lighted only |
Y professions Of torch-bearing fishes? |
What haunts, these, for the sea-serpent |
nd for the gigantic creatures imagined |
} be extinct since the Deluge.
MOUNTAIN ISLANDS IN SEA.
Among other surprising things at the
ottom OF the sea, you would in your
-avels come across the little Bahamas
ast OF Southern Florida, where they rise
lddenly from the oceans floor with so
tile slope that, within a distance OF
lirty miles, you would have to climb
lore than three miles high to find your
III in Nassau. So it appears, as had
OF been suspected until recently, that
lese Islands are the tops OF very preci-
itous mountain peaks projecting out OF
le water. 4 still more extraordinary
ibmarine structure you would discover
the Bermudas, some eco miles due
81 IRON Charleston. These islands
Sc abruptly out OF the midst OF the
eat fat ocean plain. They, too, are
e peaks Of mighty and PERCEPTIONS hills.
The bottom fiooT OF the Gull OF Mexico
little less than two and hall miles
,ep. Flowing out OF It, the great per-
inial stream becomes so shallow by the
ne It reaches the southern point OF
orida as to be less than hall mile in
pth, while as 1t sweeps up close by
e southeast shore line OF that state, it
minishes 20 but little more than q
arter OF q nile before swerving of
I'm the coast on It's journey northeast
.rG. II
WHAT MAKES TIE GULF STREAM.