The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-09-03
DEEP SEA SECRETS.
important Discoveries Made In
the Pacific Ocean.
Many Interesting Fncts Learned About
tho Watcrs Along Our Western
Coast-Singulnr Changes
Occurring.

The United States steamer Albatross
lately completed u survey of certain
waters of the Pacific which have never
been subjected heretofore to scientific
examination. There is n large portion
Of the Pacific ocean lying off the north
west coast of South America which has
never been examined as to it's fauna,
temperature and currents. The Alba
tross, with Lieutenant Commander D. L.
Tanner in command and Prof. Agassi:.,
the grcntest living naturalist, repro
senting the United States fish commits
sion. was sent to discover what these
waters contain on the surface, ut tho
bottom and in the intermediate depths
The first work was done, says the
Chicago Post, between Panama bay and
the CocOs and Malpclo islands, off the
coast of Ecuador. On March 90 work
was begun outside of these waters,
reaching from Cape San Francisco, ON
the coast of Ecuador, to the Galapagos
islands, and thence on up to Acapulco,
Mex, along the coast of the latter
country, through part of the Gulf of
California and returning back to
Guaymns. The work wns thorough
and Prof Agassiz's report will contain
much interesting data. He discovered,
while at the Galapagos islands, the al
most entire disappearance of tho
tortoise for which the islands were for
mcrly celebrated. Not many years ago
whaling vessels put i'll ut this place to
trade in these animals and hundreds
could be caught within an hour or two.
On n former trip the Albatross brought
to Washington n lot of tortoises. On
her recent visit to the islands q DAYS
search resulted in the capture of only u
single specimen.
The fauna discovered by Prof.
AguSsiz and his assistants in these
waters are almost identical with that
found iii West Indian seas. This is 90
copied as additional and important
proof that the Isthmus of Panama Is of
comparatively recent creation. In
prccrctaceous times the Caribbean sea
Is supposed to have been n bay of the
Pacific ocean, and the similarity of tho
fauna in both is believed to Indicate TIN,
truth of the theory.
Prof. AgaSSiz has been little (,isap-
pointed in the specimens of deep sea
fauna secured. They are not nearly so
rich as those found among the West
Indies and along the eastern coast Of
North America. This is thought to to
due to the absence of any great current,
such as the Gulf stream in the Atlantic,
which carries with it large amounts OF
food The surface fauna was also In
striking contrast with that of the At
lantic from the same cause. There was
noticeable dininution of the ,,l,>;lt
amount of animal matter which is
found in the Gulf stream
Probably the most interesting and
valuable result of the Albutross' work
was the practical use Of Il new instiu-
ment for obtaining specimens from the
intermediate waters. There has never
been any trouble in asccrtaining the
character of the fauna that exists on
. the surface of the water, as IL SCOOP net
would bring in the required specimens
and the living things at the bottom Of
the sea could be discovered by dredging,
but 1t was never before possible to as
certain with any degree of accuracy
what kind of fish or sea animals In
habited the middle waters The in
strumeut in question is Il net which can
be lowered to any desired depth and
then opened and closed, bringing up In
its folds whatever living thing was
swimming about in those depths. It
was generally used and found TO he very
effective Another practical use to
which this apparatus can be put is to
discover the habits of many of the we'll
known food fishes which frequent tho
surface at certain seasons and then dis
appear, like the maclserel and the
bluefsh 1t has never been known
where they 90 after their season at the
banks 1t IS now possible to learn
whether the theory that they seek the
intermediate waters in the open see is
true.