The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-12-11
THE GRAVEYARD OF THE OCEAN.
Center of the Atlantic Currents.
From the Detroit Free Press

The Great Ssrgasso Sea That is the
Center of the Atlantic Currents.
From the Detroit Free Press
For several years past the photographic
bureau at Washington has been trying to
acquire more intimate knowledge of the
movements of the waters Of the ocean, and
a great number Of bottles, containing mes
sages and securely corked have been dropped
overheard by vessels. Many of these have
floated thousands OF miles before they were
picked up, and. while some were washed
upon native and foreign shores, others have
found their way into the great Sargasso
sea. From the courses taken by these diff
ferent bottles it has been found that the
ocean currents move around in a vast circle.
Those which were dropped overheard on the
American coast took a northerly course,
while those on the European side foated
toward the south. Bottles dropped over
board in the North Atlantic started toward
the northeast, and those from the African
or Spanish coast floated almost directly west
until they reached the West India Islands.
The general directions of the currents were
thus ascertained, showing that the waters
acted upon by winds and currents oircu-
lated round and round like pool
In all pools floating objects are quickly
cast outside of the revolving currents, or
they are carried with them in their circular
route for some time. until they are washed
nearer the center or side OF the pool The
bottles that were forced outside OF the cur
rents of the ocean we're cast upon the shores
of some country, but those which were
worked toward the center eventually found
| their way In the calm waters of the Sar-
| gasso sea. Here they remain peacefully
| until picked up by some vessel, or until
! some storm cast them back into the great
| pool.
Vessels very rarely visit the great sea in
| the middle of the ocean, but occasionally
| they are driven there by storms or adverse
| winds. Strange sights meet the gaze of the
| sailors at such times. Wonderful stories
| partly true and partly fase-have been
told by sailors returning from a forced trip
| to the vast Sargasso sea. The surface of the
| sea is covered with floating wrecks, spars
| seawsed, boxes, fruits, and thousand other
| innumerable articles. 1t is the great repos-
! itory or store house OF the ocean, and all
things which do not sink to the bottom or
| are not washed upon the shores are carried
| to this center of the sea. When one consid-
| ers the vast number of wrecks on the ocean
| and the quantity OF floating material that
| is thrown overheard, a faint idea of the
| wreckage in the Sargasso sea may be con-
| ceived.
| Derelicts, or abandoned vessels, fire.
1
| no accounts are given of them for years by
| passing vessels. Then suddenly, years later,
| they appear again in some well Travelled
/ route to the establishment of all. The
| recks are covered with mould and green
slime, showing the long, lonesome voyage
which they have passed through. 1t is
| generally supposed that such derelicts have
| been swept into the center of the pool and
remained in the Sargssso sea until finally
| cast out by some unusually violent storm.
The life in this sea Is interesting. Soil
| tary and alone the acres of water, covered
| with the debris, stretch out as the vast
graveyard of the ocean, seldom being visited
by the vessels of human beings. Far from
all trading routes of vessels the sight of q
sail or steam vessel is something unusual
The fishes Of the sea form the chief life of
these watery solitudes. Attracted by the
vast quantities OF wreckage floating in the
sea, and also by the gulfweed on which
many of them live, they swarm around in
| great numbers The smaller fishes live in
the intricate avenues formed by the sea-
weed, and the more ferocious denizens of
the deep come hither TO feed upon the quan-
titles of small fish. Ia this way the subma-
rine life of the Sargasso sea Is made inter-
esting and lively.
The only life overhead Is that made by a
few sea birds. which occasionally reach the
| solitudes of this mid-ocean cemetery. A
few Of the long flyers of the air penetrate
to the very middle of the ocean, but it is
very rarely that this occurs. Some have
been known to follow vessels across the
ocean. keeping at a respectful distance from
| the stern. Other birds have been swept out
to sea by storms, and have finally sought
refuge In the Sargasso sea. Still others,
taking refuge on some derelict, have been
gradually carried to the same mid-ocean
scene. There is sufficient food floating on
the surface, or 60 be obtained from
the fishes which live among
the forests Of seaweed. to support a
large colony of birda IL is sur
missed that many of those found in the sea
have inhabited those regions for years,
partly from choice and partly from neces-
sity. Brds swept out there by storms
would not care to venture the long return
trip TO land, and finding abundance of food
and wrecks on which to rest and rear their
young, thep might easily become contented
with their strange lot. Just how far the
strong winged sea birds can fly without
resting il all conjectural, but 1t is doubtful
IL many of them would undertake such a
long journey seward with no better pros
! poets ahead than a dreary waste Of water