Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-06-04
AeYSMA- DEPTH or THE SEA.
Beauties Revealed ny the slime at the
i,of,om az the Ocean.


! The new submarine world now explored
and mapped out presents yery dln erent
picture from that painted for us by the
/ poets. says the Cosmopolitan. But short
+ lime has elapsed since the bottom OF the
ocean was supposed TO be .he counter
part Of the face of the earth above
water-wiih hills and valleys. with
PERCEPTIONS mountains hitting towards
the surface aud profound gorgea sink
ing to unlathomabie depths. The OCEAN
floor Is far less diversified than the
land. Here and there, to be sure. Islands
IN mid-ocean ara the SUBMITS OF enormous
mountains. rising more or less abruptly
from generally loyel surface. and the sea
lyiug over narrow. depressed region III
northwestern Parinc reaches us greatest
depth. But this Is exceptional; IN II, gen
eral character the ocean bottom consists OF
vast fiat OF shgut.y unduiaung plains. An
extraordinary circumstance that has
been noticed with interest. and that
always creates surprise wncn first learned.
is tho entire absence OF foreign matters IN
the deeper part Of the oceans floor. Or all
the vessels lost m mid-ocean. OF All the hui
man beings that have been drowned Of all
the marine animals that have persisted, OF
all the clay. sand. and gravel let fall by
dlssolvlng iceberss, Of all the various
substances Omitted from every shore by
shifting curreuts-not q trace remains
but in their place water from 1000 20 200
fathOms m depth covers tho uniform de-
post of thick. blui. h, tenacious simo
called glohlgcrlna o0Zn. y on or t"iS
under powerful Ions IA revelation OF
beauty not readily forgotten. The OoZe ~
composed almost entirely OF the dlintlost.
most dehcatrly- beautiful shells imagine
bic. ~ depths greater than TWENTY-FIVE
hundred fa'homs the bottom OF the sea
consists mainly of products arising from ex-
posurc. for almost lucaiculahle periods, 70
the chemical action Of SEA water, OF pumlce
and other volcanic matters. his hnaliv
results ia the formation Of thc red-clay de-
posts that are considered characteristic
of the profouudest depths OF the ocean.
Carbonate OF lime. which IN the form OF
shells of foramlniicra makes up so large
part Of the giOblgerlna OOze -
here almost entirely absent. Sea-water
j. very nearly universal solvent, and be-
fore any shell. large or small, reaches the
bottom of these trem 'ndOus abysms II IS
. chemically eaten mp. literally dlssolyed-a
result which the enormous pressure OF the
water must materially hasten. AZ 1000
fathOm~ the weight Of the water pressing
on all sides OF an object immersed 10 that
depth is very nearly one ton 10 the
square inch or more than one hundred
times that sustained 20 the sea level, and
no tbe greatest depths the pressure Is 50
increased that l. would seem nothing
could withstand II IN fact, heavy metal
cylinders let down with the sounding APP
para'us ara sometimes IN beng drawn up
again to tho surface found bent and cO.-
l1pscd s'rouLly-made glass vessels winch
m. motal lucl1-el are shattered INTO tras-
mcut7.
I'm the profourdcst abvsm5 Of the sea
are strange forms OK lltn that never. save
when brought mp by the trawi. see the
L.. 1 !. 10 Ion d. frt.lqr