The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-05-15
OCEAN SECRETS.
The Work of a Student
of the Seas.
MUCH INFORMATION GAINED.
A German Observer Travels Thou
sands of Miles on Sailing Vessels
for the Sake of Science.

portant discoveries on land and conSid er-
ably widen the geographic horizon. 1t.
however, requires specially fitted expe-
dition to explore oceanic depths, says c. c.
Adams in the New York Sun. A ship
is necessary with special appliances
and large force of observers
and mariners. 1t is so expensive
that scores OF expeditions go out
to find new facts on the earth's surface
for every one that seeks to enlarge our
knowledge by investigating the sea depths.
1t has just been proved, however, by
German professor that the study of ocean
ography in some of its phases may be pur-
sued with valuable results and very little
expense. and the success Of DR.. Gerhard
Schotrs investigations on a sailing vessel
is exciting much interest because the re-
suits were gratifying and the cost was
comparatively trifiing.
vi course, on sailing vessel engaged in
trade and with no time to lose Oh its jour
neys, it was impossible for DR.. Sch0tt to
make deep sea Investigations even il he
had had the applla noes for that work. But
there are important phases of the ocean
and OF marine meteorology that he might
study TO advantage on sailing vessel.
DR.. SchOtt's proposed enterprise aroused
much interest Germany because he was
known TO De competent observer and his
plan seemed feasible. lie proposed, in
short. to make a round trip between
Bremen and Japan on sailing vessels of
o. of the large lines plying between
Europe aud the Orient. The journey
would take year, and as the outward and
h0meWard tracks are widely separated
much oil the way, DR.. Schott would have
an excellent opportunity to make re-
searches IN respect TO ocean currents,
tpmDHraturps winds tho sDpPfip gravity
color, transparency and salnity of ocean
waters, the dimensions and rate of move
ment of waves, the collection of sea life
In the upper strata of the ocean waters,
and so on.
Scientific men and societies in Germany
saw that DR.. Schott WAS provided with the
best appliances he could utilize in his
WORK. and the great shipping firm OF X. c.
Rckmers became so much interested in the
project that they gave the professor free
passage both ways MS far as their ships
travel. Beyond Pinang, in the Strait OF
Malacca. he had 10 take n steamer to.
China. Japan and back to Pnang, when
he again EN- barked on one of the great
clipper ships of the generous Bremen
Company. he started from bremen on
October l, 1891, reached Pinang on January
Is. 1892, went Oh to japan and arrived in
Bremen again on October I, 1892.
Many people may think that steam has
practically SUI erseded sail power on the
sea. This Is largely true of small coasting
vessels, but il is not true of the great ship
ping trade between Europe and the Orient
Many of the most important articles inl-
ported into Europe from the East, such as
rice, wheat, saltpeteT. dyewOOds, and so
on, are almost monopol led by the sailing
trade. The big clipper ships now turned
out of the English shpyards are built, not
OF wood, but of iron and steel, aud they
have nearly the carrying capacity OF the
large steamers OF fifteen or twenty years
ago. The building of them has con sidera-
bly, increased within the past two years.
Twice as many OF them were turned out
last year as were launched the year before.
DR.. SchOtts outbound passage to Pinang
required elghty-fOur days, and he was I24
days On the vessel that brought him home
We can imagine that for a good sailor and
man no is completely absorbed in the
task he had undertaken, there was not
mOnoton0us moment during the long jour
ney. Every waking hour something of
interest claimed his attention. Now he
was measuring the height of waves and
com pairing their speed with that of the
wind that raised them; then he was drag
ging bis nets behind the ship and making
nauls of various forms of sea life; or
studying the upper strata of the atmos-
phere, tracing the air currents through the
movements OF the clouds.
Again he would spend hours examining sea
waters and collecting specimens To ascer-
n
salt they contained. The prevailing winds,
currents and Temperatures were all mat
tiers OF interest to him. 1t is said of many
lovers OF nature that If you put them down
in any part of the world where they may
find n few plants, a rock formation or
specimens OF animal life, they are at once
perfectly at home and absorbed in the
study OF their surroundings. DR.. Schutt
had made long study of oceanography,
and his year spent on the great oceans
though most of the time he was hard at
work. was crowded with delightful pur-
suits.
He has published very interesting ae-
count of his tour in the January number
of the transactions of the Berlin Geo
graphical Society. II will be practicable
to tell something about the work that Dr.
Scholt accomplished, avoiding techn-
calties aud scientific details that are
easily understood only by specialists and
scholars.
The observer had an opportunity to
study some of the ocean currents ana pre-
vailing winds that are so eonspicuously in
dlcnted on our maps. On the outward voy-
age the ship Travelled almost to the coast ut
Brazil, speeded on its way by the very
same winds aud currents that led to the
accidental discovery OF Brazil in A ID.
1900 1t Will De remembered that Cabral
who had set out for the East Indies, was
carried by these winds and currents to
Brazil, though he had intended to double
the Cape of Good Hope
A result OF his entire expedition Dr.
Schott thinks we give to the ocean winds
ana currents on our maps boundaries that
are too definitely and sharply defined
making 1t appear, irst,sthatSthe areas they
cover are more definite than they really
| are, and, second, that our knowledge of
| them is more exact and comprehensive
| than ii really is. According to this view
the ocean currents are caused and gov
raah lNtF ofn galaa
winds shift now and then, causing a cor
| responding change in the position of the
| currents. Some currents which are prom
| inently marked on the maps at times can
not be found ut all where they are indi-
Gated.
He regards the common definition of
ocean currents as rivers in the ocean" as
| unfortunate and misleading because in
| their genesis and nature they have so very
| little In common with rivers. In short, he
| thinks physical scientists have given to
most ocean currents degree of Importance
and q tixity OF boundaries which do not
belong to them. He thinks they are mere
~ minor and comparatively unimportant
| manifestations of the great phenomenon
! of oceanic circulation, involving the whole
| body OF sea waters, phenomenon which
| is as yet imperfectly understood Proba-
| bly, all physicists now substantially agree
| with these views that DR.. Schott has ex-
| pressed with greater emphasis than most
Of them. AT the same time ell agree, OF
course, that some of these currents are of
the highest Importance in navigation by
sail.
In the southern part of the Indian
Ocean, between % deg. and 30 deg. T. long,
DR.. Schott says that cold Antarctic cur
rent has a greater influence than has been
attributed to 1t on the maps. Its effects
| are plainly manifest far TO the north by
abnormally low temperatures, the north
ern drift of icebergs and the low salinity
| OF the water.
Id crossed the greatest current Of the
Pacific. the kuro Siwo, in several places.
| and says that according to his observa-
| tons all the maps show its course between
| FOrmosa and Japan too far east 1t flows
| almost entirely west of the Lu Chu Islands,
| and is west side. along the Asiatic coast,
| is almost as distinctly marked from the
| cold, south-fowing CHINA stream as though
| the division were cut with a knife Its
| east side min giles gradually with the other
Nd il - la,