The Indianapolis journal., 1893-07-09
ABYssMAL DEPTH OF THE SEA.
Beauties Revealed by the slime at the Bot
tom of the Ocsan.

Beauties Revealed by the slime at the Bot
tom Of the Ocsan.
Cosmopolitan.
The new submarine world now explored
and mapped ont presents very differ
Bnt picture from that painted for MS by
the poets. But u short time has elapsed
since the bottom of the ocean was supposed
to he the counterpart of the face of the
earth above water-with hills and
valleys, with precipitous mountains
lifting toward the surface and pro-
found gorges sinking To unfatbOmable
depths. The ocean floor is far less diyersi-
ned than the land. Here and there. to be
sure, islands In midocean are the submits
OF enormous noun tains. rising more or less
abruptly from generally level surface
and the sea lying over "A narrow depressed
region In the northwestern Pacific reaches
Its greatest depth. But this 10 exceptional;
In its general character the ocean bottom
consists OF vast HAT or slightly nDdulating
plains An extraordinary circumstances
that has been noticed with interest. and
That always creates surprise when first
learned. 10 the entire absence of foreign
matters IN the deeper part of the oceans
hoor. OF all the vessels lost in midOcean,
OF all the human beings that have been
drowned. OF all the marine animals that
have perlshed. OF all the clay, sand and
gravel let fall by dissoivIng Zoe be gR, of ell
the various substances drlfted from every
shore by shifting eurrents-not q trace re-
mains: but in their place water from 1000
20 1900 fathOms III depth covers the
uniform deposit of thick. blush, tenacious
slime called globigerlna ooZe. bit of this
under y powerful lens is \ revelation of
beauty not readily forgotten. The ooze is
com posed almost en- Dtirely of the daintiest.
most delicateiy- beautiful shells imagin-
able. Atdepths greater than :, 2,5c0 fafhoms
the bottom of the sea consists mainly of
products arising from exposure. for almost
tncaIculabie periods, to the chemical action
OF sea water. OF pumice and other volcanic
matters. This fnaIlv results In the forma-
r.te q r,A 81. a
sldered characteristic of the profoundest
depths OF the ocean. Carbonate of lime
which IN the form of shells of foraminifera
makes MP so large n part of the glo bi gerina
ooze 10 here almost entirely absent. sea
water is very nearly universal solvent.
and before any shell. large or small reaches
the bottom of these tremendous ably SIMS
&c Is chemically eaten up. literally DIS
solved-a result which the enormous press
ure of the water must materially hasten.
AT 1000 fathoms the weight of the water
pressing on all sides of an object immersed
TO that depth - very nearly one ton To the
square inch, or more than one hundred
timrs that sustained at sea level, and at the
greatest depths the pressure Is so increased
shat &c would seem nothing could with
stand it--in fact. heavy metal cylinders
let down with the sounding appa-
ratus are sometimes. on being drawn ND
again TO the surface. found bent and col
lapsed: stron 0ly made glass vessels which
the metal inoiosed src shattered into irag-
ments
In the profoundest aby SINS of the sea are
strange forms of life that never. save WI hen
brought mp by the trawl see the upper
light The work carried on by means of
the United States Fish Commission vessel.
the Albatross. has esta ablishod the fact that
forms of sea life inhabIting the upper
waters mag descend to about 200 feet
from the surface. but that below this TO q
depth oil 800 or $50 fathoms barren zone In-
tervenes. where marine hf. SCENE absent.
But still deeper. strange to say has been
discovered an abundant and varied fauna,
new TO science. living under conditions OF
tremendous pressure and paUoity of the
DEMONSTRATING elements of oxygen.