The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1893-03-08
The OCEANS GRAVEYARD.
SIR ANGIE SIGH Is MEET THE GAZE or
THE SAILORS.
a W. larful story About the Great ne
4 pos cry OF the Ocean-A n Interesting
story.
Frnm the Detroit Free Pcs.

story.
From the Detroit Free P"ess.
For several years past the ny lrograph-
ic 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 con
tanning messages and securely corhed
have been dropped overheard by vessels.
Many of these have hoated thousands OF
miles before they were picked up, and,
while some we're washed upon native and
foreign shores. others have have found
their way into the great Sargasso sea.
From the courses taken by the different
bottles it has been found that the ocean
currents move around in vast circle.
Those which were dropped overheard
on the American coast took norhernly
course. while those on the European side
hoated towards the south. Bottles drop
ped owe, board in the North Atlantic
started toward the northeast, and those
from the African OF Spanish coast hoated
almost directly west until they reached
the West India Islands. The general
direction Of the currents were thus as
cersaiued, showing that the waters acted
by winds and currents circulated round
and round like pool.
In all pools floating objects are quick
ly cast outside of the revolving currents,
OF 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 currents of the ocean were
cast upon the shores of some country,
bat those which were worked toward the
center eventually found their way in the
calm waters Of the Sargasso sea. Here
they remain peacefully until picked up
by some vessel, or until some storm
casts them back into the great pool.
Vessels very rarely visit the great sea
in the middle Of the ocean. but occasion
ally they are driven there 10y storms or
adverse winds. Strange sights meet the
gaze Of the sailors at such times Won
derful stories-partly true and partly
false.-have been told by sailors return.
ing from a forced trip to Sargasso sea.
The surface of the sea is covered with
floating wrecks, spars, seawee1 boxes,
f.uits, and thousand other innumerable
articles 1t is the great repository 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 con
siders the vast number of wrecks upon
the ocean, and the quantity Of floating
material that is thrown overheard, a
faint idea of the wreckage in che Sargas.
so sea may be obtained.
Derelicts or abandonded vessels fire.
quently disappear in mysterious ways,
ana no accounts are given of them for
yearsnnby passing vessels. Then sudden
~, years later, they appear again in some
well-traveled route to The establishment
of all. The wrecks are covered with
mould and green slime, showing the
long, lonesome voyage which they have
passed through. 1t is generally sup
posed that such derelicrs have been
swept into the center of the pool and
remained in the Sargasso sea until final
ly cast out by some unusually violent
storm.
The life in this sea is interesting Sol
itary and alone the acres of water, COW
cred with the debris, stretch out as the
vast graveyard of the ocean, seldom be-
ing visited by vessels or human beings.
Far from all trading routes of vessels,
the sight of sail or steam vessel is
something unusual The fishes of the
sea form the thief life of these watery
soitud es Attracted by the vast guam
titles of wreckage floating in the sea,
and also by gulfweed on which many Of
them live, they swarm around in great
numbers. The smaller fishes live in the
intricate avenues formed by the seaweed
and the more ferocious denizens OF the
deep come hither to feed Il Don the guam
titles of small fish. In this way the sub,
marine life of the Saryasso sea is made
interesting and lively.
The only life overhead is that made by
a few sea birds, which occasionally reach
the solitudes of this mid pecan cemetery.
A few of the long flyers of the air pen
citrate to the very middle of the ocean,
but 1t is very rarely that this occurs.
Some have been known to follow vessels