The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1893-01-05
OCEANS Ora VEY RID.
THE WONDERFUL sARGAsso SEA OF
THE GREAT ATLANTIC.

THE WONDERFUL sARGAsso SEA or
THE GREAT ATLANTIC.
The Enormous Floating Semi-island To-
ward Which Nearly Everything on tho
Mighty Deep Drifts and Is Held as
Prisoner--Its Inhabitants.
For several years past the hydro
graphic bureau at Washington has been
trying to acquire amore intimate knowl-
edge Of the movements of the waters Of
the ocean, and a great number of bot
ties, containing messages and securely
corked. have been dropped overheard by
vessels. Many of these have foated
thousands of miles before they weres
picked up, aud while some were washed
upon native and foreign shores others
| have found their way into the great Sar-
gassO sea.
From the courses taken by these diff
terent bottles it has been found that the
ocean currents move around in vast
circle. Those which were dropped over
board on the American coast took
/
| European side fioated toward the south.
Bottles dropped overheard in the North
Atlantic started toward the northeast,
and those from the African or Spanish
coast foated 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 cur
rents circulated round and round like a
pool. @.
In all pools floating objects are quick
Iy 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 currents of the ocean were
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 S;lrgasso 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 occa-
sionally 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 part
ly false-have been toll by sailors re-
turning from a forced trip to the Sar-
gasso sea. The surface of the sea is COW
eretl with floating wrecks, spars, sea-
y ! Sfc RI q "A vi,
innumerable articles. It is the great re-
pository or storehouse of the ocean, and
all things which do not sink to the bot
tom or are not washed upon the shores
, are carried to this center of the sea
. When one considers the vast number OF
, wrecks on the ocean and the quantity OF
floating material that is thrown over
; board. faint idea of the wreckage in
the Sargasso sea may be conceived. e..
Derelicts or abandoned vessels fire.
quently disappear in mysterious ways
J and no accounts are given Of them fol
! years by passing vessels. Then sudden
: ly. years later, they appear again il.
some we'll travelled route to the asto1ish
ment of all. The wrecks are coyei:e
:. with mould and green slime, shown.
the long, lonesome voyage which they
have passed through. 1t is general y
supposed that such derelicts have bee1
swept into the center of the pool and Il
: manned in the Sargasso sea- until finally
cast out by some unusually violen
{ storm.
The life in this sea is interesting. Soil
tary and alone the acres Of waters. GOV
cred with the debris, stretch out us thu
/ vast graveyard of the ocean, seldors
s being visited by vessels or human beings
Q Far from all trading routes of vessels
. the sight Of sail or steamship i
10 something unusual. The fishes of tn
4 sea form the chief life of those water,
= soiitudes. Attracted by the vast quan
~ titles of wreckage floating in the sea
Ia and also by the gulfweed on which man
Of them live, they swarm around i
>, great numbers. The smaller fishes liv
IL in the intricate avenues formed by tn
If seaweed, and the more ferocious deni
s. xens Of the deep come hither to feed uI
IF on the quantities OF small fish. In thi
- way the submarine life of the Sargass
ID sea is made interesting and lively.
r.. The only life overhead is that mad
:, by few sea birds, which OCCASIONAL
:: =: reach the solitudes OF this nlidocea
* cemetery. A few of the long flyers {
T. the air penetrate to the very middle {
to the ocean, but it is very rarely that tn
occurs. Some have been known to 70
nt low vessels across the ocean. keeping s
,u respectful distance from the ster1
J.; Other birds have been swept out to sc
" by storms, and have finally sought re
:" uge in the Ssrgasso sea. Still other
ne taking refuge on some derelict, hay
IT been gradually carried to the same mix
he ocean scene.
-. There is sufficient food floating on tt
surface or to be obtained from the fish,
which live among the forests of seawee
,,s to support large colony of birds. It
surmlsed that many of those found
!" the sea have inhabited those regions f
o. years. parity from choice aud part
as from necessity. Birds swept out the
a BY storms would not care to venture Il