Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1893-04-08
THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA.
what tina. ., the Atlantic Look. IN.

We OIUen near HDOuG Gne 'hOOr" OF
the Atlantic, but this significance of
the term SO applied can in NO way be
so wildly conveyed to the mind as by
viewing a wonderful relief map that
STANDS in the superintendent's room
in the United States Coast Survey
office in Washington. This is big
picture in plaster of Paris, of what is
called the Bay of North America,
which means the great sweep-in of
the ocean from Nova Scotia to the
West Indies, and of the Gulf of Mex
leo, with all of the United states that
lies north of the gulf shown also.
Just as the mountains On the land
are represented in elevation, the con-
flguration of the bottom Of the sea
and gulf is exhibited by the map, SO
that you can see how the Atlantic
and it's great arm would look if all
the water were drained away.
The first thing you remark is that
the bottom OF this vast bay of the At
lantic is a floor almost as smooth and
level as a Western prairie, save quite
near the Eastern shore of the con.
tinent. II the water were gone. you
could drive very comfortably in car
riage over nice shell road all the
way from the Bermudas to within $50
miles of Cape Hatters. which would
be the nearest point Of dry land to
reach.
1t would be imprudent to try the
route from the Bermudas direct to
New York, because you would be
likely to get into remarkable hole
that goes down suddenly, Just before
the slope begins, from the level floor
three miles deep to nearly a mile
deeper. But you might 60 comfort
ably from within 200 miles of Cape
Sable to very near San Domingo and
Porto Rico in the West Indian group,
travelling in buggy straight south
more than the length of the United
States You would find an even
road, at a little more than three
miles down below what is now the
surface of the sea, descending trifle
after getting south Of the latitude of
Jacksonville, Florida.
Then you would have to look out,
because, a few miles to the north of
Porto Rico, the ocean floor takes a
most astounding dip into one of the
deepest sea-holes that can be found
in the world. Reaching its edge at
about 100 miles from Porto Rico,
you would find this tremen-
dous gulf suddenly descending
to depth Of more than five miles
below what is now the surface of the
water. 1t is extraordinary how these
West Indian Islands rise precipi-
tously from the depths, uplifting
their mountains miles out of the sea.
Among other surprising things at
the bottom of the sea, you would in
your travels come across the little
Bahamas east of Southern Florida,
where they rise suddenly from the
oceans floor with so little slope that,
within a distance of thirty miles you
would have to climb more than three
miles high to find yourself in Nassau.
So 1T appears, as has not been sus-
pected until recently, that these
islands are the tops of very precipi-
tous mountain peaks projecting out
Of the water. A still more extra
ordinary submarine structure you
would discover in the Bermudas,
some 900 miles due eastifrom Charles
ton. These islands rise abruptly out
of the midst of the great fat ocean
plan. They, too, are the peaks of
mighty and precipitous hills.
The bottom floor of the Gulf of
Mexico is little less than two and
half miles deep Flowing out of it,
the great perennial stream becomes
so shallow by the time it reaches the
southern point of Florida as to be
less than a half mile in depth, while,
as it sweeps up close by the southeast
shore line Of that State, it diminishes
to but little more than a quarter of
mile before swerving off from the
coast on its journey northeastward.
What makes the Gulf Stream has
long been a matter of dispute, but
science has arrived at the conclusion
that the trade winds, blowing stead
lily from the southeast, push the
water from the tropics and pile it up
in the Gulf Of Mexico. The readiest
outlet for this water. and the one it
naturally seeks, is eastward between
Florida and Cuba and up along the
east coast of the United States, upon
whose climate it has much influence.
One reason for this theory is that, at
the time of the year when the trade
winds blow the other way, the flow
of the Gulf Stream lessons in rapid
ity, the ''head" of the water in the
gulf being not so great.
All the facts mentioned regarding
the ocean floor are obtained from
sounding, and are, therefore, matters
of absolute certainty. These figures,
moreover, are suggestive in other di-
rections Let US suppose that the
Atlantic rose 600 feet, the geography
of North America would be altered
considerably Nova Scotia would be
found to be separated from the con-
tinent and broken up into a number
of small islands The Hudson River,
uniting with the ST Lawrence by