Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-11-15

800 .s.i We are IN Nnc region OF inc
gloplgerina ovze--a condition found in
great depths, but not always In The
greatest. 1t has been estimated that
II nme-secreting organisms are as nu
merous down to depth Of SEQ feet ms
.hey arc near the surface there would
PC more than sixteen tons OF calcar-
eous shells or carbonate Of Line In the
hppermost 100 faihonis of every squars
mile Of the ocean.
the rainstorm is falling OF these
countless shells 20 the bottom. They
are ever dying: the aniina. is destroy
ee and the little shell sinks. piiing up
AT the bottom and forming tile weh
known Sloligorina oozs. The inc~elg-
ing weight grlnds up the iOwer STRAIT
uin into an inpalpnbie powder and
slowly piles up the bottom, forming q
mass which. II elevated above the SUR
face. would resemble the chalk cliffs OF
lover, which were formed at the bot
tom OF the ocean in much the same
way
Descending into deeper depths we
sun ind life. Many Of the fishes are
blindi nearly all have phosphorescent
lights and their shapes and forms are
strange and uncanny. Sunlight does
not reach below 1000 fathoms; beyond
this no plant life prey upon one an
other Among the deep sea fishes. es-
pecially, there is constant warfare.
Assuming that we are walking on
the ocean bottom at the depth OF over
a mile we move cautiously along in
water Icy cold and Suddenly are con-
fronted with n blaze OF light and find
ourselves In field Of light givers.
Imagine q corn field with stalks from
two to four feet In height. the tips
cleaning with light and waving gent
~ two and fro. Such an appearance
the fields OF umbellularia present. on
St. Vincent the Challenger dredgod In
Il field of light-giving gorgonias with
stems about two feet long. The trawl
came up choked with them from
region mile below the surface, each
one emitting vivid, lllac-colored
light
Above this forest OF living lights
strange and wlerd fishes are passing,
which we recognize as forms that have
been dredged from great depths by
the Albatros, Challenger and others.
One, the Chiasmodon, dashes by, emit
ting light from Its own body, and Won
der OF wondersi We see 1t seize fsh
five times It's own bulk and draw Itself
over It like Il glove. Its Jaws by
special arrangement separate and the
mouth is n cavern OF lndia-rubber-lil5e
possibilities. A similar fish, Malaooste-
us. is OF rich black velvet hue, and
as 1t polses we see upon its head two
large lights.
One emits n golden light the other
throws out iltful green rays which
have some hidden meaning in the econ
omy OF nature Some of tn, fishes
seem to be literal mouths. srih is
the EurypharynX, or pelican fish. The
mouth Is enormous. the bones of the
jaw being attached 10 The sSull by
movable Joints so that 1t has cnur-
nous powers OF dlsiensioa.
a curious black fish called Cchios-
toma has its lanterns arranged atoul
it's head: two are Just belSw ihe eyes,
while there are several others at vor-
ious portions OF the head. Al depth
OF two miles, we find the flsn Bythhes,
and at three miles we shall lind others
more remarkable. a hiceous snake
like creature is Stomlas, W. h pointed
teeth and row Of liga's along Its
ventral surface like the llghis that are
seen on q dark night n tn. car WIN
dows az the train da'hes alpEB' rms
fish has b1en taken from mile ana a
quarter beneath the sussacs by an
English dredger.
Beneath our feet are forms equally
weird, the bottom bla2i.-s with 'ght
at every step Here are phosphorus
cent crabs and sea fans thns emit
golden, green and lilac hues. Blue scin-
citations come from ala pens, while
others give out CLEANS OF 3 ID and
green. Almost every animal Il light
glver. Some OF the crabs are phosphor-
escent over the entire surface; others
have their lights on stalked eyes, while
the very mud that rises seems to scln-
tilIate with light that would appear 10
be an essential feature Of the deep
sea We might in this walk of mag
Inatlon descend to a depth Of six miles
beneath the sea and still md life.
In all probability the largest and
most remarkab BILE fishes have not been
seen and escape the dredge, Many Of
these strange forms OF the abysmal
depths are types OF extinct forms of
and we can only imagine what wonders
the deep sea hides. In the Atlantic
and Pacific gigantic squids from 80 20
10 feet in length are found, and
glimpses Of strange snake or eel-like
sharks are suggestive OF the uncaught
mysteries and unseen dwellers Of the
deep sea. Among the curious light
givers Is a shark which was caught by
DR.. Bennett. 1t was perfectly black,
but emitted strange, phosphorescent
light. which remained some time after
the animals death. The shark was
placed In a lar in the cabin OF the ves-
sci, and is described as presenting n
ghostly appearance. emitting rleh'
green light almost suincltnt 70 ieal "
In descending into the intermediate
depths the jellyhshes and forms that
live in the open water attract our az
tention. Here Is jellyfsh, Its DISK
three feet across, Its train of tentacles
possibly emitting vivid light ana
stretching away In maze OF brilliant
lines for perhaps 10 feet. Such IS the
cvanea. one OF about the dimension be-
INC seen by Mrs Agasslz OFF Nahant'
such a ieilyfsh moving through the
unner depths Of the ocean. cleaning
Win its peculiar and uneXplainaDle
,isht might well be compared to a
great comet. .,s
other forns-huge disks-are moons
and lesser planets of this submarine
80 ~ space. The variety OF tints
and coiors emitted by the jellhshes Is
ainoat beyond comprehension. ana 50
Sivarse are the lights that the pehel
ts forced upon the beholder that tney
hove sonne marked significance in me
economy OF nature. one known IL
so,.nsrIa euilts a pale-bluish llght an
80 lie surface. obelia has n lumln-
,rs ste1n alone. Cestus. or the glrdle
OF Venus, has a yellow ngh'; ~
emits roseate hues wnlle me ns ~. ~ !
hurelia Is OF such brilliant yeiloN ~ i,is
when one OF the animals was sque s1e -
into glass OF milk the latter Mas
rsndered SO luminous that letter was
rom these instances-and they III
-. Few In fnany--it lie evident ma ma.
~ stroiler through the ocean, e,'hs e,.
en the moderate depths AZ nlsh' ~,