The Wichita daily eagle., 1894-01-14
DEEP SEA DREDGING.
STRANGE THINGS FOUND UNDER
THREE MILES OF SALT WATER.
Searching the Bottom of the Ocean In tho
Interest of Science-Excitement Attend
ing the Work-Anirnals That Resemble
Chrysarthemums-The Home of Ooze.

Interest of Science-Excitement Attend
ing the Work-Aninals That Resemble
Chrysarthemums-Th Home of Ooxe.
Especial Correspondence
BALTIMORE, Jan There are many
strange things in the sea, and man has still
a wide scope in which to pursue his inves-
LEGATIONS. But this field is becoming more
and more narrow. and today the scientist
thrusts his hand down 1900 fathoms and
tears from the ocean bottom the life that
renders even those depths interesting. The
inhabitants of Baltimore are we'll acquaint-
ed with dredging as long as the oyster Is
the object sought. But there were consid-
cradle wonderment and inquiry here last
summer when party of students and sci
entists from the inland state OF Iowa ar
rived in the city, chartered the two masted
schooner Emily E. johnson. piled lot OF
queer looking machines onto her and
sailed away 10 the south TO dredge for
specimens.
Up to the middle of the last century the
little that was known of the dwellers in the
sea beyond low water mark was gathered
almost entirely from the objects thrown on
the beach after storms or from chance cap
lures on lead lines and anchor hukes and il
travis and oyster and clam dredges. II
was supposed that the zero of animal life
was reached at 100 fathoms. Some natu-
ralists doubted this popular fancy, and in
1868 Count L. F. Porrtales of the United
States coa& survey commenced series OF
deep sea Gadgings across the gulf stream
off the coast of Florida These proceedings
were productive of surprising results.
Great Britain sent out the small gunboat
Lightning TO dredge in the north Atlantic
Six hundred fathoms were reached. and
life was still abundant.
In 1869 and 1870 the British gunboat Por-
cupine dredged to depth of ,, ,435 fathoms,
or about 215 miles, and many marine in
vertebrates were found. Then ensued the
well known cruise Of the Challenger, when
three years were consumed, the ocean t-av.
ersed FIVE times and 362 dredging stations
recorded For the United States the Blake
has made itself as useful as the Challenger
did. The deepest sounding taken in the
ocean is 4,5i5 fathoms, and only lack OF
time and daylight has prevented dredge
hauls from being made there.
The expedition sent out last summer by
Iowa was in behalf of her university. There
were 20 persons in the party, and seven OF
these were women. This was unique, to
say the least, as the fair sex is not usually
admitted to an undertaking of this nature
But the institution is co-educational. and
the faculty determined to give the girls a
chance. There were five professors in the
crowd, and the rest were students. The YES
sci was commanded by a capable navigator.
The expedition was absent three months
and brought back enough material to fill a
freight car In the stuff were sharkskins,
turtle skeletons. birds of the land and sea,
specimens of vegetation and all sorts Of
things that inhabit the ocean depths.
A large share of the spoils was packed in
alcohol in great tanks and soldered tight.
Many crinoids were found. This is an ex-
ceedingly rare animal, growing on the bot
tom of the ocean on a long stalk and look
ing like chrysanthemum. 1t would hardly
become the rage as a floral decoration, how
ever, as single specimens are often worth
$50 apiece The Hawkeyes cruised in the
waters along the north coast of Cuba,
among the Tortugas and the Bahamas.
A dredging outfit is not at all compli-
Gated A dredge consists of rectangle of
iron, with a lip on two opposite sides, SO
that the sand or mud will be scooped up.
Arms are placed on the other two sides, TO
which is fastened the rope by which the
machine is dragged. A net covers the bot
tom and suspends below it, fine enough to
retain almost all the material, but still let
the water pass through easily and relieve
as much strain as possible. The tangle
bars are an important addition to the uten-
sils of a modern dredging expedition.
Hemp is untwisted, or teazed out, as the
process is called, and tied to an iron bar,
from which it hangs like a fringe. The
bar used By the party on the Emily was
feet long, and pieces of rope feet In
length were fastened to it. The tangle bar
drags along the bottom Of the sea, and the
trailing strands of rope gather in their
meshes great variety of objects.
The Emily used wire rope with which to
haul the dredge and tsngle bars. The rope
was wound around drum and kept well
oiled, so that the metal would not corrode.
The dredge is usually brought TO the side
of the vessel with a donkey engine. but the
Iowa scientists did the work with their
hands, manipulating crank. The dredge
is put over the side and suffered to trail
astern. A practiced hand on the rope can
tell when the machine is on the bottom, as
the line vibrates when the dredge strikes
an inequality, To dredge 200 fathoms. al
most 300 fathoms of line are let out. The
vessel moves slowly along, and IN half an
hour the hauling in is commenced. III thls
is done by hand, the laboris very fatlguiug,
as the strain on the dredge and the weight
of the water are immense.
When the dredge arrives at the surface,
il is lifted over the side and is carefully
sorted. Basket fish and stars and other
sea forms are clinging TO the arms and the
last few feet Of the rope and are picked on.
The contents are dumped on piece OF can
vas. and the animals, etc, 70 be preserved
are placed in tubs of sea water that have
been prepared Sometimes the dredge is
turned inside out. and sometimes the bag
unlaces at the bottom.
The vessel is put on another tack, 50 as 70
keep within prescribed area, and the
dredge Is thrown over again. Alcohol
tanks are placed on the deck, and the ma
terial from the last haulis carefully labeled
with the number of the station and put IN
pickle A book Is necessary, IN which eacn
haul i DEm bfred. the latitude and ioEgt-
..r,nnu onorrooo"orunr Fani
tuGe and the date written. The location OF
each haul = called a station. Marine yege-
tation is dried, AMI sea urchins are treated
very often in the same way.
Scientists greatly enjoy deep seq drecg-
! ing. The same excitement attends this
operation as fishing There Il always
a chance that the dredge will bring up
something strange. that we will eaten
prize Out of the mouth Of the drodgs
I tumble funny fishes. grotssque Gratis. sea
horses and 8 host OF things that you have
never before seen and never would have
seen Il you had not been present al tneif
capture As regards the casual observer,
ha-,fr rradn a. 20 ard 40 fst hnrsas are