The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1894-01-15

the faculty determined 70 give the girls
chance There were five professors in the
crowd. aud The rest were students. The YES
sci was commanded by a capable navigator.
Tie expedition was absent three months
and brought back enough material to Ill
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 long stalk and look
ing like a chrysanthemum. IL would hardly
become the rage as a floral decoration, how
over, rs single specimens are often worth
$50 apiece The lIawkeyes oruised in the
waters along the north coast of Cuba,
among the Tortugas and the Bahamas
A dredging outfit IL not at all compli-
Gated. A dredge consists Of rectangle OF
iron, with a lip on two opposite sides, 50
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 IL. fine enough 20
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 i'm portant addition TO the uten-
sils of modern dredging expedition.
Hemp is UNFINISHED or teazed out, as the
process Is called, and tied TO an iron bar,
from which il hangs like fringe. The
bar used 10y the party on the Emily was
feet long, and pieces Of rope feet in
length were fastened 10 it. The tangle bar
drags along the bottom OF the sea, and the
4 81 ...f.s
meshes a great variety of objects.
The Emily used wire rope with which 10
haul the dredge and tangle bars. The rope
was wound around drum aud kept well
oiled. so that the metal would not corrode.
The dredge is usually brought 60 the side
Of the vessel with donkey engine, but the
Iowa scientists did the work with their
hands. manipulating n 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 vibrntes when the dredge strikes
an inequality. To dredge POO fathoms, al
most 500 fathoms Of line are let out. The
vessel moves slowly along, and in half an
hour the hauling IN Is commenced. II this
isdonu by hand. the laboris very fatiguing.
a. the strain on the dredge and the weight
Of the water are immense
When the dret &c arrives at the surface,
il Is lifted over the side and is carefully
sorted Basket fish and stars and other
sea forms arr clinging 20 the arms and the
last few feet of the rope and are picked OIL.
The contents ar dumped ON piece OF can
vas, and the animals, etc, To be preserved
are placed in n b. OF sea water that have
been prepared. Sometimes the dredge Is
turned inside out. and sometimes the bag
uulnces a. the bottom.
The vessel Is put on another tack, 80 a. TO
keep within q prescribed ARIA, and the
drsdgc b. thrown over again. Alcohol
taeks arr placed ON tue deck. and the ma
terial from che last haul Is carefully labeled
with the number % the station aud put In
pickle A book b necessary, In which each
haul Is numbered. the latitude and longi-
tude and tho ds..r written. The location Of
zach haul Il cIslied a station. Marine vcgc-
tation is dried, aud sra urchins are treated
very often Ia the same way.
Scientists greatly enjoy deep sea dredg-