San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-07-17
DEEP SEA SOUNDING.
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When a decr-sea sounding is to be
taken the sinkcr is lowered to the
waters edge. A thermometer and
water specimen cup are clamped on to
the line of wire. An officer takes his
station beside tho sounding machine.
Seamen are at hand attending to the
guide pulleys. A fireman stands with
his hand on the throttle of the sound.
ing engine, awaiting the officers COM
mand. The record-keeper takes his
position beside the register, where he
can read it readily. This register
shows the number of fathoms of line
paid out At the order Let go!' the
sinker shoots down into the ocean at
speed of ten TO fifteen feet per second.
The record-keeper makes a note of
every one hundred fathoms of line
paid out. The officer of the deck
maneuvers the ship in a way that will
keep the wire vertical. The instant
the sinker strikes the bottom of the
sea, miles below the ship, the sounding
engine is stopped. The record-keeper
notes the number of turns indicated
on the register, and the slack line is
hove in by hand until it clears the
bottom. Then the sounding engine is
reversed and the line is hauled aboard
about as fast as it was paid out.
The water specimen cup, or bottle,
which is let down on the sounding
line, is an important part of the equip
ment of deep-sea explorers. The
density of ocean water of different
depths and in the different great
ocean currents is matter of moment
to scientists in determining important
submarine questions. To obtain q
specimen of water at depth, say, of
eighteen thousand feet, with all of its
free gases, and bring it to the surface
without allowing these gases to escape
or the water to mingle with other wa
ter, was impossible until the invention
Of metal water cup so arranged that
when it descends into the briny deep
the water during the descent keeps
open the valves of the cup. When the
cup is stopped at the desired depth and
is being pulled to the surface the re-
sistance of the water sets In motion a
small propeller arranged on the upper
side of the cup. This propeller forces
shut certain valves of the hollow cup
and locks them, and thus the water is
secured in what amounts to 4 hermet-
ically sealed metal bulb, which holds
Its contents intact until opened by the
scientist in the laboratory, either on
board the Albatross or at Washington,
whittier the water specimens are some
times sent for a more elaborate analy-
sis than is usually carried on on ship
board.
These water cups are strongly built
They need to be in order to Withstand
the great pressure of the water several
miles below the surface. This pres
sure is hundreds of tons to the square
inch. One Of the curiosities on the Al
batross is a heavy glass globe filed
with water. This hollow glass ball
was let down to a great depth in the
ocean until the water pressure became
so great that the water was literally
forced through the pores of the glass
and the ball was thus filed. On &C
count of this water pressure it is neces-
sary to inclose the mercury bulbs Of
the deep-sea thermometers in second
airy glass case, which is also filed with
mercury, and thus any possible pres
sure on the mercury bulb which indi-
Gates the temperature is taken up by
the secondary or protective bulb.
Without such protection the readings
Of the thermometer would be very in
accurate, as the pressure on the tenn
pepature bulb would force the mer-
curry beyond the point to which the
temperature Of the water sends it
The statement that there Is no life
below an ocean depth of three miles
has been refuted by the experience of
the Albatross- Sometimes, when deep
sea fish, accustomed TO live in the high
pressure found at great depths, find
their way upward to depth where
the pressure is lessened very materi-
ally, and then endeavor to return to
their deep homes, they cannot do so
because their bladders under the les
sened pressure become so expanded that
the fish are unable to overcome the re-
sistance when endeavoring to swim
downward. Consequently the fish
soon float to the surface absolutely
helpless Buffalo Express.
Royal courtesy.
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