The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-12-28
THE OCEAN DEPTHS,
At $500 FathOmS the Pressure of the
Water Is Thirty Times Greater
Than the Steam Pressure of a
Locomotive Drawing a Train.
From the Nineteenth Cent?


From the Nineteenth Century.
The temperature at the bottom of the
ocean is nearly down to freezing point.
and sometimes actually below it. There is
a total absence of light as far as SIM
light is concerned, and there is an enor-
nous pressure, reckoned at about one
ton to the square inch in every 1000 faith
oms,, which is 100 times greater than that
or the atmosphere we live in. At $500
fathoms the pressure is thirty times more
powerful than the steam pressure of a
locomotive when drawing a train. AS
late as 1880 a leading zoologist explained
the existence of deep-sea animals at such
depths by assuming that their bodies were
composed of solids and liquids of great
density, and contained no air This how
ever, is not the case with deep-sea fish,
which are provided with air-infiated SWIM
ming bladders. If one of these fish, in
run chase after its prey, happens to as
cend beyond certain level its bladder
becomes distended with the decreased
pressure, and carries it, in spite of all its
EFFORTS still higher in its course. In fact,
members of this unfortunate class are Ii
able TO become victims to the unusual ac-
cident of falling upward, and no doubt
ing their accustomed level and long be-
fore their bodies reach the surface in
distorted and unnatural state. Even
ground sharks, brought up from a depth
of no more than 500 fathoms, expire be-
fore they gain the surface.
The fauna of the deep sea-with a few
CNNNptlOAAS hAlAlCItO Ollg kilOWn as IOSSllS
are new and specially modified forms
of families and genera inhabiting shall
low waters in modern times, and have
been driven down to the depths of the
ocean by their more powerful rivals IN
the battle of life, much as the ancient
Britons were compelled to withdraw to
the barren and inaccessible Businesses of
Wales. Some of their organs have under
gone considerable notifications in CORE
spondence to the changed conditions of
their new habitats. Thus down to $50
fathoms their eyes have generally become
enlarged, to make the best of the faint
After 1900 fathoms these organs are
either still further enlarged, or SO greatly
reduced that in some species they disap-
pear altogether and are replaced by enor-
mOusly long feelerS. The only light at
great depths which would enable large
eyes to be Of any service Is the phospho-
rescence given out by deep-sea animals
We know that at the surface this light
IS often very powerful, and Sir WyVille
Thomson has recorded one occasion on
which the sea at night was "a perfect
lights and shadows were thrown on the
sails, and Il was easy to read the smallest
print" IL is thought possible by several
naturalists that certain portions of the
sea bottom may be as brilliantly illumin-
ed by this sort of light as the streets of
"a European city after sunset Some deep
sea fish have two parallel rows OF small
circular phosphorescent organs running
along the whole length of their bodies
and as they glide through the dark wa
ters of the profound abysses they must
LOOK like model mailships with rows of
shining portfolios.