Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-03-31


Funafuti one OF the Ellice Group. lying
north OF the Fiji Islands. would be. under
the existing circumstances. the best place
for making the attempt. \ favorable re-
ply was received from the Admiralty
stating that her Majesty's ship Penguin
under the command Of Captain Field
which was then engaged I'm making sur
vcys I'm the Southern Seas. would convey
the party and their plant for boring from
sydney 10 Fuuafutl. render them all pos
sibie aid during their stay. and mean
while make a thorough survey Of the vi
entity Of the atoll
RIVAL THEORIES OF ATOLLS.
OF the rival theories between which It
was hoped that experiment would decide
the following had attracted most atten-
tion Darwin had regarded ATOMS as tne
effects Of subsistence. This was his suppO-
sition; First q fringing reef forms round
an island then the latter gradually sinks;
the coral polyps which II Is believed can
not flourish at q greater depth than -
fgthome keen growing upwards. but those
NJ the edge being better nOurished, in
crease faster than those on the inner side
OF the reef. so that gradually IL ceases 70
be- continuous with what IS LETT OF the
island subsistence goes on TIL the latter
has finally disappeared; then ring-llke
atoU f. left which rests on the foundation
of an ancient fringing reef Thus Darwin
regarded an atoll as monument erected
by nature 20 the memory or 2 droVned
z.
idea Of subsistence altogether and proposed
a very different explanation.
We may take this hypothesis as repre-
sentative OF Darwin's opponents. though
they differ considerably among mem
selves lie pOstulatcd The existence OF a
submarine volcano If this did not come
near enough 20 the surface 10 allow CORA
poiyps 20 grow on its TOP. IT was heishl--
pnod by the accumulation OF Wdtlne Ut
ganiems. finally. when n came within
sounIipps OF about 80 feet corals began
no form the reef But a reef thus made
would generally be 'rather small one.
so Or. Murray supposed that nOth atOli
and lagoon could be enlarged. Ihe t0fin-
cr was extended I'm this way. The waves
broke branches OF the outer edge or me
reef which accumulated a talus az lts
foot and this made FOUNDATION on
which fresh coral could grow. But Nilhlu
Inc LAGOON The condition Of the water
would be unfavorable 10 the IRE
of polyps. Most Of the coral would be
dead This he supposed would De us
solved by the sea water anf carried away
hr the Tide Thus the lagoon would be
enlarged by a corrosive process, ana ne
atoll as a. whole, would spread IN the
ocean like a fairy ring in "A meadow.
Both these hypothe'es. ana lndeIu,
most of the dispuauts. admitted tnat inc
life Of Rebuilding poiyps was hnllte INIT.
bv q depth OF twenty-five. or. az most,
of thirty fathoms. u. men. coral rochs
could be- pierced continuously Tor "A great
O.
could b. struck below that limit, Darwin
explanation alone was applicable 10 me
atoU In regard 90 other matters. lne
soundings which had been already on
tanned were claimed as ON theli SUI ",
b0th parties. but very serious ohJecloh7
mad been rought AGAINST the idea or the
lagoon being enlarged hy the coiroSiNe
action of sea water. so that weak point
had already been found IN Or. Murray >
bvrofbeefe still ~ was generally felt
that. without certain nOWledge or the
actual structure Of an atoll, there was
not the slightest hope OF setting the
question.
SOME DIsAPPOINTMENTS.
The result OF the expedition was re-
ported 20 the Royal Society. The parry
arrived at Funafuti on May list DIM
Culfies are by no means at an end when
"a vessel is anchored in the lagoon, when
in so many atOlls forms natural natpor
Good landing places OWING 10 a variety
of reasons are few. and the plant Tor
boring S heavy. Thus, a site which seems
favorable for that purpose may be prac-
ucalv inaccessible ana the places easily
reached may not be- promising IN the
other respect. The bore hole also must
be near either the inner or the outer euss
of the atOll, for much water Is leQGlreu
10 work the apparatus, ana the Wells III
these islands are few and unsuitable.
At last a place which seemed promising
WIS found the apparatus was landed ana
set up-nO easy task, but the Wofd I'M
possible seems hardly 10 exist in the naval
vocabulary and the goodwill of both OF
hcers and sailors TO be lneNhaus tlDle.
BORING began ON June 81. At hrst Ialr
progress was made though the malcllal
pierced presented some unexpected dlil-
culties. IL was anticipated tnat, Mhal-
ever might be the nature OF the upper POT
tion of the atoll. zone OF consolidated
coral rock would be reached at very
moderate depth. which would be as easy
10 deal with as an ordinary limestone.
The carbonate drill or even the cutters
OF hardened steel, which had been takeh
for alternative use would readily make
their way through this, and provide con
tinuous core foc examination. NO such
material was found. .,
At a depth Of 3 feet they struck coral
rock. but even there IL was far from sold
for il was TO use Professor SOllas WOrus'
like coarse sponge OF coral Win Woe
interstices either empty or filled WIN saht'
This continued for thickness OF % lecl'
when material hHe puiC5hi5Ii , -, w.,
struck with this nothing could De Gone
III clOgged the crown and choked the llniub
nine. With great difiiculty-for here anu
there "a bOWlder-like mass OF cotal was
met with-theY forced the luDts uoWH az,
other % feet TO a depth OF 100 feet IN an,
and then the experts declared further pro-
gress impossible. \ second attempt Wa
made ON the seaward side. where The reeI
al the surface appeared eAccpuoHdily
ctrong But that Jared no better. AT
icss depth than befOre-Gj feet-they Tell
i'm with their old enemy, and FOUND IL even
more intractable. so that they had 10
cease work at a stu more moderate ueplH.
Time and resources were now iuiillils
short-it was hopeless 20 NY ds"in, 49, 49,
the expedition left the island al the emu
of July. .rOrr
Though the main object Of the expedi-
ton had not been accomplished, one -
that has been ascertained Is important
The sand which checked their pIVsIes9'
together with that abundant IN lhe IA
coon. is chiefly composed, not or coral ana
moUuscan detritus. but OF minute Iora
mfuifera and calcareCus algae. MS - az
verse 10 the supposition that tne iasOo,l
Is enlarged by cOrroslOn. In addltioh ~
this the elaborate soundlngs uthen ~ . M
Penguin have made the form OF the ATOM
rorfectIy clear That is not a niue re-
nlrkablc The general depth or the oCran
floor. some dozen or hiteen mites w.
f-om the island. Is about Two thousahu
.f.thrrrs Imagine the water 10 disappear
ttfe 81 ,rhat would be seen: in the mlddle
~ an almost level plain rises q vast tanle-
mountain 1900 feet high. It's base rs an
.elIiust about thirty miles long ana twenty
..ipft miles wide The slope above TINS az
60 - oontIe. after time IL steepens,
until "a "a height of about $500 Feet II at
tsfn- M am angle Of thirty degrees. rms
cont. uuas for rather over l,Jp letl' alu
then the uppermOst part or me Aloune1iii
is guarded by more OF lco9 ~ ihr.tteh
scsrp. about zoo feet i'm height, after Whisn
the ground slopes more gently up 70 tnS
.Goa ~ "a large crater-like basin, winch
olce contained the lagoon. .-., ,,s.
one other matter may be mentioned. me
slone Am the lower part OF this mountain
takes the usual form OF a slightly c3hci g..
curve but for about GU Ieet pelo" .'iS tbjs
of the cuns IT IL rather convex as II Ihls
80 received their debris. How much OF
his mountain is true reef? Is it only only tn, the
fnrfress-Iike mas between 500 and $50 feet
in heieht? But if so; OF what IS the rI noun
.,t',,,,re,ed votcauO2 II so. IL must. nave
sum 80 for the crater could hard