Daily camera., 1898-04-27
A NEW FIELD 0PE1,,,E2Do.
Prince Finds Sunken Island In the
Atlantic Ocean.
VIII ARord Fishermen from the
windward Isles Excellent
Fishing Grounds "A
Rich Harvest.

The discovery of drowned island in
the midst of the Atlantic ocean is an
event sufficiently sensational to cause
not little excitement among "thalas-
sagraphers''-as those scientists who
make it their business to study the
bottom of the sea call themselves.
Future charts issued by the hydro
graphic Office at Washington will show
this geological freak, with soundings in
fathoms upon and around it. 1t is a
huge volcanic mountain, which uplifts
itself from the floor of the ocean nearly
to the surface, the depths all about it
averaging about two miles.
This drowned island is located just a
little bit over 1000 miles due west from
the Rock of Gibraltar. 1t is As miles
southwest of Pico in the Azores. The
shape of it, as determined by sound
ings, is much like that of a huge
cooked hat, with the top of the hat
pointing to the south. Happily, there
is no danger that any vessels will run
upon it, inasmuch as its highest peak is
ii fathoms beneath the surface of the
sea. If it were only little higher it
would be real island, and people
would be living on it.
Nevertheless, this drowned island,
which has already received the name
of princess Alice Shoal," possesses a
very practical Importance and useful
ness, as will be explained presently. 1t
was discovered by no less parsonage
than his serene highness the prince of
Monaco, who has fad for investigat-
ing the depths of the sea. In fact, he
is one of the most eminent of living
''thalassagraphers," and considerable
fraction of the income derived by him
from royalty in the celebrated gam
bling establishment located in his do
minions is spent in the pursuit of this
hobby His experiments in the floating
of bottles for the purpose of studying
ocean currents have contributed some
very important facts to scientific knowl-
edge.
The prince came upon the drowned
island quite unexpectedly while MAX
ing soundings from his yacht, the
Princess Alice, after which he named
his discovery. 1t was shoal in the
midst of the oceans depths, and the
lead-line registered all the way from
$50 fathoms to ii fathoms in various
parts of the Cooked hat" outlined by
its record. The peak of the subma-
rine mountain was found to be quite
sharp, and his serene highness marked
it with "a couple of buoys. These buoys
have already become goal for fisher
men in pursuit of their industry.
A shoal in the deep sea, be it under
stood, is always rich in the forms of
life which afford food to fishes. Hence
it is that the Grand Banks are such
profitable fishing grounds for cod and
halibut. 1t is not surprising, therefore,
to learn that the newly-discovered
drowned island has already become a
Mecca for the toilers of the sea, who
sail over it from the Azores. They
are making rich harvest there, and
for all time to come it promises to yield
a great annual crop of marine wealth.
Princess Alice shoal is situated on
the northeastern edge of the Sargasso
sea-that wonderful collection OF
aquatic plants in the midst of the At
lantic which grow and reproduce their
kind while floating on the surface of
the water, upheld by their own air
filed bulbs. In calm weather the vast
area covered by this strange vegetation
looks like drowned meadow, but dur
ing storms the plants are scattered
more or less. The Sargasso sea is To-
Gated in an eddy of the great circulat-
ing stream of the Atlantic, so that the
waters there are nearly stationary,
having no strong current. Hence the
accumulation of plant life, as in still
pond.
The aquatic vegetation of the Sar-
gasso sea teens with multitudinous
forms of life, but not least interesting
Of the myriad creatures which inhabit
it are certain curious nest-building
fishes. They have arm-like fore fins
with which they cling to the weed
making their nests by binding together
globular masses of it as big as Dutch
cheeses. This they accomplish by
means of long gelutinous strings,
which they form for the purpose, final
ly depositing their eggs in the center OF
the sphere thus composed. There are
transparent cuttlefish, transparent
shrimps, and transparent worms in the
weed, One can see through them as il
they were made of glass,
Shrimps and crabs also abound, and
they, as well as the fishes, are spotted
yellow and white, like the weed itself
This, of course, is one of natures pro-
tective disguises.-Philadelphia Press
Creamed Onions.