The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1898-07-30
ISUBOCEANP PHOTOGRAPHS
PICTURES HAVE BEEN TAKEN Sue.
CESSFULLY UNDER WATER.


Professor Louis Boutan, of the Sor-
bonnie, has written an article for the
Century describing his successful ex-
periments in Submarine Photogra-
ply" Professor Boutan, descending
in a diving suit, took number OF
photographs of the bottom of the sea
at various depths. Some of these pic
lures arc reproduced in the article,
including one taken by magnesium
light. Professor Boutan says:
The extent of the surface of the
earth covered by water is vast, since
it far surpasses that of the dry land.
What do we know of this part of the
globe hidden by the seas and oceans?
Very little, it must be admitted. Ex-
cept along the immediate edge of these
immense bowls which can be explored
in diving-bells, the means which
naturalists have at their disposal for
examining these depths are most fhdi-
mentary. Nobody can go down into
them, as the tremendous pressure of
the water renders this impossible.
For long time, therefore, it was
| imagined that the bottom of the sea
| was one vast extent of mud, without
! the presence of living things; but
numerous scientific expeditions fin
ally proved that such was not the case,
and that multitude of curious aud
| even fantastic animals were to be
] found there.
The product of single catch, in
Guiding many sharks, as made by us at
the Arago laboratory, convinced me
that at a depth of eight hundred
meters the bottom of the ocean is full
of life. All these big sharks are car
nivorous. In order to live, these ami
mails must eat other animals; so there
must be many other animals whence
these come, although we know almost
nothing about them.
AS regard the sea, the naturalist is
| in much the same situation as would
be an inhabitant of the moon who
could live in ethereal space, but could
| not breathe the air which envelopes
our earth. Let us suppose that this
voyager from the ethereal regions
| should come in contact with our at
mosphere. He would float about the
highest strata without being able to
penetrate them, separated from the
earth by the gases which surround it.
What must he do if he wishes to know
something of what exists below the
| layer of clouds which hide our globe
from his view? He would do as our
naturalists have done-construct
dredges and nets, and, having weight
ed them, would let them down like
the anchor of q balloon and try and
pull them along the surface of the
earth. Do you think that with such
primitive instruments he could obtain
very precise ideas of the terrestrial
globe? Every agile animal would fee
before the apparatus, which, lift did not
get irretrie vably caught in some oak,
rock, or lofty factory chimney, might
bring back, after having scraped for
some time along the surface of the
earth, bits of leaves, pebbles mingled
with soil, etc., all OF which, however,
could give only very vague idea con-
corning the constitution of the globe.
| Up to the present our naturalists
have done hardly more than this.
Though it is quite true that the ap-
paratus used is as perfect as possible,
and that the most illustrious students
of nature have displayed in their labors
an ingenuity which 1 should never
dream of calling into question, at bot
| tom the proceeding is the same in both
cases. They drag rudimentary instru-
ments blindly through the depths OF
the sea.
What change will come over the
situation the moment it becomes pos
sible to let down to the bottom of the
ocean o Photographic apparatus pro-
vided with powerful artificial light
Although this camera will not be able
to bring back pictures of wide extent,
may it not succeed in satisfactorily
photographing one hundred square
meters of space? And will not such
photographs contain most precious
fund of information?
| Everything leads one to believe that
it will soon be possible to construct
Photographic apparatus which will ac-
complish its work successfully at any
depth of water Butwithout going Sc
far as this, and without launching forth
into hypothesis which have not yet
been realized, it may be asserted that
submarine photography can already
produce useful results.
In the immediate vicinity of the
coast, the photographing of land
scapes, the interiors of grottoes, ami
mails caught in their medium, fur.
nishes the student useful and precious
information; and, from the industrial
point of view, one may see how it car
be employed practically. Suppose.
for instance, ship to be at the bot.
tom of the sea- How are we to know
its exact position, and to determine
the extent of the damage which it his
suffered? A good submarine photo
graph would be more valuable to The
engineers than all the information
. which divers could furnish.
gicvclior MaIxes the Feet Larger.