The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-03-13
FOUND A SUNKEN ISLAND
Prince of Monaco Discovers One
Not Far From the Azores.
NEAR THE SARGASSO SEA
New and Profitable Field Opened Up for
the Portuguese Fishermen From
the Windward Isle-It Is
Like Great Banks.

The discovery of a drowned island in
the midst of the Atlantic ocean is an
event sufficiently sensational to cause
not little excitement among '.thalas-
sagraphers" those scientists who
make it their business to study the
bottom of the sea call themselves Flu
ture charts issued by the photographic
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 near
ly to the surface, the depths all about
it averaging about two miles
This drowned island is located lust q
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 huge cooked
hat, with the top of the hat pointing
to the south. Happily, there is no dan
ger that any vessel will run upon it,
inasmuch as it's highest peak is Al
fathoms beneath the surface of the sea-
II 1t 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 investi-
eating the depths of the sea. In fact
he is one of the most eminent of living
'thalassagraphers,'' and a considerable
fraction of the income derived by him
from royalty in the celebrated gamb-
ling establishments located in his do
minions is spent in the pursuit of this
hobby. His experiments in the floating
n fnf. t1A
ocean currents have contributed some
very important facts to scientific
knowledge.
The prince came upon the drowned
island quite unexpectedly while max
ing soundings from his yacht, the Prin-
cess Alice, after which he named his
discovery. 1t was a shoal in the midst
of the oceans depths, and the lead-line
registered all the way from $50 fathoms
to Al fathomS in various parts of the
cooked hat" outlined by it's record.
The peak of the submarine mountain
was found to be quite sharp, and his
serene highness marked it with
couple Of buoys. These buoys have al
ready become goal for fishermen 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. Tt 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 to 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
81 H. .,1
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.
filled bulbs. In calm weather the vast
area covered by this strange vegetation
looks like a 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 circu-
lating stream of the Atlantic, so that
the waters there are nearly stationary,
having no strong currents. Hence the
accumulation of plant life, as in a 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 gelatinous strings, which
they form for the purpose, finally de-
posting their eggs in the center of the
sphere thus composed. There are trans
parent cuttlefish, transparent shrimps,
and transparent worms in the weed
One can see through them as if 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.