The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1898-06-12
SUB MARINE PHOTOS.
PICTURES HAVE BEEN TAKEN
UNDER WATER.
Artiheial Light Can Bs Employed
Great Benefits May Bs Obtained In
the Examination Of sanksa Wrecks Of
Vessels.

Vessels.
Prof Louis Boutan Of the sorbonne
has written an article for the Century
describing his successful experiments
In Submarine Photography" Prof.
Boutan. descending In a diylng-suit.
took a number Of photographs Of the
bottom OF the sea at various depths.
Some Of these pictures are reproduced
In the article. including one taken by
magnesium light Prof Boutan sag
The extent Of the surface Of the earth
covered by water Is vast. since Il far
surpassss that Of the dry land. What
do we know Of this part Of the globe
hidden by the seas and Oceans3 Very
little. II mist be admitted. Except
along the immediate edge Of these i'm
menHe bowls which can be explored
In diying-bells. the means which ma
turallsts have az their disposal for
examining these depths are most rudi-
mentary. Nobody can go down into
them. a. the tremendous pressure OF
the water renders this impossible. For
long time. therefore. u was imagined
that the bottom Of the sea was one
vast extent Of mud. without the pres
encs Of living things. but numerous
scientific expeditions finally proved
that such was not the case. and that
multitude Of curious and even fantastic
animals we're 20 be- found there The
product Of even a single catch. includ-
Ing many sharks. AZ made by us at the
arago laboratory. convinced me that al
a depth OF 800 meters the bottom OF
the ocean Is full Of life. All these big
sharks (Centrophorus ganulosusj arr
carniyorous. In order 70 live, these
animals must eat other animals; 81
there must be many other animals
whence these come. although We know
almost nothing about them. As re-
CARDS the sea. the naturalist II In much
the same situation as would be an In
habiiant Of the moon who could live 10
ethereal space. but could not breathe
the air which envelopes our earth. Let
~ suppose that this yoyager from The
ethereal regions should come In con
tact with our atmosphere lie would
float above the highest strata without
being able 20 penetrate them. separated
from the earth by the gases which sur
round H. What must he DO II he wish
Is 20 know something u what exist
below the layers Of cloud which hid'
our globe from his View lie woul'
DO a. our naturalists have done-con
struet dredges and nets. and. hayini
weighted them. would LEI them dowi
like the anchor Of a balloon. and ~
and pull them along the surface OF th'
earth DO you think that With sucl
primitive instruments he would Obtain
very precise ideas Of the terrestrial
globe' Every agile animal would fe
before the apparatus. which. II Il di'
not get irretrieyably caught In som
oak. rock. or lofty factory chimney
might bring back. after having scrapel
FOR some time along the surface Of n
earth. bits Of leaves. pebbles mingle
with soil etc all Of which. however
could give only a very vague idea con
corning the constitution OF the globe
Up 10 the present our naturallsts kAy
done hardly more than this Though
Ia quite true that the apparatus used
as perfect a. possible and that N
most lllustrious students Of natur
have displayed In their labors an ing'
nuity which ! should never dream {
calling into question. az bottom N
, proceeding IL the same In both case
, They drag rudimentary instrument
blindly through the depths Of the sea
What a change will come over the ~
. uation the moment u becomes posslb
20 let down 10 the bottom % the ocea
! a Photographic apparatus provide
, with a powerful artificial light, a
! though this camera will not be able
bring back pictures OF vide extent. ma
, IL no, succeed In satisfactorily photl
graphing 100 square meters % space
, And will not such photographs contaI
i a most precious fund Of Information
, Everything leads one 20 believe that
will .oon be possible 10 construct PHI
4 tographic apparatus which will accor
A pllsh rs work successfully AZ any dept
a 81 water But without going 20 FAR
A this. and without launching forth ln
n hypothesis which have not yet been r
allied II may be asserted that subm
rine photography can already produ
A useful results In the immediate vici
, lty Of the coasts. the photographing
= Landscapes. the interiors % grottos
animals caught In their medium. m
nishes the student useful and precio
information. and. from an lndustri
point OF view. one may sec how II G.
e be employed practically Suppose, Z
J. instance. a ship 10 be at the bottom
Is the sea. How are We 20 know lbs exa
p position. and 10 determine the exte
Of the damage which II has suffere
* A good submarine photograph Won
10 be more valuable TO the engineers III
all the information which divers cou
I furnish.
n Huw. ne M -