The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1899-09-05


sion for use on the coming expedition
Of the Albatross will have mouth 20
feet in width by in height and its net
will be 80 feet in length II is being
made after special design by Charles
II. Townsend of the Fish Commission
and will be operated at the greatest
possible depth consistent with safety.
Deep-sea naturalists are OF the opinion
that the oceans bed is inhabited by
creatures of much greater size than
any which have heretofore been
brought to the surface. This opinion
the men who will sail on the Albatross
expect to confirm.
Another curious appliance for deep
sea work. from which important re-
suits are expected, is a deep-sea pump
which will be used on this expedition
for the first time. 1t Is an invention
of Professor Agassiz. 1t consists of a
rubber tube of such length that one
end can be let far down into the ocean
depths. Through it water containing
the more minute forms of deep-sea life
which are supposed to exist on the
oceans bed and furnish food for those
of larger size will be pumped to the
surface.
The record for the greatest depth
ever reached in deep-sea dredging is
held by the beam trawl of the Alba
tross. This is three miles. The deep
est spot in the oceans bed lies down
J in the South Pacific Ocean, about eight
hundred miles to the northeast of New
Zealand. 1t was recently discovered
| by the Penguin of the British navy
lind tho OF drppppI rd
reached sheer depth of five and half
miles before 1t rested on the oceans
bed. The Albatross will take with her
on the coming expedition sufficient
wire rope to operate trawl at depth
even equalling this, and 1t Is possible
that she will make detour from her
scheduled course to dredge and sound
this particular part of the oceans bot
tom.
When the Albatross leaves San Fran
cisco she will proceed directly to Ia
hiti, in the Society Islands. On this
trip of $500 miles dredging and sound
ings will be carried on at almost regu-
lar intervals on an almost wholly I'M
explored part of the oceans bottom. 1t
Is expected that the average depth of
the ocean between San Francisco and
Tahiti will be found to exceed three
miles. From Tahiti the Paumotu
Islands will be explored. This archi-
,pelago is about six hundred miles in
length, and its natural history is al
most unknown. After devoting six or
seven weeks to the work of explora-
ton the vessel will return to the So
ciety islands. 1t will next go to the Tom
IN,t4, I.1a lie, igta nf
about 1900 miles. where a week or ten
days will be spent. From there the
AlbatrOss will steer course for the
Fiji Islands, where short stay will
be made. and will go thence LOO miles
to the Marshall Islands. On the way
the Ellice Islands and the Gilbert
Islands will be visited. Five weeks
will be devoted to the exploration and
study OF the fauna in and around the
Marshall Islands.
The course will then be changed to
the northeast, and an almost straight
line of 1000 miles will be made for San
Francisco, taking in on the way the
Hawaiian Islands. Over this course a
line of deep-sea dredgings will be run,
deep-sea tow nets being used while the
dredging Is going on. This work is ex-
lpected to be one of the most interesting
features of the expedition.
An interesting point in controversy
between European and American deep
sea explorers will be settled on this
voyage of the Albatross. The scientific
men of the Old World have always
contended that the sea is inhabited by
various forms of life at all depths
THE Americans, on the other hand, say
: that life beyond the Continental slopes
is confined to an upper layer of the
oceans surface at depth of few hun
dred fathoms. and a lower layer con-
,sisting of submarine fishes and ami
mails which live along the bottom OF
: the ocean. The Albatross will drag
nets. which are opened and closed al
Iany desired stage of their descent
, through all successive stages of the
/. oceans depth and will thus be able tc
, determine the matter absolutely.
} Fish Commissioner George NJ. Bow
, 'ers and DR.. Hugh NJ. Smith have re-
} ceived the hearty approval of the
| President in their plans for the eXpe
, dition, and it is expected that most i'm
: portant Information of a practical ma
: ture regarding the food fishes of thu
Pacific waters will be obtained. TIL,
Department OF State has communicated
: through the American Ambassador!
: with the French. German and English
: authorities for the purpose of having
l the representatives of these Govern
3 ments instructed to accord special priv
| ileges to the Albatross. The reports
Y embodying the results of the expedi
: ton will be published jointly by thu
Q Fish Commission and the Museum O
I Comparative Zoology.
= In recent letter Professor Agassi,
r refers to his explorations in the Ba
t hamas, the Bermudas, Cuba, Florida
r the Fiji Islands, the Australian Grea
: Barrier Reef, the Hawaiian Islands, tn
a Bay of Panama, the Galapagos Arch
: pelago and the Gulf Of California, ant
s then says:
: "The expedition now proposed ! con
: slider the most important one ! hav
tal, ,s,, hA tgn <,f h