The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-12-25
NOTABLE VOYAGE
OF THE ALBATROSS
Discoveries Made in Pacific Waters
Which Will Necessitate Numerous
Changes in Existing Maps.


One of the most successful voyages
ever made by a United States vessel
for scientific purposes has just been
completed by the steamer AlbatrOss,
after cruise of fourteen months in
the southern Pacific. along the eastern
coast of Asia and in the Bering sea.
Scientists who are converSant with
the difficulties attending any attempt
to extend explorations into entirely
new fields of research connected with
the sea regard the voyage of the AL
batross as of greatest consequence.
The voyage will prove most valuable
to navigators. The strictly scientific
methods of the expedition led to the
remarkable discovery that the charts
of many of the islands in the southern
seas are entirely. untrustworthy. 1t is
now believed that their inaccuracy has
probably led to the large number OF
wrecks which have occurred in those
waters. Most of the islands of the
Paumotu group. as well as those of
Ellice, Marshall and Caroline groups.
We're so inaccurately eharted that the
chart was positive hindrance to safe
navigation. many of the islands being
as far as twenty and thirty miles from
the boundaries represented on the
charts. The Investigations of the AL
batroSS seem to show that hundreds
or the islands had been hastily
sketched by sea captains in connection
with their casual voyages in those
waters. but never accurately located
and properly represented on the charts.
The two exceptions to this general con-
ditiOn are the Fiji group owned by
"rea' h'ltain. ana 'he Iahltl group,
De'oi'sihs " frahce' All the ISLANDS
vi ,ne hllschi'fled groups We're located
WIN liathehiiilicai precision by the
crew Oh the Alpatross ana from the
s.'i'eH ntaue on 'ne ground entireN
ne" iiaNisators cnafts We're prepared
ny ,ne so.eiih'eh. ana oistflouted To
an 'he NATIONS or the world
->''o'her result Oh the VOYAGE that is
VI sreat Na'ue 10 naVlsalors anu to
tnose VINO 'htrust their iVes to them
WAS the discovery OF pank IN the
h''ou'e " 'nc berlHs sea at polnt
where tle chartS SNOW depth or
-,'oo lathoii's. Inc souhdlhSs showed
.'at thls plhk is ten miles long and
rom hail hllle 10 Il mlie IN width.
IL lies at a Sate distance beneath the
surface but the knowledge of its eX-
lStehce VIII enable naVlsators to make
souhulhss IN thst part OF the ocean
Whel theS WISH 10 determine their
bearings III ciouoN weather. For long
PERIODS the SKY Is overcast in those
ia'ltudes. ana the usual solar or astral
are impossible. The
knowledge that there Is submerged
pahk 2oo lathoniS below the surface i'm
latituue 40 deg. 5o mln north and in
longitude l'9 deg. ~ MN. east Will en-
able confused captains ON taking
soundings TO direct their course with
SAFETY.
ON ms expedition the worlds record
ior deep sea net dragging was in
creased l,.oo lathoms. The greatest
uepth ever previously attained was
that reached by the British scientific
deep-sea exploration steamer Chal-
lehser' between 1873 ana 1876 when she
ifeW up material from depth of 5000
lathoms. rms was thought TO be a
Ieat That could never be surpassed, but
the Albatross reached the enormous
depth OF more than five miles, exceed
ing that OF the Challenger by more
lhun Il mile from this great depth
The Albatross drew up specimens of
low forms OF sponge life adherlng to
pumice stone, showing the bottom To
be of volcanic rock.
The results OF the experiments made |
20 ascertain deep-sea pressure We're re-