The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1900-11-11
Scientists learn
THE OtuI's SECRET
Result of Exploration
by the Steamer
Albatross.
EXPERTS SENT BY GOVERNMENT
THEY FIND cHARTED ISLANDS
MANY NILES OUT OF
PLACE.
Worlds Record for Deep Sea Net
Dragging Made Near the
Tonga Group of
Islands.

tion and To science ara reported by the
| nired States fish commission steamship
Albatross. which has just returned 10
San Francisco from fourteen months
cruise in the South Seas and in japanese
and Alaskan waters
The naval officers controlling the YES
sci have learned that nearly all of the
South Sea islands are mischarted any
where from two TO a dozen miles. making
The exceptions are the FIJI group. owned
by Great Britain, and the Tahiti group.
owned by France.
In about the middle of Behring sea
they discovered a hank just 2Uo fathoms
below the surface. where the charts
showed 1000 fathoms depth. This bank
is from five 10 ten miles in extent. The
knowledge of its existence will permit
nayigators TO try sounding in that part of
the ocean when they wish 10 determine
sky is sometimes overcast in those iati
tudes for days and nights continuously.
the usual solar or astral observations are
not always possible. Knowing that there
is this extensive area only GOO feet below
the surface in latitude ~ deg 80 min.
north and longitude 119 deg. 80 min
east. confused captains may hereafter
learn where they are in Behring sea
if the lead strikes bottom where the
charts show impossible soundings.
,a...r1 81 nor .l,.ay
ging was made about fifty miles east of
the Tonga group of islands in latitude ~
deg south Specimens of marine life
were brought up from a depth of Loo
fathoms, or nearly five miles. The great
est previous record was less than 5000
fathoms. 1t was made by the British
scientific deep-sea exploration steamer
Challenger. between 1878 and 1876. From
the five-mile bottom the Albatross secured
specimens simply of a low form of sponge
life adhering to pumice stone indicating
neither sandy nor a muddy bottom. but
one of rough volcanic rock.
Wherever time and opportunity per-
mitted in the southern group of islands
the naval officers made careful hydro
graphic surveys to determine depths.
directions. which. will enable navigators
TO steer accurately into many of the more
important insuar harbors. They also
took magnetic observations in connection
with these surveys.
All this reliable data will be properly
presented upon new charts and marine
maps to be issued by the government.
The maritime nations of the world will
profit by the published information.
Another scientific fact determined is
that the temperature at the bottom of the
ocean is uniformly fraction above 81
dogs. or little more than, , dogs. above
the freezing point. This rule holds good
for all depths from 500 fathoms to f.
300 fathoms. or from 5000 feet to five
miles below the surface of the sea.
Aboard the Albatross is a remarkable
Illustration of deep-sea pressure. There
is a hollow glass globe eight inches in di-
ameter with the walls three-eighths of an
inch thick The globe was empty when
II WAS sent uON II " IL utptu VI ~i-.otV
feet. or nearly two and half miles.
When it came up it was threefourths full
of water. as il is yet. That amount was
forced through the thick. smooth. fawless
glass. \ bottle of wine lowered deep TO
cool it came up witt. the cork forced in
side the bottle and the wine spoiled.
Shrimps in infinite variety We're
brought up from depths varying from a
few yards TO 15.o0o feet. They ranged
from little ones half inch in length to
giant shrimps foot long. All were
edible They were found wherever the
nets were lowered among the South Sea
islands and off the southern coast of
Japan. That shrimps live at great
depths was not known before. In San
Francisco bay. where the Chinese annu-
ally catch about S2oo.o0 worth of
shrimps for domestic and Oriental mar
kets. the big nets are set nj the bottom
Mt depths of only twenty or thirty feet
Specimens of red coral discovered deep
in the Arctic ocean are among the curios
on the Albrtross. They proved 10 the sci
entifc world that red coral is not found
solely in the temperate Mediterranean
sea- This discovery was made on pro-
vious voyage. but it never gained pub
licity.
Good weather and clear skies last June
all the way across from Kamchatka on
the Asiatic coast TO UnaIaska on the
North American coast enabled the officers
of the Alhatross 10 make daily solar OBJ
ssrvations. This exceptional opportunity
for accurate bearings convinced the OBJ
servers that there are not strong currents
ont in the Behring sea. as was generally
supposed The currents are strong In
shore or near the straits
South of the equator the Alhatross
broash, up from the bottom of the ocean
fossil bones from whales, ears and fossil
teeth of sharks These Specimens -.
thought 10 have laid on the floor of the
sea for thousands Of years.
During the Investigations Of the sorth
coast of Japan the Albarross ENTERTAINED
two Japanese government scientists 'si-ey
knew much about the marine life. but
they had never seen such effecsi.e appa-
rasus and appliances as those used By
the United States fish experts
As a general result Of the fourteen
months crurs the Albratross has cargo
of thousands of marine specimens picked
in forsnaline. These win be sent to Wash
inxson. Thence some Of them will be