The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1900-01-25
IN THE OCEANS DEPTHS.
Something About the Temperature and
Pressure of the Water.

Something ABOUT the Aemperat"iS "i
Pressure of the Water.
The temperature at the bottom of the
ocean is nearly down to freezing point
and sometimes actually below 1t. There
is a total absence of light as far as sun
light Is concerned, and there Is an
enormous pressure, reckoned at about
a ton to the square inch In every thou
sand fathoms, which Is 100 times
greater than that of the atmosphere we
live in. At $500 fathoms the pressure
is 80 times more powerful than the
steam pressure of a locomotive when
drawing a train. As late as 1880 a
leading zoologist explained the exist
ence of deep-sea animals at such depths
by assuming that their bodies were
composed of solids and liquids of great
density, and contained no air. This,
however, is not the case with deep-sea
fish, which are provided with alr-in-
flated swimming bladders. IL one OF
these fish, In full chase after Its prey,
happens to ascend beyond a certain
level, Its bladder becomes distended
with the decreased pressure, and car
ries 1t In spite of its efforts, still higher
in Its course; In fact, members of this
unfortunate class are liable to become
victims to the unusual accident OF
falling upward, and no doubt meet
with q violent death soon after leav-
ing their accustomed level, and long
before their bodies reach the surface
In a distorted and unnatural state.
Even ground sharks, brought up from
a depth of no more than 500 fathoms,
expire before they gain the surface.
The fauna of the deep sea-with few
exceptions hitherto only known as fos-
sils-are new and specially modified
forms Of families generally inhabiting
shallow waters In modern times, and
have been driven down TO the depths of
the ocean by their more powerful rivals
In the battle of life. much as the an-
Client Brtons were compelled to with
draw to the barren and inaccessible
Businesses of Wales. Some OF their
organs have undergone considerable
modification In correspondence to the
changed conditions OF their new hab-
itats. Thus down to 900 fathoms their
eyes have generally become enlarged.
to make the best of the faint light
which may possibly penetrate there.
After 1000 fathoms these organs are
still further enlarged or so greatly re-
duced that I'm some species they disap-
pear altogether, and are replaced by
enormously long feelers. The only
light at great depths which would en-
able large eyes TO be of any service Is
the phosphorescence OF deepsea ami
mails.
We know that at the surface this
light Is often very powerful, and Sir
Wyyille Thomson has recorded one
occasion on which the sen at night
was "a perfect blaze OF phosphores-
cence, SO strong that lights and shad-
ows were thrown ON the sails, and II
was easy to read the smallest print"
1t Is thought possible by several nat
urallsts that certain portions of the
sea bottom may be as brilliantly IL
lumlned by this sort of light as the
streets Of n European city after sunset
Some deep-sea fish have two parallel
rows of small circular phosphorescent
organs running along the whole length
of their bodies. and as they glide
through the dark waters OF the pro-
found abysses they must look like
model ships with rows of shining port
holes.-Nineteenth Century.