The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-03-13
IN THE OCEANS DEPTHS.
Something About the Temperature
and Pressure of the Water.

From the Nineteenth Century.
The temperature at the bottom of the
ocean is nearly down to freezing point.
and sometimes actually below it. There
is a total absence of light as far as
sunlight 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 great
er than that of the atmosphere we live
in. At $500 fathoms the pressure is
30 times more powerful than the steam
pressure of a locomotive when draw
Ing a train. AS late as 1880 a leading
zoologist explained the existence of
deep-sea animals at such depths by as
suming that their bodies We're COM
posed 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 air-in-
iiated swimming bladders. If one of
these fish. in full chase after it's 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 high
er In its course: in fact. members of
this unfortunate class are iab.e 10 be-
come victims to the unusual accident
Of falling upward, and no doubt meet
with a violent death soon after leav-
ing their accustomed level, and long
before their bodies reach the surface
in distorted and unne.u,al safe.
Even ground sharks, brought up from
a depth of no more than '6o fathums,
expire before they gain ,he surface.
The fauna of the deep ;ea--with a
few exceptions hitherto on.v knowri as
fossils-are new and specially modified
forms of families generally inhabiting
shallow waters In modern times. nd
have been driven down &c tho depths Ct
the ocean by their more powerful rivals
in the battle of lie, much rs the
ancient Britons We're compelled to with
draw to the ha.~r AMI inaccessible
Businesses Of Wales. Some Of their Or
gans have undergone considerable mod.
ification in correspondence to the
changed conditions of their new habi-
tats. 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 in some species they dis
appear altogether, and are replaced
by enormously .ong feelers. T..e only
light at great depths which would en-
able large eyes to be OF any service
Is the phosphorescence of deep sea
animals.
We know that at the surface this
light Is often very powerful, and Sir
Wyville Thomson has recorded one oc-
casion on which the sea at night was
"a perfect blaze of phosphorescencc,
so strong that lights and shadows
were thrown on the sails. and it was
easy to read the smallest print" 1t
is thought possible by several natur-
alists that certain portions of the sea
bottom may be as brilliantly illumined
by this sort of light as the streets of a
European city after sunset. Some deep
sea fish have two parallel rows of small
circular phosphorescent organs run
ming along the whole length Of their
bodies, and as they glide through the
dark waters of the profound abysses
they must look like model mail ships
with rows of shining port holes.
Joys Of Matrimony.
Wife-I met an old acquaintance to-
| day, Mr. Meeker. You remember he was
you rival for my hand.
Husband-Yes: ! hate that man.
| Wife--You shouldn't hate him Just be-
| cause he used to love me.
| Husband-Oh, that isn't the reason.
| hate him because he didn't marry you--
| Chicago News.