The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-06-10
OCEANOGRAPHY.
An Institute Founded at Berlin for
Studying the Seas.
From the London Standard.

From the London Standard.
Germany, with Its usual thoroughness,
Is bent on systematically arranging the
knowledge likely to accrue from its de-
velopment Of a sea power. AS our Ber-
lin correspondent informs US the En-
peror has ordered the establishment in
that city of an institution for the study
OF oceanography AZ this center mate
rails already acquired will be collected,
ana considerable additions are expec ed
to be made 10 the knowledge of the ma
r!ne physics, chemistry and natural his
tory. Among questions proposed for more
immediate study is he mixing of the wat
ers of the Baltic and che North Sea in
the Emperor Williams canal The form
err, which receives many rivers, is much
less solt than ordinary ocean water. Also,
II Is less uniform in composition, since
fresh water can float on salt, being 50
much lighter. On a cam day the two
mix slowly. and al all times sadness ana
weight increase together with he depth.
In the Gulf of Bothnia, for instance, the
specific gravity Of the fluid is l,00l, or, in
other words, a cubic foot of it weighs
thousand and four ounces. viii e the same
amount of distilled wafer at the same en-
erature weighs a thousand ounces. Tais
would be quite drinkable; indeed, ordn-
airy Baltic water, such as that by the
Danish Island of Moen, or the German
one OF Rugen. tastes like an equal mix
ture OF salt and fresh That proper
ton. in fact, nearly represents the COM
position OF the surface water at Kfel. A
cubic foot Of It would weigh about 00t
ounces, while the same quantity of North
sea water would weigh about LOIS ounces.
OF course, changes Of temperature also
AFFECT the weight but they would pro-
duce little effect at the two ends of the
canal. which is sure TO be invaded by the
heavier nud, so that all its wafer VIII
probably be a little salter than that OF
the Baltic. Evaporation from the sur
face Of the sea also tends to increase salt
ness: and all sheets of water from viii n
there Is no efiiux, especially in warm ell
mates, become very salt. A cubic foot
OF Dead sea water outwe'gbs the zane
quantity from the Atlantic by quite
ounces; consequently the Sea OF Salt IS
well-nish destitute of living inhabitants
YtS In former ages, when 1t was so large
as TO cover the Jordan valley up TO and
considerably north OF he Lake OF Cen
nesaret It's waters were at least as fresh
a. tfose-in the Baltic. Our Berlin corre-
.pondent states that che in rusion OF the
Nhrth sea wafer would. II was felt, prove
Injurious 10 the FISH in the cana ana ne
mentions that pike entering 1t from the
pnItic, became bl nd. But we do not think
mat rnanv kinds would suffer material
". Some fish. like salmon, habitually
mas. from salt TO fresh water; others
make their way from the sea some dis
lance up estuaries. my plu lusks. or
shells. ms we call them. can also adapt
themselves to circumstances, though here
there are limits.
oysters OF some kinds will move from
the sea far up rivers, and certain Tenera,
such as the SPIRAL Cerih'um and Melania,
nre Represented by species in boz h n sh
and salt water But when the flui b =
comes too fresh. shells which properly
live In the seq seem TO suffer from the
change The cookies of the Sea Of Azov
are a common marine species, bur their
shells have become chin. the ribs rpon
them less conspicuous and at first glance
their true rela lionship would rot be iden-
tiled The same hing happens in the
Baltic. Tho cooke, mussel and per win
kle live in II, but they are very much
smaller than those in the open sea- while
the whelk, lmpet, and scallop ere absent
and the oyster is only found land then
| more or less stunted) near the straits.
Yet this was not always the case. on