The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-05-27
MARVELLOUS FORMS 0FIFf
IN DEPTHS OF THE 81
Some Of the Strange and Une,c,, !,
finals That Dwell in the EssmI
Darkness Of the Dep
Oceans Bed.

TNO the layman, the RAD.
mas not followed the bx'as
cations of students OF ~. -
sea. 1t is difficult 10 -.
In how life can exist whers I.
pressure Is so great that ~
compared to train of cars loaded "a
pig iron bearing down upon ~
shoulders. or many tons to the sra sls
inch. Neither are the conditions ~ ~
readily understood at depth wh.,.
ray of sunlight never has reached ~
eternal night apparently reigns ~
the temperature is nearly at the frssssNv
point. and where in all probabilitv
lence so profound exists that a 49,
has never broken the quiet OF ages -'s
If the ocean bed, which is ponu.,.
supposed to occupy three-fourths a. ~
worlds SURFACE, should suddenly IA II,
bare, we should in the main find ANN
cate OF terrestrial conditions. Ths ~
of the present ocean has at some nv
been dry land; has been cut by wind ~
weather. washed into river beAe ~
streams: thrown Np by volcanic ac.,s,
into mountains. or elevated and A.
pressed by oscillations of the crvst :
has undergone all the changes OF n.
land with watch we are familiar ana X
measure resembles II.
A Visit to the Oceans Bed,
To make the ocean bed a reality. nv.
Prof. Charles f. Holder. I will ask X.
reader to imagine that he is eouirr~x
with a divers armor capable Of resistins
pressure, and accompany me into ~
deep sea. AS we descend, into the hlw
depths. we realize that we have entssvi
another world, where, to all intents asS
purposes, water Is the atmospherN n
we entered the ocean on the pseiNs
coast from the beach we would gradu,L
ly walk down an easy descent for m,nv
miles; and the same is true OF the Al.
lantic. Almost Immediately the lisht
fades, so that when at a depth Of Ia
feet II is comparatively dark and ntens<
ly cold. Deeper We descend. the sunlIyht
gradually fading. until at depth OH
quarter of mile the darkness Il h.
tense so far as the sun Is concerned
In shallow water we have passed
through the region of abundant he
Along the shore are schools OF porpoheS
immense whales that occasionally ven.
ture far below the surface. and number
of air-breathing, fish-like animals ths,
are kept near the surface by their struc.
ture and requirements. Here are schools
OF fish-salmon and sardnes--and pass1hf
Is migrating herd of seals. Deeper We
pass and leave them behind. descendiue
to depth of 1900 feet In darkness pro-
found. An electric light would SHOW 1
singular change. Many Of the fish ar
OF gay colors, and could we whisk one
to the surface its eyes would be popping
from Its head when 1t arrived from IN
sudden change.
Strange Animals In the Depths d Inc 81
Strange animals inhabit that region,
and the deeper we go the more remark.
able they appear, and finally ut q mils
or so they fairly compel our admrati0h
Here are scarlet shrimps. crabs on still.
like legs, others that are blind meee
that carry their own lights, for long ~
we saw living stars, moons and comets
In this abysmal region that serve Va
riety of purposes in the economy Of M
ture Everywhere there Is life. Ever
drop of water Is alive; and. standing IN
this strange region. at a depth Of ~
or so, we find ourselves In a raiustolu
beneath the sea. All about are count
less objects dropping upon us. invisieh
to the eye, but so result-producing IN
the aggregate that the raindrops pile and
heap up In such masses that with thoN
that die on the bottom they round on
the tops of submarine hills and noun
tains. MI up the valleys. and the thick
gelatinous ooze through which We have
walked with so much difficulty ~ tns
visible result of the rain.
The rain storm IL the falling OK tnees
countless shells to the bottom. Tmy
are ever dying; the animal is DESTROYED
and the little shell sinks, piling up az W.
bottom and forming the well-knovh
globigernia ooze. The increasing weight
grinds up the lower stratum into an IN
palpable powder and slowly piles up ~
bottom. forming mass which u ~
waited above the surface would rssemp's
the chalk cliffs OF Dover, which wep
formed at the bottom OF the ocean IN
much the same way.
Fishes Equipped With PhosphoFssesM l'ss
Descending into deeper depths. We stii
find life. Many of the fishes are pIina.
nearly all have phosphorescent llgns
and their shapes and forms are s,rAhss
and uncanny. Sunlight does not resea
below ! 600 fathoms. beyond THIS no ps ~
life exists, and the various forms OF W.
prey upon one another. Among the deep.
sea fishes especially there Is cohs'sAs
warfareH
Assuming that we are walking on W
ocean bottom at the depth OF over h','s.
we move cautiously along In water ~
blaze Of light and find ourselves y
field of light givers Imagine eornnss
with stalks from to feet IN nelsess
the tips cleaning with light and WAVES
gently to and fro. Such an appearing,
the fields of unbellularia present ~
St. Vincent the Challenger dredsed -
field OF light-giving gorgonias win s'eh.s
about 2 feet long. The trawl came ~
choked with them from region = M.
below the surface, each one cuiluns
vivid lilac-colored light.
Above this forest Of living nsn'
strange and weird fishes are pasns.s
which we recognize as forms tha' 49,
been dredged from great depths py u.'
Albatross, Challenger and others W,
the Chlasmodon, dashes By. emieu.s
light from its own body. and Won"
OF wonders we see Il seize a hsn ~
times its own bulk and draw itseit ~ ~,
It like "A glove. Its Jaws, Wy spss.rs,
arrangement, separate. ANA the inp sa.
IL a cavern Of india rubber IKE poss.
bilities. a similar fish. Malacosisus, !,
Of rich black velvet hue. ana a.
poises we see upon lts head TWO AZ -.
lights. One emlts a golden light w
WElAN