The Savannah morning news., 1901-02-17
THE CASPIAN SEA.
A Vast Depression Below the Ocean
LeveI-Water So Fresh as to he
Drinkable.

LeveI-Water So Fresh as to BE
DrinkabIe.
Correspondence of the New York Evening
Post.
Krasnovodsk, Oct. 13.-When the imagt-
nation properly takes In the facts, It
gives one a strange sensation to be sail
ing about over the waters of the Caspian
sea, and to wander over its low-lying
shores. For, except when we look at
our barometer, it is difficult to realize
that we are in the center of vast de-
preston in the surface of the earth near
" 100 feet Exactly "a feet below the
level of the sea. But our barometer has
reached its limit and is no longer of
use. When we inquire further, and ex-
anime the facts more carefully, we learn
that a sandy ridge of only twentythree
feet in hight is all that prevents the back
ward flow of the Black sea into the north
ern part of the Caspian, through the long
and swampy depression of Lake Manytch
while everything around indicates that the
Caspian basin was once full to overflow
ing, and that the present sea is but a sur
vival of a vast oceanic depression.
The Caspian sea is TAO miles long and
from 200 to 400 miles wide. It's area is
about $4,000 square miles, but its drain
age DaSln Is lIIlul6ilSSty idI ger. ne VOL
ga alone brings into it the drainage of
more than 100000 square miles of Euro
pean Russia, and the Ura, $4,000; while
six other rivers from the Caucasus and
the table-lauds to the south and southeast,
contribute the quota furnished by two or
three hundred thousand more. Indeed
the water pouring into the Caspian prob
ably exceeds that brought into the Black
sea by the Danube, the Don, and the other
streams emptying into it. And yet the
Caspian sea is not full. That it was
once full and running over is shown
by a variety of considerations. 1t is
surrounded on it's whole northern end
and on its southeastern side by wide, low
plains but little above it's level, which
are everywhere impregnated with salt,
and which contain the shells of mollusks
like those now inhabiting the sea. All
over these areas are scattered minor de-
pressions, many of which are considera.
bly, lower than the sea, and are either
completely dried up, having salt deposits
in the bottom, or are partially filled with
water much salter than that of the ocean.
A curious fact about the Caspian sea it.
self, however, is that its water is much
less salt than that of the ocean. In the
shallow northern portion of the sea.
which receives the drainage of all CEN
trial and southern Russia, the water of
the Caspian is so fresh, especially In the
early summer months, as to be drinka-
BILE; while in the deeper southern portion
the water is less salt than that of the
Black sea, and only one-third as salt as
the ocean. AT first thought, this would
appear to be inconsistent with the theory
that the Caspian basin is a partially dried
up portion of an oceanic belt, for in that
case it would seem that, as with Grea
SOLE ToIx ID he he tor
ought to increase in sadness as it be-
comes less in volume. An interesting
process is found to be going on, however.
which constantly tends to reduce the sa-
Unity of the water, and which helps us
to understand how those vast salt de-
posts which underlie central New York.
Eastern Ohio, and Southern Michigan
might have been formed. OF course we
refer to the constant inflow OF fresh wa
ter, for that is all removed by evapora
ton, but the Caspian sea is surrounded
on its most arid sides by numerous and
large bays connected with the main body
of water by narrow and shallow channels
through which currents are constantly
flowing from the sea, but not back into
it. This is because the evaporation is so
great that the inhowing currents are
barely sufficient to supply the waste from
that source. The consequence is, that an
enormous amount of salt is carried off
from the sea into these receptacles and
there detained. One of the longest of
these is the Karaboghaz. or Bitter Wa
ter, a bay nearly one hundred miles in
diameter, situated about midway on the
eastern shore, and connected with the sea
by channel only five feet deep and $50
wide. Through this the water Of the Cas-
plan is constantly flowing at a rate which
is never less than a mile and a half an
hour, and is usually three miles an hour.
Won Baer, who has Investigated the mat
ter most carefully. estimates that through
this channel alone $4,000 tons of salt is
de- lily. Withdrawn from the central body
of the sea. Many similar basins have al
ready been filed with the salt which has
crystalized from the water thus brought
into them and evaporated.
There is, however. another probable ex-
PLANTATION of the low salinity of the Cas-
plan Sea. which has not been properly
considered. This is TO be found In the re-
centness OF the causes which have brought
about the present conditions Of things.
The process Of desiccation over the basin
of the Caspian has necessarily gone on
with great rapidly since its outlets were
elevated above sea level. For while the
rainfall is less than a foot per annum.
the evaporation is probably three feet.
When. therefore. It's area was twice az
large as at present, It's level was very
likely reduced ~ much as a foot per an
mum. Notwithstanding the Inflow Of its
great rivers. with its present contracted
surface n just balances these contribu-
lions. This rapid process Of evaporation
resulted IA leaving a large part Of the salt