The Washington times., 1901-12-08
DEEP SEA ENEMIES
TO THE CABLES.
Vicious DeniZens of the Deep
Make Trouble.
THE MOTIVE NOT APPARENT
Repairing Damaged Submarine
Lines Has Revealed Many New and
Curious Things Concerning Forms
of Life Mt the bottom of the Ocean

Unexpected perils await submarine ca
blcs. even in the depths OF the ocean.
Though the largest waves in storm
probably do not appreciably disturb the
water beyond the first 100 fathoms. II In
deed they go so far. currents are some
times strong enough to fray the cable
against some submarine crag, and various
living creatures will do It a mischief.
Among them fishes have long been sus-
pected. and now the charge has been
proved in cable connecting Sydney with
Nelson A defect was detected. and upon
examining the piece a sharks tooth was
found embedded In the sheathIng- As that
consisted OF the usual thick iron wires and
their outer covering. the aggressor must
have given hard bite. The motive is not
easily OWNED Could the shark have
mistaken the catle, in the imperfect light.
for new species OF eonger, or did it.
which seems more likely, blunder against
it at place where Il did not touch bot
tom and relieve its temper by vicious
snap? A sword-fsh will express its re-
sentiment against vessel by driving the
planks, and a narwhal will use its lance
of ivory in similar fashion; each. like the
shark, TO its own detriment, for 1t illus
trates the maximum. Cant you leave 1t
alone?" by losing the weapon of offence.
The conflict between shark and cable
occurred 800 fathoms below the surface. a
depth which was formerly supposed to be
almost lifeless. But deep-sea dredging
81, Il. bfr4v, 20 tofH
a different story. In the open ocean living
creatures generally do not descend below
few hundred feet, though they are often
enormously abundant in this upper layer
the home OF countless fishes, mollusks,
crustacea, and in many places OF clouds
OF tiny foraminifera and radiolsra, with
corresponding abundance OF seawesds,
large and small.
Life Mt Great Depths.
But living creatures follow the ocean
slopes downward to very great depths
sponges, at least certain kinds. go far
below the thousand-fathom line. A hy-
drozoon two yards long was dredged up
by the Challenger from 1900 fathoms. and
occasionally coral or some near relation
may be found at as great depth. well
known species OF the former was brought
up on a telegraph cable from more than
1,100 fathoms. and DR.. Carpenter obtain
ed mollusk, generally found in shallow
water from not much less than 1900 feet.
Even at depths as low as Mt. Everest is
high, living creatures have been obtained,
but they are comparatively low in orga-
nization. Still, fishes have been captured
at the lowest depths. in which cases they
are often blind. Even where they have
eyes. those in that region of eternal night
would be useless, IL they were not able
to turn on the light al will by being pro-
yided with phosphorescent organs. II is.
however, unusual to find a shark so deep
as nearly couple of thousand feet from
the surface. Their teeth have. indeed been
dredged up from profound depths. embed
ded in nodules OF manganese oxide. but
these have dropped from the Jaws of
fishes which have lived and died in the
upper waters. and settled quietly down to
the bottom. Sharks in general keep near
to the surface. a habit which makes them
such Il terror to bathers. Still, one kind
of shark. more nearly related to the
dog fishes than to the dreaded blue shark.
is brought up from depths greater than
those mentioned. The genus, which con-
tains several species, has a wide range.
and spearlike teeth, one OF which may
have done the mischief. of the Portu-
guese coast there is a regular fishery for
a species of this f1sh, which is about five
feet long; 1t is caught with lines, at
depths OF 400. and occasionally see ia
pressure Of about so atmospheres, il Is
dead = practically suffoeated When
brought to the surfaee--London Tele-
graph