The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1902-02-03
i news will be found o. the second page.
OCEANIC PHosPHoREscENcE.
The Organisms which Produce Tn =
Interesting Phenomenon
Light nt Great Depths.

lA
Telegraph at Gorleston calls attention
to the large amount of phosphor-
escence which shows itself there and
at Yarmouth, Lowestoft and other
places on the east coast OF Norfolk.
This phenomenon is deeply inter-
esting feature Of marine life, both OF
the deep sea fauna and the floating
or drifting superficial organisms, or
plankton, as they are collectively
called. II has long been known that
nearly an the more lowly orders-the
infusoria, rhizopods, polypes, echin-
oderms, medusae, tunicates, mollusks,
crustacea and many insects-possessed
some power Of emitting light. A min
ute rhizopOd, the Koctiluca miiiAris,
is believed to be the chief cause or
phosphorescence of our seas. Drs
Phipson relates that he found il In
such prodigious numbers in the damp
sand At Ostend that on raising hana-
full of IL il appeared like - much
molten lava"
1tfe now aseertained, however thae
many sea water bacteria are lumin-
ous. The so-ealled phosphorescenea
of d<eaying fish and meat is due -
bacilh. Mr.. Barnard and DR.. a. Mac
fadyean have produced cultures on
these bacteria, showing their luminous
propesties. and NJ. Tarchanofi a fort
night ago sent 10 the Academy Of Sch
ences at Paris an account Of similar
experiments with light emitting bac-
terra Of the Baltic. II would seem thaa
when oxygen has access to readily
decomposing matter light is given on,
The chemical change takes place in
such a way as to allow just that swing
or vibration Of atoms as to generate
light
This, too, is cold light, luminosity
; without heat, like aat Of the freely or
the glow worm NJ Tsrchanoif has
produced luminous ice with his bacilli,
1t IS also the cheapest light known.
In those brilliant tropical seas, where
YOU can read by it, which seem to daz-
zle with the glitter Of myriads of dia-
monds, how slight the mechanical en-
. ergy TO produce the radiant effectl
Prof. Dolbear says one horsepower
spent without waste would maintain
: q phosphorescent light equal to 100000
candles. Here is a chance for the in.
ventorl
? This oceanic phosphorescence helps
to solve another mystery Of the deer
sea. 1t used to be thought there could
/ be no life below 200 or 300 fathoms;
first, because there was no light, and
f. second, because there could be nS
, oxygen. Alas for deductive zoology
The voyages OF our exploring ship
r have proved that there is abundan
and varied life, and that polar currents
carry plenty of oxygen to the deepes
, depths. From a depth Of 1873 fathom
the Challenger's dredge brought al
: 200 specimens belonging TO 50 gener
4 and rs species. Moreover, most of tn
animals that have eyes above hav
e eyes below, unlike the sightless dwell
ers in sunless caves, and many ar
, beautifully colored-whiie, purple
. yellow, red, pink, violet and gftei
Nature would not waste color wher
~ was not MNnAGNs AAN~~ ~@~ -
# ''bright things that CLEAN unfeeke
Of and in vain" Miles below the sul
face "the great majority Of the an
, mails have eyes," says Alexander Aga
siz, and many of them are things G
u beauty. It would seem that in thes
abysses the light is phosphorescen
and, as Prof. Hickson observes, III
It deep sea fauna is remarkable for th
great number Of animals which po
- sess this quality. It occurs probabl
more or less in all the more importar
groups A giant Pyrosoma wa
J. brought up by the Chalienger's dee
u sea trawl. Prof. Moseley says:
wrote my name with my finger on Il
.e surface as it lay in tub at night. an
the name came ont in a few SECOND
in letters Of fire."