New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-10-01
WONDERS UNDER WATER.
Seen off California Coast By Use
of HYdrOscOpe.
Copyright: stinson Jarvis: 1909


Santa Catalina Cal, Sept q (SpeciaD-What THIS
part of the PaciEc Coast greatly needs is visit
from some who could tell something about the
uncatalOEued wonders in these mysterious waters-
Several persons who useful naturalists in
their habitat have endeavored to trace some
structural hkenesses in order get the families
to which these gaUdy creatures belong, but these
moderately learned people confessed that they
found themselves in a wholly region and so
we only delightedly examine these marine mar
vels while remaining in almost total Ignorance
regarding their names families habits and origins
These are studied through a MICROSCOPE. Every
boat that prepared for this is reality hydro
scope. though remaining in other respects oFdi-
nary boat. That is say. any kind of boat can
be and is thus used when it is provided with a
glass bottom OF course, the whole Of the boats
floor is glass; in that case the craft would
be too unsafe The construction cleverly adapts
the principle Of the centreboard box as found in
small yachts. In other words there is long
centreboard box built up watertisht from the bot
tom of the boat. TWO feet wide and one-third
long the vessel and because the walls of this
higher than the outside surface Of the ocean
the water does the boat. a separate
watertght box, fooTed with the finest plategl2sS,
is fitted down into this longitudinal hole so that
the lower surface the glass is always in the
water. and the result is that there are no cross
lights 10 interfere with the view the depths.
Thus the glass has nothing do with the question
of safety, the boat floats equally we'll when the
glass is renoved-as it is each day TO be cleaned.
This cOntrivance in the way OF a vessel is alto
gether local. and is in great demand at these
islands, where there forests and gardens under
meath the lazy Pacific which beautiful
that they seem belong solely the realm of the
imagination If you ever come to this island where
it is always summer you will see about twenty
boats being moved slowly with oars and in every
of them you will find persons acting strangely
They all seated and motionless a their heads
are bowed together. But not in grief. They are
in dream of delight that makes them wholly
oblivous to the ordinary world Of air, clothes and
food. Practically they a hundred feet
down under the surface and in tropical forest
weird grOwths and azure atmosphere. where the
only companion TO be expected would be mermaid
in violet silk.
On leaving the pebbIy beach at the back of the
little harbor the first one learns looking down
through the glass bottom of the boat is that the
in these parts is clear the air; and this
is proved pass slowly over d sUnken news
paper that lies spread out the bottom In thirty
feet OF water the large print can be read with
We passing the anchor chains and
ground tackle Of several dozen yachts and several
hundred small boats SardiHes and other little FISH
CLEAN along In sunlight. For the first time
in lives We in the water as well a. the
fish. and we wonder how any Of them be
foolish to swallow baited hook in this brilliant
Iy lighted region. Suddenly across course there
comes something like extra fash Of light, closely
followed by a dark body, which shoots through
the water ike an arrow. This is explained about
seventy feet of. where huge seal appears and
dimes savagely a 'yeuowtaiL"
Presently we pass out OF the little natural harbos
and follow along the precDitous sides OF tbs island
that extend down a thousand feet Soon q lot OF
leaves sweep the glass below US and obhtsFate
view and then amid the branches below Is SEEN
a 15-inch fish Of bright orange gold and O cry
Of delight arises from the whole party. One more
stroke of the oars and two fish OF brilliant blue
are seen raeandertng through the foliage below
Then beautiful thing, clad in the royal purple Of
Tyre displays himself as pIacidIy as q peacock
Indeed. they all seem ready to be admired "a
peacocks and when they IL Is IN thAtr own
play and through any fear Of the boat.
These were only the first Of the wonde-z and
soon we thought realized that we were 10 soma
sort Of balloon and passing through the top OF a
tropical forest in which the birds In the branches
were all fish Here maoaEVs that were fish
and paroquets and other blazing beauties dtsport-
ing themselves in element that was not sx-
actIy like air. yet like water-for In these violet
depths there was CLINT 70 suggest water
True. some OF the upper branches moved SLOWLY.
but apparently with q breeze from somewhere ana
not owing 10 any current Of water
Yet there was meyer tropical forest lighted Iiza
1Qr the reprodGctlon OF which both the painter and
the juggler of words have alike been hopeIesz
peIIucid depths may be seen in woman,s q eye sSs
We also learned now, and for the first time. that
be correct TO say that there is nothing In bird life
of death was there TOO; for there Law q sEeIet6g
spread out amid the red and green heather which
must have been curiosity-with broad hinder
nlppers or inns, or feet. The bones all
ranged fan-shaped. the joints all in proper place
Evidently skeleton could remain motionless there
till il dissolved into dust. the boatrnan said
were floating in sixty feet Of
We did not quite believe this. The white pattern
or bones did not seem more than twenty fest 1lS-
tanL But the oarsman said: You can COSBY
calculate the different depths by counting tAS
branches, which the yellow leaved trees grow
at about the same dlStSsC e apart all the "stS ~
ana you must not think are IN shtli-F 49,
because near the land This Catalina IL VOlcSits
Island, with peaks , 800 feet clear of the water i
We narvelled. bat held peace as Ae -,
down at the purple beds of sea F-olet5 - -
in broad patches at the roots or the giant s.ysst
which their leaves UP In a JClstf TO- S'lSCtt
the glass of boat Some OF we 4eiNSs -
about a ward long and many were ot Il le-i9 -iH-N
Others were of a shorter, more huSiS 6toNt.r, Re
sernhlina some forms OF cactus q7i!i= OK - evas
emerald VVirging laisureiE through tAe oLeI
spaces between branch and lhlthtt 1l-t ~ AH- -
safety arnoug All the flowers, were many ol ths
cebrateS Golden perch with iridcscenL cue Spots
TnfarsUerSed about their lScarat o'u.ts, ths NULl
dsrs Of the deep seemed 70 have sinaLI lciutsCSiA
h,l6s mat shone out like highly cur DIAMONDS o.
us bS3 hacks ike a Florentine mosaic. and
r,onx, nave local names that are not FOUND IN any
49, Nmere these is the headlight nSh. q ourslsti
'Sn never forgets his dark lantern. Many spect'
rnUz are nov collected in the Avalon aquarium
" aralone Inside calcium shell. which Is
cn1densed and materialized rainbow, this arrnofee
si,e hos the suction power OF hydraulic pump a
ne 7cIings to the rocks This wallowing ana mos
~SnII, ~. t!thit Tor the epiCure IS served up Dy
nature in gorgeous dish Of golden pearl, put N
enemy the devilhsh: for the abalone IS here saN
from the Japanese divers and the perfection or thh
submarine foliage Is protected BY the owners o1tns
iSlsnaa