The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1905-04-28

. size until they resembled potatoes,
| finally dwindling to peas. The aver
! age depth was 200 fathoms, or 10000
feet "a little over two miles. There
are parts of the ocean which have
been sounded to 1000 fathoms; so it
is apparent that this is not to be
regarded as low bottom. This five
mile depth is found Immediately off
| the coast of South America at the
foot of the coast mountain peaks
| which are the highest.
grhe ocean plateu of which Pro-
| fessor Agassiz brings back an ac-
J count he found to be almost as level
ass billiard board. The daily sound
ings showed hardly 200 fathoms vari-
alton in 1000 miles, from the depth
of 1000 fathoms.
| On this vast plain not a vestige
| of plant or animal life is to be found.
The bottom was explored for life in
vain. and even the surface life which
generally teens in almost incredible
abundance was absent. The travis
and nets came up empty.
Over all this great plateu is prac-
| tically dead water.
On the eastern edge of this plateau.
off the coast of the northern part
of South America. and not far from
the Galapagos islands, Professor
Agassiz found teeming animal life.
And the strangely mingled characte
of it was at first puzzling, until it
was found that it was borne in the
Humboldt current from the cold
regions OF the Antarctic ocean, min
Cling with the tropic life of that To-
cality.
1t was necessary, in plotting the
ocean desert, to trace and make al
lowances for this and one or two
other currents bearing forms of life
in the surface waters. But when the
Albatross had proceeded about 500
miles from the western coast of
South America this current was lost,
and the waters over the volcanic
plateau We're found TO be destitute of
| all animal and vegetable life.
1t should be stated that in all other
parts of the ocean bed the bottom
is found covered with various forms
of ooze. This is mud, and great
quantities of decaying plant and ami
NAL forms. which have fiourished in
the regions near the surface, within
the range of light, and then dying,
have gone to this general ocean
grave yard" AS the depth increa SEES
the water becomes greatly colder.
/ dropping as much as 80 degrees In 200
! fathoms. so that the bottom water is
like dark refrigerator, in which
| bodies of animals and plants are pre-
served for great lengths of time.
Professor Agassiz is Of opinion that
there is little or no life on the floor
of the deep ocean, and that the forms
brought up by Investigators have
been the dead and dying. which have
| persisted and started to their graves.
Briefly the explorer attributes the
absence of life in the dead ocean to
the fact that there are absolutely
no currents In the area. But why
the currents are absent is something
that Is as yet unexplainable.
Easter island. 2200 miles from the
Galapagos islands. in line south
west from them. and 1900 miles dis
tant from the nearest land. Manga
rava island to the northwest. Is a
part and incident in this deep sea
desert.
1t Is the most isolated known bit
of the earth's surface. being so cut
of from the world that II never has
acquired other forms of plant life
than a few crude grasses 1t has no
wood, no shrubs; no flowers or vege-
tables: only coral, and 1t is regarded
as "A mystery whence this came.