Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1906-04-04

ue ul2d9bCl WHICH hdppehcu " luC
French vessel Sully not so very long
ago when it went to the bottom not
far from Saigon has afforded, says
the Scientific American, the divers in
trusted with examination of the sub
merged ship opportunities for making
exhaustive and important explorations
of the bottom of the sea. In these
fields of sub-aqueous exploration spe-
cial distinction has been won by a
young naval engineer named DePlury,
who, by the aid of an apparatus of his
own invention succeeded in reaching
a depth of even more than 1876 feet
depth which had never before been
attained.
De Plury has invented a kind of
metal armor which affords him every
protection, while by means of a special
chemical combination respiration is
automatically provided for Thanks
to this, he has already made more
than lis most daring descents with
perfect safety He has thus been
world hitherto seen by no eye but
his the sea bed is a scene of maryels
combined with no small amount of
tragic horrors.
The first sensation experienced,
said this intrepid diver at a recent in
terview with an Italian journalist,
lis something like that which is felt
on descending into a mine. but you
soon get accustomed to it. At depth
of about nine feet medusae began to
be found in large quantities. Seen
through the water. everything appears
magnifed. and they are apparently
of enormous proportions. All recollec-
ton Of the protection afforded by the
glass front of the helmet is forgotten,
and the first impression is that these
masses of horrid flaccid and Shiny
medusae will adhere to your face
Just a little lower down, and a
scintillating multitudinous shoal OF
small fishes is encountered simmer
ing like so many strips of shining cop
per, or other metal in a state of con
tinuOus vibration
"At depth of about 1862 feet thick
masses of seaweed are trayersed
some of these are hairlike vegetable
growths with arms from twenty to
thirty yards in length. which. with a
hnd of horrid vitality, wrap them
selves round every part of the body.
These algae constitute a grave danger,
as they can easily paralyze the divers
movements and, by rising up above
and around him, can weigh ham down
with 4 weight amounting to several
hundred -weight-sufficien to break a
rope or lifeline when hauled on.
Below t62 feet there are small
snake-like fishes of about three feet in
length, and also other denizens OF the
deep resembling dolphins These
latter hurl themselves violently
against he diver. If as already re-
marked, he is somewhat young at the
game, and has forgotten the protec-
ton afforded by his helmet, he is still
filled with mortal dread lest they
should succeed in smashing the glass
front of the helmet despite its four
inches of thickness. OF course, should
that occur. death would be almost in
Simultaneous.
Still other and worse monsters
are the polypi or devilfish, VINO wrap
their Shiny tentacles round the bold
explorer; but although repugnant,
these monsters are cowardly, and i'm
mediately renounce their attack on
coming in contact with the unfamiliar
feel of the metal armor plating of my
diving dress. There are also equally
horrible and much more intrepid,
giant crabs Some of those / have
seen have measured as much as three
feet in diameter, Due to their strong
shells and formidable claws they con
stitute a continual menace to the
safety of the diver which is by no
means to be lespised.
I'll his is about all that can be said
on the score of the deep sea fauna
The reformation of fish is not very
noticeable at such a small depth: by
reformation | mean not only change
of form. but also of character. This
takes place at depth af about 094
yards; here their nature change en-
tirely and they assume the fcrms
and constitutional notifications u 1ces-
sary to enable them to bear the
enormous pressure to which they are
subjected at the depth where they
move and have their being.
Hitherto it has been quite impos-
sible to obtain living specimens ot
these submarine creatures, as they
reached the surface with their vol
ume quadrupled due to the reduction
of pressure All these creatures are
carniyorous, and their capacious
maws not infrequently serve as the
tombs of unfortunate sailors whose
ships have gone down. and their bod
les gradually sink deeper and deeper,
while the formidable pressure to
which they are subjected in an in
creasing intensity soon smasfes all
their bones. and finally brushes the
eorpses quite fiat But enough; suf-
fee It to say that this '.wfu1 spectacle
is scarcely visible af.er a depth OF
thirty feet
zone curious fact attending these