The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1906-07-27
Strange Sig hts in Oceans Depths.

Strange Sig in Oceans Depths
Science-ever vigiIant, irrepressiblt
and mitable--rcpresents the greatest
embodiment of curiosity known to man
1t is animated with the same enthusiasm
which charactcrizes child perusing al
| illustrated volume of chronicles of fairy,
land. Its dreams always are of the
wonderful; records of the performances
which appear as miracles to the lay eye
constitute its literature. But while It
dreams, it never sleeps. 1t has more
eyes than had the tabled Argus. and
when its drcam-images assume the forms
of great natural truths, it leaps upon
them with the agility of a catamount.
1t is, of course, from the hunting ground
afforded by the surface of the earth that
the great bulk of the trophies of science
have been taken, but by means of the
telescope it has reached out into the
regions of the infinite and tilched from
other worlds than ours many wonderful
truths for its great trophy hall.
But upon our own planet there are
hundreds Of lurking places of great secrets
which Science has not yet been able to
enter. Among these not the least inter
esting are the mysterious depths of our
oceans. Here science can see no more
than is visible through the glass iii the
helmet of the deep-sca diver.
Owing to the pressure Of water on sub
merged bodies, it is still impossible for
men to descend to any great depth in the
sea, and until some diving apparatus is
invented that will make it practicable
for divers to go deeper than they have
hitherto gone most of the wonders of the
submarine world must remain unknown
to man.
In the course of the last ten years, how
ever, there has been n marked improve :
ment in diving apparatus. and the
glimpses that divers have obtained of
deep sea life have been sufficient 70 inspire
craving for more comprehensive views
In a recent article on this subject, Which
appeared in the Scientific American, at
tention was directed to the achievement
of young naval engineer named DcPlurv
who, with the aid of apparatus of his
own invention, descended to a depth Of
more than three hundred and thirty-six
feet beneath the surface of the sea. Prior
to this, two hundred and four feet was
about as deep as any diver had vcntured
In relating his experience to an Italian
journalist, DePlury described some
marvellous views which he had obtained
of hitherto unexpiored ocean depths.
This account, as translated for the Scion
tiric American, was as follows:
The first sensation experienced is
something like that which is felt on de-
scending into mine, but you soon get
accustomed to it. At comparatively
shallow depth medusae begin to be found
in large quantities.
'Seen through the water, every thing
appears magnihed, and they are ap-
parently of enormous proportions. All
recollection of the protection afforded by
the glass front of the helmet is forgotten
and the first impression is that these
masses of horrid fiaccid and Shiny ne
dusac will adhere to your face.
lust little lower down, and scin-
tilIating multitudinous shoal of small
fishes is encountered, shimme1ing like SO
many strips of shining copper, or other
metal, in state of continuous vibration.
"At depth of about one hundred and
sixty-two feet thick masses of seawecd
are traversed some of these are hairlike
vegetable growths, with arms from
twenty to thirty yards i'll length, which,
with a kind of horrid vitality, wrap
themselves 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 him down with a
burden amounting to several hundred
weight-sufhcient to break a rope or life
line when hauled on.
Below one hundred and sixty-two feet
there are small snakelike fishes of about
three feet in length. and also other deni-
zens OF the deep resembling dolphins.
These latter hurl themselves violently
against the diver. If, as already remark
ed, he is somewhat young at the game,
and has forgotten the protection afforded
by his helmet, he is still filed 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 instantaneous.
Still other and worse monsters are
the polypi or devilfsh, who wrap their
Shiny tentaclcs round the bold explorer;
but although repugnant, these monsters
are cowardly, and Immediately renowned
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. Owing
to their strong shells and formidable
claws, they constitute continual menace
to the safety of the diver.
This is about all that can be said on
the score of the deep sea fauna. The de-
formation of fish is not very noticeable
at such a small depth; by reformation l
mean not only change of form. but also
of character. This takes place at depth
of about one thousand yards; here their
nature changes entirely, and they assume
the forms and constitutional modifica.
tions necessary 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 impossible
to obtain living specimens of these sub
marine creatures, as they reach the sur
face with their volume quadrupled, due
to the reduction of pressure.
All these creatures are carnivorous.
and their capacious maws not infrequent-
" serve as the tombs of unfortunate
sailors whose ships have gone down.
IL, n ,,I Iaana,-