Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1906-01-05
BENEATH THE SEA.
SOME OF THE WONDERS OF
SUBMARINE EXPLORATION.

| Oe EiuTf , fhuloT OpcHS tHe DOOr 10 udnN
Sub-Aqueous Mysteries es-Giant Crabs, Thrs,
Feet Lons-Snake- Fishes - Wonderful
Colors Developed by the Electric Light
A CHASTITY Sight in Submerged Ship-Na
poleoa's Hundred Million Treasure Ship SunI
in 1908 V.sited-A Wide Field Open to i'm
proved Methods for Submarine Discovery.
Scientific American. Dec. 9.
The disaster which happened to the
French vessel "Sully" not go very Ions
ago, when it went TO the bottom not
far from Saigon, has afforded the
divers intrusted with examination o
the submerged ship opportunities 70,
making exhaustive and important ex
plorations OF the bottom of the sea
In these field of sub-aqueous explor.
alton special distinction has been won
by young naval engineer named De
Plury, who, by the aid OF an apparatus
OF his own invention. succeeded in
reaching a depth OF even more than
336 feet-a depth which had never be.
fore been attained.
DE Plury has invented a kind oil
metal armor which affords him every
protection. while by means of a special
chemical combination, respiration i.
automatically provided for. Thanks
to this, he has already made over lis
most daring descents with perfect safe.
ty. He has thus been able to discover
a most marvellous world, hitherto seen
by no eye but his; the sea bed is a
scene OF marvels 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, "is
something like that which is felt on
descending into mine, but you soon
get accustomed to it. At depth of
about nine feet medusa 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 me.
dus@ will adhere to your face.
"Just little lower down, and q
scintillating multitudinous shoal OF
small fishes is encountered, simmer.
ing like so many strips OF shining cop.
per, or other metal, in q state of con.
tinuous vibration.
"At depth Of about 162 feet thick
masses OF seaweed are traversed; some
OF these are hair-like vegetable growtbs
with arms from 20 to 80 yards in
length, which, with kind OF horrid
vitality wrap themselves round every
part of the body. These alge consti-
tute a grave danger, as they can easily
paralyze the divers movements and,
by risi6g up above and around him,
can weigh him down with a weight
amounting to several hundred weight
sufficient to break q rope or lifeline
when hauled on. Below 162 feet there
are small snake.like fishes OF about
three feet in length, and also other
denizens of the deep resembling dol
phins. These latter hurl Themselves
violently against the diver. If, as al.
ready remarked, 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 it,
four inches of thickness. OF course
should that occur, death would be al
most instantaneous.
"Still other and worse monsters are
the polypi or devil fish, who wrap theil
slimy tentacles round the bold ex.
plorer; but although repugnant, these
monsters are cowardly, and immedi'
ately renounce their attack on COM
ing 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 az three
feet in diameter. Due to their strons
shells and formidable claws, they con
stitute q continual menace to tn,
safety Of the diver, which is by nc
means to be despised. This is about
all that be said on the score of the
deep.sea fauna. The reformation o
fish is not very noticeable at such 9
small depth; by deformstion 1 NEAR
not only change of form, but also o
character. This takes place at deptt
OF about 1904 yards; here their ma
ture changes entirely, and they assume
the forms and constitutional modifica
tions necessary to enable them to beal
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 o.
these submarine creatures, as they
reached the surface with their volume
quadrupled, due 10 the reduction o
pressure. All these creatures are car
nivorous, and their capacious mawl
not unfrequently serve as the tombs o
unfortunate sailors whose ship hai
gone to the bottom, and their bodie,