The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1906-01-03

y pened TO the French YES
B q sci "Sully" not SO very
4 = long ago, when it went to
TczS the bottom not far from
Saigon, has afforded the divers intrust-
ed with examination of the submerged
ship opportunities for making exhaust
i've and important explorations of the
bottom of the sea. In these fields of
sub-aqueous exploration special dis
tinction has been won by a young
naval engineer named De Plury. who.
by the aid of au apparatus of his own
invention, succeeded in reaching a
depth OF even more than 33G feet--a
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 special
chemical combination, respiration is
automatically provided for. Thanks
to this. he has already made over l15
most daring descents with perfect
safety. lie has thus been able to
discover most marvellous world.
hitherto seen by no other eye but his;
the sea bed is scene of marvels com
bined w.th no small amount of tragic
horrors
THE first sensation experienced,
said this intrepid diver at recent in
teryiew with an Italian journalist. "ls
something like that which is felt oil
descending into a mine, but you soon
get accustomed to it. At a depth of
about nine feet medusae began to be
found in large quantities. Seen through
the water, everything appears magni-
fed. and they are apparently of enor-
nous proportions. All recollection of
the protection afforded by the glass
front of the helmet IS forgotten, and
TIE first impression is that these
masses Of horrld haccid and Shiny
medusae will adhere TO your face.
Just little lower down. and a
scintillatlng mutitudinous shoal of
small fishes is encountered. simmer
ing Ike so many strips of shining
copper. or other metal. in i state Of
continuous vibration.
AT a depth of about 1872 feet thick
masses of seaweed are traversed; some
of these are halr-like vegetable
growths. with arms from 20 to 80
yards in length. which, with 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 above and
around him, can weigh him down with
weight amounting TO several hun
sufficient TO break a rope
or life line when hauled on. Below
l62 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 the
diver If. as already remarked. he is
somewhat young at the game, and
has forgotten the protection afforded
by his helmet. he is still filed with a
mortal dread lest they should sue
seed in smashing the glass front of
the helmet despite its four inches of
thickness. OF course, should that oc-
cur. death would be almost instantan-
eous
"Stlll other and worse monsters are
the polypi or devil fish, who 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 other 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 constitute
continual menace 10 the safety OF
the diver, which is by no means to be
despised This is about all that cal
be said on the score of the deep-se5
fauna. The reformation of fish il
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 abou
1904 yards; here their nature changes
entirely, and they assume the forms
and constitutional notifications neces
sary to enable them to bear the enOr
nous pressure TO which they are sub
jected Mt the depth where they mOY,
and have their being.
Hitherto it has been quite impos
siblc TO obtain living specimens o
these submarine creatures, as the.
reached the surface with their volum
quadrupled. due to the reduction o
pressure. All these creatures are ear
niyorous. and their capacious NAV
not unfrequently serve as the tomb
OF unfortunate sailors whose ship ha
gone TO the bottom, and their bOdie
gradually sink deeper and deeper
while the formidable pressure {
which they are subjected in an in
creasing intensity soon smashes al
but their bones, and finally crushe
the corpses quite hat But enough
suffice it to say that this awful spec
tacle is scarcely visible after dept
Of 30 feet.
One curious fact attending these sui
marine explorations Is afforded by th
light, which forms u strange bleu
OF green and violet light, the colo
being 4 little similar 10 that of the cay
erns which are to be seen IN iceberg
AT depth of 81 yards the light b'
gins to get more and more diffuset
and the sun viewed through the mas