The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-03-16

The Sargasso Sea is one OF the baf-
fling mysteries of nature. 1t Is pop
ularly believed that this phenomenon
Is the graveyard of mighty fleet of
dead ships, and fictionists have made
much OF Its suggestions of romance,
tragedy and lost treasure. When
Christopher Columbus was sailing to-
ward America he encountered the
Sargasso Sea. He recorded In his
journal that they began to see many
tufts of grass which were very green
and appeared to have been quite re-
Gently torn from the land" Upon
sight of this phenomenon his sailors
exclaimed that the very sea itself was
turning into land In order to retard
his progress This vast expanse of
weedy sea Is very little less of mys-
terry to the present generation than
II was to Columbus. AS far as science
Is able to tell us. the Sargasso Sea is
practically the same to-day as when
1t was first discovered, and Is perhaps
the only one of the larger aspects of
nature which has not undergone some
change since that time.
Its area is still definitely underlined.
and the cause of its weedy deposit is
still in dispute 1t has remained a
battling ground for scientists all these
years. and has developed into source
of delight for imaginative writer's. 1t
il situated In the North Atlantic
Ocean. and is similar in shape to an
egg. the large end being toward Flor
ida. 1t reaches from longitude 10
to longitude 40, being about six hun
miles southwest of the Azores. Its
width lies between latitude 20 and
latitude 35. The Bermuda Islands
are the only body of land within its
area, they being near its northwest
edge. 1t is estimated to be about
10000 square miles in extent.
Tn Sargasso Sea has been likened
to q basin of water with light sub
stances floating upon its surface.
When this basin is given a circular
motion the mass gathers in the center
where there is the least disturbance.
TIL Sargasso Sea is the center of the
body of water enclosed in the circle
formed by the Joining of the Gulf
stream current and the equatorial
current.
The sargasso Sea is covered with
masses OF yellow brown seaweed.
Each stalk has little air bladders,
which enable the plant to remain at
the surface of the water This weed
usually is seen in long. parallel rows,
which stretch away In the direction
OF the prevailing winds. Sometimes it
becomes so packed as to form island
like patches These are to be found
mostly in the western part of the sea,
and are seldom over a hundred feet
in diameter, although fields several
acres in extent occasionally are seen.
1t Is believed that near the center of
the sea these areas become larger
This weed serves to keep the water
calm even though a heavy wind Is
blowing.
Where this great supply of seaweed
comes from is a mooted question.
Some believe that 1t grows at the bot
tom OF the sea directly beneath the
area In which It Is seen. This theory
has been discredited by scientists
making soundtngs which showed no
growths whatever at the bottom. 9th
ers believe that the plant grows on the
surface of the water, each branch
that breaks off from the parent steam
becoming an independent plan. This
theory also has been discredited. The
greater number OF scientists cling to
the belief that the weed In habitat of
the Gulf of Mexico, as 1t has been
found attached to rocks at the bottom
in most parts Of II. Their theory is
that the seeds al this. plant becouae
attached TO rocks in the manner usual
to all algae. When the plant has OBJ
tanned q considerable size II offers
greater resistance 10 the progress of
the continual current than the stalk
will stand, and consequently is broken
on. II then rises TO the surface and
= swept Onward BY the stream until