The Detroit times., 1910-04-16
TO INVESTIGATE
ATLANTIC DEPTHS
Sir John Murray of Challenges
Fame Heading a Scientific
Expedition.

LONDON, April 15.--An interesting
departure from London was Sir John
Murray, X. &. b., the well-known
naturalist, as the head of an expedi-
ton for biological and physiological ex-
animation in the North Atlantic.
Sir John, who is nearly 20 years old,
Is equally well known in America as
here as the naturalist of the Chal-
| lenger expedition of 1S72-lS76 Just
prior TO sailing he received The Times
correspondent. giving brief outline
OF the objects OF his expedition. He
has chartered the Norwegian vessel
Michael Sars, which is entirely manned
| by Norwegian sailors. He expects to
be away four months. He said:
Although know good deal about
the depths of the Atlantic ocean, it's
currents, and its inhabitants, there Is
an enormous field still UNEMPLOYED. My
expedition was undertaken with the
idea of increasing this knowledge
Much is still 10 be learned In the deep
sea. hope that the expedition will
add something TO our knowledge in
this respect.
I'VE shall sail from Plymouth and
begin dredging Immediately shall
run along the coast OF Spain to Gibral-
tar, then along the coast OF Africa to
the Cape Verde Islands and the
Azores, thence TO st. Johns, Newfound-
land and TO Iceland. and come back
to Scotland by the middle OF August.
Il shall make observations al, the
way. | have special dredging appa-
ratus and hope to explore the sea at
a depth of 1900 feet There are four
teen places in the North Atlantic over
three and one-half geographical miles
deep, while in one spot north of the
Virgin Isles the depth Is four and one
half miles, which is so far unexplored.
The present expedition is more in
the nature Of try-out for my new
apparatus, which, If successful, will
lead TO a second and much larger one
being fitted out with new nets, by
which ii will be possible to get animals
which have hitherto been missed.
Il am trying a net similar to those
Used in shallow water, which can be
let down 500 fathoms, opened, and
dragged any distance required, and
then closed, thus possibly obtaining
animals that never rise above that
distance. | also have a new kind OF
water bottle for the purpose of obtain
Ing samples of water at various
tdepths.
THE reason for taking a Norwegian
lcrew is that all are trained men,
whereas English or American seamen
take months to train in this particular
kind of work
Sir John Is warm admirer OF Com
mander Peary, who, he said had a
much more difficult job In reaching the
north pole than any explorer should
have in reaching the south pole, the
reason being, according TO Sir John.
that it is much easier to Journey over
the land than over the frozen sea- He
lsaid:
There is not the slightest reason
why Capt Scott or any one else should
mot get 10 the south pole. | had al
ways believed that the latter would
lie reached long before the north pole.
There Is very little danger attending
texploration in the arctic regions. The
only thing is don't get frozen or fall
down crevasses. or course, one should
be properly equipped and provisioned.
illness is comparatively unknown,
there being none OF the millions OF
microbes which Turk about civilization
ready TO swoop down on one"