El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-08-02

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island of Cuba.
vast Holes in the Sea.
During the last few years the oceans
4 have been sounded with modern appll-
ances in nearly all parts Of the world,
and by this means il has been ascer-
tanned that their floors form a vast
undulating plain lying at an average
depth of about two and half miles
below the surface Of the waves In
some places huge ridges Submerged
mountain ranges) and volcanic cones
rise from the plain 10 within a few
fathoms of the surface, or may even
emerge above the waves as islands
Bermuda is a small group Of such vol
canic peaks, lofty enough to appear
above the surface
On the other hand, there are IN some
places great depreSsions in the sea
floor The most remarkable of these
in the Atlantic bottom, IS Mares Deep,
already mentioned. The greatest one
in the Indian ocean IS W harTOn Deep,
between Christmas island and the coast
Of Java. where sOUndings have recorded
four and One-third miles. But the most
tremendous hole to be found anywhere
is in the Pacific, not far to the south
east of the little island Of Guam There,
at a point where the 18th parallel of
north latitude meets meridian 146 east
Lieut.. H NJ. Hodges. on November 1S,
1889, cast a lead from the .. S. S Nero,
and found bottom at a depth OF only 66
feet short of six miles
Are Deen Sea Mysteries.
Naturalists today are obliged to con-
fess that they know almost nothing
about the fauna Of these deeps- IN
truth, it may be said that three-fOurths
of the earth's surface remains as yet
unexplOred, because covered by miles
of water. All of this aqueous territory
IS a region of mystery, inhabited by
strange and fantastic creatures The
term fantastic. as applied to them, IS
not inappropriate, inasmuch as their
forms in many cases are such as might
properly present themselves in
once in a while a deep sea animal
finds its way by accident to the sur
face, and is found dying or dead; and
that science has derived what small
knowledge Of the larger depth fauna 1t
possesses
Shark 60 Feet Long.
On one occasion the Z. S. S. Alba
trOss passed through many miles of
water over which cuttlefishes Of deep
sea species. about the size Of a water
pail, were scattered by ten of thOus-
andS. All of them without. exception
We're more or less mutllated, and 1t
was evident that in the depths below
they were being attacked by some
enemy and destroyed wholesale These
cuttles are known to be the faVOrlte
prey Of abyssal sharks in whose
have been found great num-
bers of their parrot like beaks. IN
digested. Some OF the deep sea sharks
come to the surface occasionally to
feed. and one of them, of eel like form,
attains length of so feet.
Undoubtedly a creature of the great
depths is the giant squid. already men
toned which is by far the largest of
all cuttlefishes. A full grown speci-
men weighs 10000 pounds. Its body
is so feet long. and besides eight small
sr tentacles. IL has two great ones for
purposes of attack each of them 100
feet in length. Thus the total length
Of the creature is not less than $50
feet Swimming backward in its Gus
-Omary manner, by expelling water
from its siphOn- with its huge tail out
1ulating over the waves behind, this
formidable monster might easily be
taken for a sea serpent. Though it
appears at the surface very rarely It ]
may not be an uncommon species down
below.
Ocean Floor Great Desert.
The ocean floor is an interminabIe |
desert of grayish OOze, largely COM !
posed Of minute shells, in which, if !
Dne were to walk over it, the feet would !
sink deeply. There is no plant life |
whatever, even the sea lilies being
merely animals resembling flowers in |
appearance. It is believed that most of |
the deep sea animals-not the fishes, !
out lower fOrms-live by eating the
1oze Of mud of the bottom, digesting |
he organic matter it contains The /
many Of which are of gi- !
5antic size, are the common prey of !
sharks and other rapacious fishes.
The total absence of light in the