The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1914-07-30
The Secrets of the Sea.
Troy Chapman Andrews, in the August Popu
lar Mechanics Magazinel

Troy Chapman Andrews, in the August Popu-
lar Mechanics Magaznel
We hear much on land exploration, of
expeditions leaving day by day to place
mans record in some unknown part of
the world, but little is told of the ex-
ploration of the ocean bottom where the
vast plains and mountain chains covered
miles deep with water are being mapped
and charted and are yielding to the up
per world the strangest creatures of ma
ture. Yet this work is being carried on
in almost every sea of the globe, quietly
and persistently, although almost un-
known except to the scientific world and
"those who 60 down to the sea in ships !"
For years Americas place in these i'm
portant operations has been held by the
''Albatross, an iron, twin-screw steam
er of 1000 tons displacement, built for
the United States Fish Commission in
1883 and fitted with apparatus for ma
rine work of every description. Its
equipment includes sounding machines
for ascertaining the depth of the water
and character of the bottom, dredges
for obtaining fish and other animals
from the greatest depths, apparatus for
shall0wWater Investigations, and COM
plete laboratory where specimens may
be identified and packed, and scientific
studies carried on.
The most important work which the
"Albatross" has done, and that for
which it is best equipped, is deep-sea
sounding and dredging. 1t is by means
of soundings patiently taken one by one
that almost every important submerged
-: hnn lof
ted and that we know the materials
which cover the ocean floor.
In the great depths the water is just
above the freezing point, no matter
When the "Albatross' was in the Dutch
temperature OF 10 degrees F. the men
who sorted out the specimens in the bot
tom of the dredge net were dressed in
the thinnest of gauze undershirts, but
wore long mittens to protect their hands
and arms from the ice-cold mud. This
was great comfort, too, in that blister
ing heat, for a cool drink could be OBJ
tanned in very few minutes by burylng
a bottle in the mud, no matter how hot
the sun which was blazing down upon US.
By means of register the number of
feet of wire which has run out before
bottom is found is indicated, and this is
reported to the officer in CT arge. Thus
at every sounding the depth of the
water, its temperature and specific
gravity at the bottom as compared with
that at the surface, and the character OF
the ocean floor are learned, and the chart
prepared accordingly. The deepest sound
ing which has yet been MADE by any ship
was in the Pacific Ocean between the
Hawaiian Islands and Japan and showed
a depth Of IL miles.
There are two styles of dredges by
means of which the animals and fish OF
the great depths are captured-the nets
which are dragged over the bottom and
those trawled just below the surface.
The bottom dredge consists of pair of
heavy iron running frames connected by
one or two crossbars, II feet in length.
Fastened to this frame is cone-shaped
bag 80 feet long, made of heavy web, the
end of which is closed by flashing. The
dredge is hung over the starboard side
Of the ship on a long boom and By means
of a steel cable is slowly lowered to the
ocean bottom. A dial indicates the mum
Der of feet of wire out, and pointer on
y scale shows the strain, which often
amounts to five or six tons, upon the
cable. When the dredge has reached
the bottom the ship steams ahead at
about two-thirds of mile an hour, drag
ging the net over the ocean floor. 1t re-
mains down for an hour or so, and is
then slowly lifted to the surface. The
deepest haul which the ''Albatross' has
ever made was IL miles, and it was II
hours from the time the dredge was first
lowered until it again appeared. The net
is towed beside the ship for few min
utes, then it is swurg on board. the
Iashings at the bottom untastened and
the contents dropped upon table. The
ice-cold mud is carefully washed away
and the specimens carried to the labo-
ratory.
1t is like opening Christmas package
for a naturalist to watch the dredge
come to the surface bringing unknown
treasures from the hidden depths. Strange
fish are found which carry incandescent
lamps far in front of them to light their
way in the inky blackness miles below
the surface; others with phosphorescent
spots along their sides which must glow
like the portfolios of a steamer at night;
still others with their eyes upon long
stalks or with no eyes at all. And, poor
things, when released from the terrible
pressure to which they have become &C
customed, their eyes often pop from
their heads and their stomachs turn in
side out