Metropolis weekly gazette. (Metropolis, Ill.) 1???-19??, 1914-10-02
IN DEEPEST WATER
Secrets of the Sea Are Revealed
In Dredges.
Explorations OF the Oceans Floor
Made--Stranse Fish Brought TO
the Surface succunb Al Once
to Changed Pressure.

y
part of the world. but little Is told OF
the exploration 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 upper world the stran-
J gest creatures OF nature. Yet this
work is being carried on In almost
every sea OF the globe. quietly and
persIstentiy. although almost unknown
except to the scientific world and
those who 90 down 10 the sea In
ships" says Popular Mechanics.
For years Americas place In these
important operations has been held BY
the Albatrosa. an iron. twin screw
steamer OF 1000 tons displacement
built for the United Status fish com
mission IN 1889 and fitted with ap-
paratus for marine work OF every de-
scription. Its equipment includes
machines for aseerfaining the depth OF
the water and character OF the bot
tom. dredgas for obtaining Dish and
other animals from the greatest
depths. apparatus for shallow water In
vestigations and a complete labora-
tory. where specimens may be ieenti-
fed and packed and scientific studies
carried on
The most important work which the
Albatross has done. and that for which
II Is best equipped. i deep sea sound
ing and dredging II Is BY means OF
soandings patiently taken one by one
that almost every Important sub
merged mountain chain and peak has
been plotted and that We know the
materials which cover the ocean floor
In the great depths the water ~ just
above the freezing point, no matter
what its temperature Al the surface.
when the Aibatrosa, was Ia the Dutch
East Indies and we were working In
a temperature OF 10 degrees Fsbren-
helt. tho men who sorted cut the speci-
mems in the bo.tori OF the dredgs net
were dressed IN the thinnest Of gauxe
undershirts. but wore long mlttens 10
protect their hands and arms from the
ice cold mud This was a great com
fort. too. IN that bllsterlnf heat. for
cool drink could be- obtained In very
few minutes By burying a bottle ia the
mud, ns.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 be-
fore bottom Is found II Indicated. and
this Il reported to the oficer IN.
charge. Thus az every sounding the
depth Of the water. it's temperature
and specific gravity ~ the bottom as
compared with that At the snrfare.
and the character OF the ocean floor
are learned. and the chart prepared
accordingly. The deepest sounding
which has yet been made by any ship
was IN the Pacific ocean between the
Hawaiian islands and Japan and
showed depth Of six and onehalf
miles.
There are two styles OF dredges BY
means 81 which the animals and nnh
OF the great depths are captured--the
nets which are dragged over the bot
tom and those tra~led Just below the
surface The bottom dredge consists
OF pair OF heavy iron running frames
connected by one. o. two erossbars.
twelve feet In length. Fastened to'this
frame 10 eoueshaped bag 30 feet
long. made Of heavy web. the end Of
which is closed BY a iashing. The
dredge IL hung over the starboard side
OF the ship on along boom ant by
means OF 9 steel cable Is slowly low
credit the ocean bottom. A dial In
dicates the number OF feet OF wire
out, and a pointer on scale shows
the strain, which often amounts 10
Ave or SIX tons. upon the cable,
AS sson az the dredge has reached
at about twofhirds OF a mile an
hour, dragging tho net oyer The ocean
floor. IL remains down for an hour or
40, and 10 then slowly lifted 10 the
surface. The deepest haul which the
Albatross has ever made was I'VE and
one-haf miles, and IL was IL hours
from the time the dredge was first
lowered until Il again appeared = The
net is toweds beside the ship for a
Few minutes. then II Is swung on
board, the lashings at the bottom un.
fastened and the contents dropped up
on table The Ice cold mud IN
carefully washed away and the speci-
mems carried TO the laboratory.
II is Ike opening Christmas pack
age for a naturalist TO watch the
dredge come to the surface bringing
unknown treasures from the hidden
depths. Strange fish are.found which
carry incsndescent lamps far in front
OF them TO light their way In the inky
blackness miles below the surface:
others with phosphorescent ~ OTIS
along their sides which must glow like
the portfolios Of steamer at night:
still others. with their eyes upon long
stalks or with no eyes al all And.
poor things, when released from the
terrible pressure to which they have
become accustomed. their eyes often
pop out az their heads snd their stom-
achs, turn inside out
Faetieleus Shopper. u