The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-05-02
ny CLEVELAND MOFFETT.

THERE is no more remarkable
fishing in the world than that
Il done by the United States
steamer Albatross. a glistening
white craft of less than a thousand
tons, manned by force Of blue
jackets and presided over by ocean
ographers and biologists from various
museums and universities, who face
perils and discomforts in many seas
in pursuit of strange creatures Of the
deep.
The Albatross fishes with line
three miles long, often four miles long.
sometimes six miles long or over. a
line of slender cable. but wonderfully
strong, rolled Off a deck winch by a
suffering steam engine, that will
bring up from the ocean floor a three
or four ton haul OF sponges. crinoids,
jelly fish, sea urchins, giant crabs.
long white worms that break in two IL
you touch them, phosphorescent trees
Oreally animals). sea cucumbers with
hideous heads, star fish. devil fish.
pelican fish. lantern fish, sharks teeth,
whales ear bones. sea cows ribs and
scores of other extraordinary things.
The Albatross follows no beaten
paths of commerce. She goes where
other vessels rarely go. She explores
forgotten corners OF the seven seas.
drops her great nets by day and by
night, takes hundreds of soundings in
uncharted waters and after a cruise
of months brings home her trophies
for final safekeeping in Jars filled with
alcohol and labelled with Greek and
Latin names. This sort of work she has
been doing for thirty-odd years, ever
since George w. Baird designed her
engines for the United States fisheries
that the Albatross was the first steel
steamer built in America.
For details of work done aboard the
Albatross and of strange creatures
brought up by her fYom the depths of
the ocean I am indebted to DR.. Austin
II. Clark Of the Washington National
Museum. who was the scientist in
charge of this interesting vessel dur
ing one of her recent cruises in the
Pacific. From the Boring Sea to the
waters east of Corea they zigZagged
back and forth during many m nths,
making hundreds of hauls and sound
ings and bringing up deep sea speci-
mems that will keep men busy for
months sorting them and classifying
them.
When you talk with an oceanog-
rapher like DR.. Clark, man of broad
vision and extensive knowledge, you
realize that his speciality Is the con-
rerging point Of many sciences. pale
ontology. geology. zoology, botany.
chemistry and physics. He will ex-
plain 10 you how life first originated
in the shallow waters of the seashore,
spreading hence out over the surface
of the sea and down into its depths.
into the fresh waters and out over
the land. He will point out the great
desirability Of a fuller knowledge OF
the ocean with its immense food sup
ply and its wealth Of material prod
ucts, at present largely neglected
through ignorance Of their Importance
10 humanity.
las the earth's agricultural and
mineral resources become fully de-
veloped or partly exhausted" said DR..
Clark, man will realize more and
more the vast untouched resources of
the sea and, turning to these, will
find relief from the increasing diff
culties of existence. That is the chief
object Of our oceanograph!c work-to
study and set forth the economic i'm
portance of the sea"
Every day, when the Albatross is
working in favorable waters. the trawl
net is lowered and dragged along for
hours at a depth of one mile or two
miles or three miles or four miles;
then it is lifted to the deck and its
contents are dumped into receiving
sieves. where the mud is washed out
and the treasures Of the sea are sepa-
rated.
Among the strangest creatures
brought up from great depths, some
times as great as three miles, are the
lilies that eat meat" hungry
mouthed animals that have the form
Of beautiful plants with gracefully
branching arms and brilliant colors.
These crinoids, as they are scientifi-
cally known, spread miles over the
floor Of the ocean in vast swaying
gardens, all red or all yellow at great
depths, but in the higher levels
Astounding in many gorgeous pinks
and puppies, blues and crimsons.
Never was there an animal so lack
ing in any immediate usefulness as
the crinoid. 1t cannot move, it has no
eyes, it makes no attack, and it does
no harm. 1t simply eats, playing the
part of universal scavenger of the
seas, catching all food that falls
through the waters, animal and vege-
table, in its ten or more waving arms
each of which has a long groove lined
with propulsive hairs, that work the
food along in the manner of n NOV
ing stairway to a central mouth and
stomach.
This stomach lies between the bases
Of the arms, which rest either upon a
long stalk or upon two or three dozer