The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-03-13
SIX MILES OF WATER
IN PACIFIC OCEAN
Several Places Deeper Than the Height
of Earth's Highest Mountains
Metals Will Sink.

There may be depths in the ocean |
greater than any Yet sounded because |
| it is only in selected places and along !
certain lines that systematic deepsea |
S0undings have been made. On the !
other hand, the souaaings have re
vealed 50 much Of the general c0ntig /
uration Of the sea bottoms that it does |
not appear probable that any consid !
cradle dcpressions exist in any Of the |
navigahle oceans that are not already
/ known. It is not likely that greater
depths exist in any ocean than he
= Nero Deep, near the island OF
( Guam, in the Pacific ocean, where the
plummet sinks 5,26S fathoms, or u 600
feet (onlv 50 feet less than six miles,
II is not ullateresting TO note that
Just rs the largest continent Asia, has
The highest mountain elevation 50 the
largest ocean, the Pacific, has the deep
est depression. Mount Everest, thrown
into the " Nero Deep, would have its
summit covered by nearly 1900 feet
Of water. The mean estimated depths
Of the three great oceans are: Pacific.
1910 feet Indian, - SIS feet; Allan
tie, 70 $50 feet The profoundest hole
in the Atlantic is the Brownson Deep,
in the Porto Rico Trench, where thu
bottom sinks to depth OF 27,366 feet
Mount Everest dropped into that cav
itv would lift its head nearly $500
feet above sea level.
L is a singular fact that Just as tie
: lofticst peaks are found III mountain
ranges, and not isolated. so The deep
est dcprossions Of the ocean exist in
/ long trenches, which are cut ike fur
! rows in the sea bottom. The greatest
known trench OF this kind runs through
Tie western part of the Pacific from
a point northeast O. Japan to the Nero
e Deep already described. distance Of
2 at least 2,t0o miles.
Howeyeg, thc;s is not all one unbro-
= ken tIcach. but rather = series Of fnr.
: rows more or less closely connected.
I ara bcais@ different names. Two Of
G the holes along this line are respcc-
9 tive, -, 100, ana 27930 feet deep.
s South of the equator ia the Pacific
! are the Toaga and karrpadcc trenches
] with tueasugcd, JepthS cf 30,l3G and
0 30,G30 feet rAc least Of these is i
thousand feet deeper ,han Noun;
I Everest is high
= II thecqtsans were dried up the at
! yuSt basins thus left empty and If the
!. animal kingdom managed to remain o.
the plane it would have to migrate
down into the depressed world vawning
al around it where il would find IN
familiar valleys. plains. CANYONS alo
mountains, but after all il could uo'
/ continue To exist there, for there would
lie no iiycrs no rains and no vegeta
q which the creatures had descended
Il would be covered with Il thin. dry, cole
IS air, which in itself would he inimica
j. to life.
In regard Il the sinking Of metal
in water there is persistent misun
ie derstanding Not only lead bur alumni
s. aum as we'll, would sink to the utter
ic most bottom Of the sea The ebnfu
-ion Of thought on this subject prob
- ably arises from the general know
:, ledge that the pressure rapidly in
creases with increase Of depth Q
el water. If the density Of the water a
Il 50 increased in proportion. poil
he might be reached where body tha
I'll ank near the smfaee would lowe
e. Town, be buoyel up with suffcien
force to keep il in suspension.
1T But in fact water is 50 slightly con
ia eressible that 4 depth Of mile
is cubic foot Of sea water, which weigh
u. about 60 pounds at the surface, woni
have it's weight increased by onl
.c- light ounces, although the pressul
he would be increased to a good lie:
n more than a ton Per sluarc inch.
ii The whole principle rests upon tn
~ faet that when Q solid is put int
~. water il displaccs a volume of waite
IL .qual in weight to It's (the solid 81 ow
to weight. and il the immersion is con
ID ,leie the volume or bulk, Of water Iii
re- placed equals that of the solid.