New Britain herald., 1922-07-07
INVENTION TELLS
 OF OCEAN DEPTH
New Device Measures Sound From
 Ship to Bed and Back

Washington. July 7.--An invention of great importance has been contrib uted to the science of the sea througN the discovery and development by the navy of radio sounding device for registering ocean depths The new de- vice was tried out on cruise of the destroyer Stewart from Newport and Gibraltar and proved a complete sue cess, registering automatically and in- simultaneously depths ranging from 2,40o to 2S.0o0 feet.
 Acting Secretary Roosevelt an nounced today the facts of the n- vention and the results of the service test, talking with enthusiasm about lit.
 Tries Out Device.
 pr. Harvey c. Hayes, physicist Of the naval engineering station at An napolis, Is the designer of the ap- paratus. and went on the Stewart to test It. He has cabled to the depart ment that the experiment was a com plete success and is now on his way home to give a detailed report.
 The apparatus is simple in opera ton and measures the time it takes for a sound from ship to reach the Ibed of the ocean and return Sound from an oscillator, installed in the aft part of the ship, is projected against the ocean bed and rebounds. being re- ceived by sensitive ears in the for ward part of the ship. The elapsed time is automatically measured. ] high frequency vibration in dia- phraghm, which is in contact with the water. The high note carries many miles, while the receiver also can de- tect signals from great distances.
 Said Nr Roosevelt today:
 This invention is truly remark able one. It has taken a long time to chart ocean. routes and survey the ocean. to learn some of its depths. Many of its depths have never been determined. Even where known depths are shown on Photographic charts. it has been necessary to heave the lead. Vessels using this invention will not have to use the lead. The de- vice automatically records the depth, in deep or shallow water, and does it instantaneously.. It will revolution ize sailing and navigation. It will enable us easily to find the depth of the ocean where it is now unde- termined It is altogether probable, | after ocean depths have been better mapped that the use of this device will enable ships to determine their positions at sea merely by sounding the ocean depths.
 During the cruise Of the Stewart [, to Gibraltar exhaustive tests of the sounding appartus were carried on. Daily reports were made by radio to the navy department The repofts show that during the whole bruise the worked without apparent error. The machine secured correct and rapid soundings with ease.
 "The Stewart made the cruise in nine days. During4that time over nine hundred soundings were taken at frequencies, varying between two and 20 minutes.
 The destroyer's movements while steaming steadily at IS knots were not interfered with except for a two hours interval. During this period it was shown that successful soundings { can be taken at intervals of one min ute in the deepest water
 'AThe outline of the bottom of the sea over the course was minutely re- corded between Josephine and Tvs burg bank. The sea bottom there was found to consist of an extensive plateau, bordered by mountain and some of which rose 4,ooo feet above the plain. Several deep none of which are shown on charts, were also discovered. Posi-