The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1924-10-14
FIVE SEVENTIES OF THE
EARTH IS UNEMPLOYED
THAT VAST AREA, COVERED
BY OCEANS, SENDS FORTH
CHALLENGE TO MAN.
EXPEDITION FOR RESEARCH
Waters TEEN With Plant and Animal
Life; One Layer Above the Other
Agricultural and Animal Resources
Of Ocean Exceed Those of Land.

VI
Five-sevenths of the earth's surface
has never been explored. That vast
urea covered by the oceans sends
forth challenge to the spirited dis
coverer to venture forth and bring to
Ioht the million mysteries OF this un-
drrwater realm Vast mountain ranges,
,,allcvs and plains, swarms OF living
tb;nGs. both plants and animals, exist
IN the ocean, but we have very little
knowledge of them, says George Z.
Brandt lieutenant commander, U. ,.
\ writing in the New York Times.
Realizing the Importance of extend
mo this knowledge, the secretary OF
the navy has convened, in the hydro
graphic office of the navy department.,
. conference of representatives OF all
the departments and scientific estab-
Iishments of the government and the
Carnegie Institute of Washington to
slider matters pertaining to a propos-
ed United States naval expedition Tor
research in oceanography.
Oceanography is wide field 1t
covers such matters as the origin and
habits of icebergs, the hot and cold
currents. salt and gas in the water, the
nlants and animals that inhablt the
sea the winds and the waves, the logs
and the trains, radio communication
and submarine cables, navigation and
fisheries In fact, it is related to every
department of human life and human
welfare.
The agricultural and animal re-
sources of the seas greatly exceed
those of the land, not only because
fve-sevenths of the earth's surface is
covered with water, but also because
plant and animal life in the ocean is
maintained on cubical farms, rather
than on a single surface like the land.
The waters of the oceans TEEN with
animal and plant life, one farm and
feeding ground above another, every
level with its own plant and animal
life. like skyscraper, one story above
another. The extent of this great de-
pository of food, fuel and fertilizer
staggers the imagination.
Food Resources of the Ocean.
In the near future when all our
lands are taken up by farms and cat
tie ranges we shall have reached
Doint when the increase in our popu-
lation cannot be cared for by an IN
crease in the products of the land 10
the ocean we shall have to look Tor
an increase in our food supply. AS
vet the resources of the sea have re-
ceived scant attention. The sea tlshes
that we use as food are but small
percentage of those available and we
know little of them.
1t behooves us, therefore, to take an
inventory of the resources OF the ocean
and to determine a means OF making
these resources available Tor human
consumption and welfare.
The first line of our investigation
must be directed to an examination OF
the shape of the ocean basins and the
contours of the bottom-the tounda-
ton upon which the entire structure
rests Fortunately we have at hand
means for rapidly determining the
depths OF the ocean and the contours
OF the bottom in the sonic depth find
er recently invented by DR.. Harvey I.
Hayes, research physicist of the navy,
This depth finder now developed by
the navy and installed on a number
OF naval vessels, measures the depths
OF water by sound instead OF by the
slow and cumbersome method OF wire
and weight
Sound sent out by the instrument
strikes the bottom, and is reflected
back to a receiver of special design.
An accurate means is provided tor
measuring the time interval between
the sending out of the sound and its
return to the receiver. The time IN
teryal indicates the depth of water be-
cause the deeper the water the longer
the time interval. Sound travels
through water at the rate of 1890 feet
i a second. The soundings may be taken
when the vessel is proceeding at any
speed, even the highest. 1t is almost
Incredible. but the human ear can de-
'ect time difference of one two-hun-
red-thoudsandths of second. Hence
results from the use of the sonic depth,
mlder are highly accurate.
The conference on oceanography
meets from time to time as plans de-
Velop. 1t is expected that the final re-
port and recommendation will be
submitted to the secretary of the navy