Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-23
NAVY TO EXPLORE
ATLANTIC BOTTOM
Carnegie Institution and
Dutch Scientist Will Aid
in Experiments.

Jules Verne's account of the mythical
Capt. Nenlos exploration OF the ocean
bottom will soon have its counterpart
in real life, for the Navy. the Carnegie
Institution OF Washington and the emf
nent Dutch scientist, DR.. F. r. Venlng
MeinesZ. will cooperate in an eXpedl-
tion to determine the contour of the
earth under the sea, a problem that has
attracted scientists down through the
centuries.
The submarine U. S. S. S-21 and the
Eagle boats No. SIS and No. So are due
to arrive at the Washington Navy Yard
tomorrow to be fitted out for this un-
usual expedition, and DR.. MeineSz, who
will be the guest of the Carnegie 1nsti-
tuition of Washington. is scheduled to
arrive in New York today aboard the
liner Veendam.
Investigate Shelf"
The immediate objective of the ex-
pedition will be to investigate the At
lantlc continental shelf, the Mares Deep
to the northWard Of Porto Rico, the
Bartlett Deep to the southwark Of Cuba
and the Sigsbee Deep in the Gulf of
Mexico and the intervening waters
traversed in reaching those spots. The
expedition will take about two months.
The U. S. S. S-2l, commanded by
Lieut.. j. L. Fisher, U. S. N, will leave
the Washington Navy Yard about Oc-
tober /, after Dr. Meinesz has set up his
instrument at the Washington gravity
station of the United States Coast and
Geodetic Survey and compared his re-
suits with tho Hndard results of the
United States i4;c iuments. Thus he
plans to connect the American gravity
with hot Of
oceanic net already developed by DR..
Meinesz in a cruise by Dutch sub
marines around the world The scien-
list is the designer of a unique pendulum
apparatus which can be used at sea
for the determination of the force of
gravity at any point Of the earths
surface where it is set up and operated
and this is to be employed.
Naval officers explained yesterday
that DR.. MeinesZ first thought of the
device as a consequence of the un-
satisfactory results obtained on the
Doggy soil of certain parts of Holland
from the ordinary pendulum apparatus
used in gravity determination work.
Having accomplished the design of
satisfactory combination of pendulums
for his purpose on the shaky soil of the
Netherlands, the officers said, it oc-
CURED to him to employ his apparatus
at sea where geodetists had hitherto
been unable to obtain satisfactory
gravity determinations for the study of
the contour of the earth and isostasy.
Attention YVES called to the fact in
this connection that the ordinary ocean
swell causes movements too great to
be eliminated within the capabilities of
any pendulum device so far designed.
but in submarine submerged below
the influence OF wave action, a Sufi-
GENTLY steady platform is assured for
the successful operation of DR.. Meinesz'
instrument.
Submarine Essential.
Essential to the investigations is not
only the submarines power to Sllbmerge
but its ability tn receive accurate time
slsna15 by radio and to take soundings
at great depths by means of the sonic
depth recorder, it was explained.
On this interesting scientific quest,
DR.. Meinesz will be accompanied aboard
the S-2l by Principal Scientist Elmer B
Collins of the photographic Office Of
the Navy and by DR.. Fred z. Wright of
the Carnegie Institution of Washing
ton, who will be instructed in the tech
nique of DR.. Meinesz' methods and Will
be enabled to carry on future gravity
Qelermlnaton research IN this manner
The Eagle Boat No. 35 will be COIN
manded by Lieut.. Comdr. T. L. NASH
u. s. N, who will be the senior officer
present with the expedition, while the
Eagle Boat No. SO will be under the
command of Lieut.. Comdr. l.. R. Moore,
y. S. N
Naval officers gave high praise to the
noted Dutch scientist for the disin-
terested contribution of DR.. Meinesz of
his knowledge and time, as we'll as his
apparatus" adding that he deserves the
highest praise"
DR. Meinesz is a seasoned sailor as
well as being a skilled observer, for he
has frequently cruised in Dutch SUBJ
marines between the Netherlands and
the Dutch East Indies. During one ex-
petition he travelled from Holland,
through the Panama Canal to Sumatra.
in a voyage that took 1919 days, lis of
which were at sea, aboard submarine
somewhat smaller than the S-21.
The coming research expedition has
been placed by Secretary Wilbur under
the general auspices of the Naval OBJ
servatory.