Evening star., 1948-12-20
Stars, Men and Atoms
Two Naval Ships Will Help
Photograph Ocean Floor
Special Equipment May Get Pictures
Two Miles Down in Atlantic
By Thomas r. Henry

by lh0M0S N. Henry
Two Navy seaplane tenders now are betna
outhtted at Atlantic ports for the most *.
tensive survey yet undertaken Of hand oa
mysterious valleys, plains and nosmtains-shs
bottom Of the Atlantic.
1t Is expected, as part Of the project, ta
take many pictures Of the sea foor-psrhaps
with fantastic creatures as yet unknown to
science-at depths Of about 1000 fathoms, ap-
proximately two miles.
Continuous echo recordings Of the contour
Of the Atlantic bottom will be made over
large areas. The two ships viii work 10.
gether and will make accessible parts Of the
ocean where thoroughly equipped laboratory
ships have not been able to work before-such
as the stormy North Atlantic in winter.
Hitherto the survey OF sea bottoms has
been largely done by private research organ
izations especially interested in particular parts
of the ocean. The San Pablo and the Reho-
both, however, are concerned primarily with
the sea as o whole, with the interactions o&
winds, currents, and temperature On general
oceanographic phenomena.
Photos Taken Last Year
The two ships will operate under the direc.
tion Of the ONCE Of Naval Research, the Blu.
reau Of Ships and the photographic Once
The Photographic equipment consists q
cameras inclosed in pressure-proof cases which
can be lowered to the desired depth and
operated by setting off a fiashlight. Last
year Photographs at depths Of 1000 fathoms
were taken successfully by scientists Of the
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. One OF
these showed a large sea spider crawling on
the ocean floor. Experimental pictures have
been taken to depths of 1000 fathoms but
thus far have shown little detail.
The general picture Of the Atlantic bottom
now is fairly well known, according to Hydro
graphic ONCE scientists, but most Of the de.
tails remain to be discovered. It is known
that extending roughly down the center Of
the ocean from Iceland to the Antarctic 10
the earths loftiest mountain range-the mid
Atlantic ridge. 1t also is known that the
deeper parts Of the ocean are foored by Q
vast plain, perhaps q part Of the original
crust of the earth
Final equipment now Is being placed on
the San Pablo at Norfolk while the Reho-
both is being completely outfltted for oceano.
graphic work at the Philadelphia Navy Yard.
A device by which future polar explorers
will can" the heat of their own bodies has
been constructed at the University OF Mary
land.
At low temperatures, 1t is estimated, from
so to 40 per cent Of the total loss of body
heat comes from breathing. The device. do
veloped by Dr. Norman E. Phillips Of the
Maryland zoology department and his gradu-
ate students under q contract from the ofnos
Of Naval Research, consists Of canister which
Is attached to q face mask In the canister
the heat Is extracted from the expired breath
and used to heat the air which is being taken
into the lungs.
During Christmas week, the device win bs
given crucial tests at temperatures Of 10 below
zero-about the lowest ever encountered on
earth for any appreciable time-at the Navys
medical research center at Bethesda.
80 Pct. Of Heat Can be Saved.
Tests to date have shown, DR.. Phillips sayG
that approximately 80 per cent Of the heat
lost by respiration can be saved. theoretically
the saving should be 100 per cent, but the
apparatus still is far from perfect. major
advantage is that much lighter clothing would
be possible without loss Of comfort-an q.
tremely important factor In any future mil
itary operations in polar regions.
The present canister design, DR.. Phillips
explains, is far from final and objection might
be raised that 1t Is another piece Of equip
ment to be added to the already cumbersome
burden Of the polar explorer. It is quite pos
sible, he says, that the heat exchanger might
be incorporated in the clothing itself, or even
in sleeping blankets, so that there would bs
no additional weight.
Developed primarily through the interest
Of the Navy, the device should be Of great
value to civilians in cold parts Of the country
in winter. Perhaps its greatest value would
be at extremely high attitudes, such as might
be encountered by mountain climbers or in
unheated planes, where there is a deficiency
of oxygen. This would mean an even greater
heat loss than at sea level.