Evening star., 1949-08-17
Scientist Tells of Strange World
Under Sea After 4 SCOTT. Dive

Ns >hVS
diving bell, the Benthoscope, set
a new deep-sea diving record yes
terday. He descended to 4,50C
feet, bettering his own record CT
3,028 feet, achieved in 1884 of
Bermuda. with the naturalist Will
liam Beebe.
Mr.. Barton telephoned his OBJ
servationS to an assistant on the
barge from which the Benthoscope
was being lowered by cable. He
took moving pictures of what he
saw as far down as 1000 feet.
At 460 feet he said, There are
a lot of lantern fish passing by
now. They're big fellows and
they're jumping all over. Now
the fireworks are really starting.
There's a creature that looks
like long pipe with a row of
lights along it. I don't know what
it is.
(Lantern fish are large
mouthed, large-eyed small fish
with numerous luminous spots or
glands on their surface)
The tentacles of an octopus
just dragged by the window
lshowering sparks. I can't see him
but he must have been a big
fellow. I just saw an animal
with a long tail. I don't know
what it is"
Only II minutes after he started
down. Mr.. Barton said: There
was flashing light going by" AT
$500 feet: IT see a barrage OF
lluminescent. spiraling shrimp
beating against the window. They
seem to splash when they hit
D.. A long, thin, brilliantly lighted
fish went by. 1t looks like an
eel"
After passing 1923 feet - the
old record: THE is an unbeliev-
able world down here. I wish DR..
Beebe were down here with me-
He might know what some of
these things are. I don't recognize
them"
At 1000 feet he said. There
are so many things going by that
it kind OF makes me dizzy" At
4,100 feet the Benthoscope lights
Illuminating the area outside his
window went out. but Mr.. Barton
dropped on down to $500 feet.
Water Very Clear.
Then he telephoned, There
goes a big white jellyfish. I never
saw anything like that before.
There's a little spot Of light with
a circle around it I am
amazed to see so many luminous
things at this depth. The water
Is beautifully. Unexpectedly clear.
as clear as 1t was at Bermuda"
Once Mr.. Barton jokingly said
I'm freezing to death" He
stopped talking during the ascent,
causing his surface associates
temporary concern.
He obtained oxygen from tank
in the Benthoscope releasing the
gas automatically. Carbon dioxide
expelled from his lungs was alb
sorbed by soda lime screens. The
Benthoscope, designed to with
stand pressures down to 10000
feet, has two fused quartz win
dows, three inches thick, for OBJ
servation and photography.
Feels Fine After Trip.
Upon stepping from the sphere
in which he could only sit or kneel
he said he felt fine.
"A scientific study of the marine
life in the Pacific, at least in this
vicinity, is probably more inter-
esting at 1000 feet than at 4.500
he said. There is more life at
1000 feet"
Mr.. Barton announced he would
not attempt any further deep
dives for some time. Originally
he had planned to descend to
5000 feet. He twice sent the
Benthoscope more than a mile
deep unnamed in preliminary
dives.
He made the 4,500-foot drop in
IS minutes, and hung there 7
minutes. He said he could see
no sense in going deeper, because
the failure of the lights would
prevent his taking pictures
The ocean bottom was still
1000 feet beneath him.
After climbing out of the 5-foot,
hollow steel ball, Mr.. Barton said:
There's a peculiarly lighted fish
that looks like Satan. And there's
an amazing display of magic Ian
terms"
The dive was made off the
island of Santa Cruz, about 35
miles south of Santa Barbara
Calf. Mr.. Barton will return to
Los Angeles late today and later
will make dives in shallow water
OF Santa Catalina Island.
I His project is backed by the
i University Of Southern Califor-
; MAS Allan Hancock Foundation
for Scientific Research.