Evening star., 1960-01-24
Two Navy Men in Bothyscoph Descend
7MiIes in Ocean for New Depth Mark
Bythe Associated Press

Two Navy scientists de-
scended in a bathyscaph yes
terday into the deepest hole in
the ocean, more than 7 miles
down in the chill and dark
bottom Of the Pacific of the
island of Guam. -
Last night the Navy said
Jacques Picard, of the famous
Swiss scientist family, and Navy
1t. Don Walsh had. given their
first report of what it was like
to sit for half an hour 37,80U
feet down in the Marianas
Trench, deeper than any man
has gone before.
The Navy relayed the fol-
lowing description, based on
an early report from the two
men after the bathyscaph
Trieste had surfaced 210 miles
southwest of Guam shortly be-
fore l am. (EST) yesterday:
1T was very cold at the
bottom. Both were wet when
they came out of the Trieste
and their teeth were chatter
ing. Navy experts said they
did not take this to mean the
craft leaked.)
They related that they had
spent approximately one-half
hour on the bottom and could
see living and moving objects at
$1,000 feet. The bottom was
very soft and when they landed
they stirred up silt and what
they termed dust The lights
were turned on as soon as the
bottom was calm but it was
few minutes before they could
see anything.
They started down at 4:22
pm. on January % least long
itude date land reached bottom
at 9:10 pm. the same date.
staying 80 minutes on the bot
tom and surfacing at 1857 am.
on January %. This means that
they took 4 hours and 48 min
utes to descend, stayed on bot
tom 80 minutes approximately.
and took 3 hours and II min
utes to ascend and surface.
They reported that they lost
voice contact apparently with
the surface ships) about half
way down but that it was re-
established upon hitting bottom
and maintained until about
halfway UP.
The only food they ate was
chocolate bars, one every hour,
to keep up their energy.
upon surfacing. 1t. Walsh
dropped plastic container
with an American flag on the
spot of surfacing."-
SAO nAllcS rEOm Hudm
The Navy located the po-
sition as 2l0 miles southwest
of Apra Harbor, Guam.
Navy experts here said the
men probably got wet while
boarding the bathyscaph, or per-
haps from condensation within
the CANDIDA as it descended into
the cold water. In leaving the
bathyscaph, the men had to
climb up through shaft which
was still dripping from the |
water that had filled it during |
the dive.
The Navy said one purpose
Of deep ocean probes is to |
gather information on the
transmission Of man made
sounds. While the NavyEdid not
spell it out. this information
is important in the operation
of sonar devices to detect en-
envy submarines. s.'
Submarines use the thermal
layers" of different temperature
levels to hide below the surface.
A cold layer Of water diffuses
or entirely blocks sonar beams.
Comparatively little has been
known of sound transmission
below the comparatively shall
low depths Of the sea until
scientists began descending
thousands Of feet below the
surface,
Admiral Arleigh A.. Burke.
chief of naval operations sent
congratulations to the two men
for their "valorous action in
descending into the depths Of
the ocean farther than any
other man"
There is no whale in the
world who has been so deep as
you have" Admiral Burke
added.
Admiral Burke said the ac-
complishment by DR.. Picard
and 1t. Walsh may well mark
the opening Of a new age in
exploration of the depths Of the
ocean which can well be as
important as exploration IN
space has been in the past"
Team Broke Own Record
The team broke a depth rec
ord set only a few days ago,
when the Trieste went down to
$4,000 feet in the same Mari
anas Trench, which parallels
and extends beyond Guam.
DR.. Picard and 1t. Walsh
thus have been farther down
below sea level than the high