Show from the european times timea deep beep ocean sounding As this subject now en grosses the attention of many of the scientific men of th the e pre present 8 ent age it may not be uninteresting to know the result of a discovery which has been introduced by our neighbors on the other side of the atlantic I 1 for the purpose of testing the existence of a dounda tion to the ocean and also to know of what it is is composed there has for several days past been lying in in the southampton waters an american government surveying brig named DOL DOLPHIN Hix this brig which is is empowered under an act of congress in connection with the scientific researches of nf lieutenant maury of the national observatory atory at Wash washington ingin for the purpose of entering into a series series of meteorological observations and discoveries left chesapeake bay on the of may and has completed a perfect line of sounding across the atlantic to Roc kule off the west coast of scotland the distances bei tween each place of sounding averaged about one hundred miles A line was alien run to the azores to the north of which about ft a parallel of forty five in a southwest direction an was discovered on the botto bottom of the ocean of about feet the soil indicating a fine yellow cli CIL iky alky substance suba tance mixed with a small portion of the finest sand after leaving the azores the DOLPHIN took a westerly direction still succeeding in discovering bottom steering north she made a direct line to the three chim mies inies where at a depth of 1900 fathoms bottom was also discovered at this point lieutenant berryman in charge of the ship finding the condition of the weather unfavorable to a continuation of their research made sail and came into southampton the greatest depth at which bottom was reached was fathoms in lat from 41 to 43 ion 51 to 56 the explorers have brought home with them specimens of the soil which have been discovered at their various places of sounding and which will be laid before a committee of scientific men at washington for the purpose of the temperature of the water was alon I 1 cofod at various deals specimens of which have also been preserved during the whole of the observations particular attention was paid to the width depth and force of the currents in different parts of the ocean all of which have been carefully cire fully noted lor for the purpose of being fully discussed and explained the DOLPHIN intends returning at the latte rend of the week and should the weather permit will take a line of sounding to the eastern edge of the azores that being a portion of the at lantic alantic which has at present remained unexamined of course a further explanation of the results of this expedition will not at present be given as the whole of the matter collected is in being carefully careful lv preserved for the uses and explanation of the gentlemen at washington there is one interesting matter in connection with this subject and the nonexistence non existence of which has been the great drawback to all previous results being satisfactory and which is the very simple method by which the sounding apparatus is rendered entirely perfect and useful in all previous attempts the great puzzle has been been hw to get back the weight when it has orce reached the bottom arid it is a well aeu known fact act especially amongst seamen that tn deep sea son sounding however carefully or strongly a line may be made it nefer never has after being once sunk been recovered in this respect however brother jonathan deserves much praise for he has invented a plan by which the weight upon its reaching the bottom becomes immediately detached and the line therefore drawn in with perfect ease the plan is this A hole bole is drilled through a or heavier shot sufficiently large to admit a rod of about 3 quarters of an inch diameter this rod is about 12 or 14 inches in length and with the exception of about I 1 1 2 inches at the bottom perfectly solid at the top I 1 of the rod are two arms extending one from each side bide these there arms being upon easily yeprig acing hin ate are capable of being bruised or lowered with very little power A small branch extends from the outside of each of them which is for the purpose of holding by means ot of rings k piece of wire by which the ball is swung swung to the rod A piece of rope is then attached d by each end to the arms to which again is joined the sounding bounding line the ball is ia then lowered into i the water and upon reaching the bottom tho the strain upon the line ceases and the arms tall fall down allowing the ball to detach itself entirely A from the rod which is then easily drawn in the drilled portion of which is discovered to be filled with a specimen of that which it has come in in contact with at the bottom there are other 8 advantages also in connection with the invention tio n which areef great utility in the ca carrying crying on of the discoveries and which no doubt will so materially assist the scientific researches of the world that the subject ot of whether there is or is not a bottom to the sea will no longer remain a difficulty to answer |