GEOLOGY. 231 



difficult, and will probably not be effected until a radical change is 

 made in the system of applying fuel for such operations." 



DEEP SEA PRESSURE. 



Some interesting experiments have recently been tried in England, 

 in reference to the effect of deep sea pressure, and especially with a 

 view of experimentally ascertaining the effect of pressure upon a sub- 

 marine cable submerged to a depth of 2-L miles. The experiments were 

 made in a large hydraulic press capable of resisting a pressure of above 

 10,000 Ibs. on~the square inch. The specimen of cable used is known 

 as the Persian gulf standard, having a coating of gutta-percha | of an 

 inch in diameter. It was subjected to' a pressure equal to two miles 

 and one-quarter of a mile deep, and the pressure kept on for one hour. 

 An opinion had been expressed by some experts that this enormous 

 pressure about 5,000 Ibs. on the square inch would force the water 

 into the copper core, and by this means deteriorate the cable, if not 

 quite destroy it, but this theory was not sustained ; on the contrary, the 

 condition of the cable, when the pressure was removed, was, so far as 

 electric conductivity was concerned, decidedly improved, and materially 

 had sustained no damage. 



The occasion of testing the cable was taken advantage of by several 

 gentlemen present, to test the truth of stories current among sailors to 

 this effect; 1st, that when a bottle of wine securely corked, is sunk to 

 great depths in the ocean, and then raised to the surface, the wine is 

 replaced by salt-water ; and 2d, that if you take an empty bottle, se- 

 curely corked, and sink it to a great depth, it will come up filled with 

 salt-water, while the cork remains undisturbed. 



In order to test the first of these theories, bottles of ale, lemonade, 

 and ginger beer were securely corked, wired down, and the corks cov- 

 ered with capsules, and then submerged. To test the second theory, 

 one empty bottle was securely corked and wired down ; one was corked 

 after the manner of a champagne bottle, with a large knob left on the 

 upper part of the cork, to prevent its being driven in ; while a third 

 bottle had a cylinder of wood put, inside, resting on the bottom, and 

 reaching the cork, to give another form of resistance to the cork. The 

 pressure was the same as before, and the time under pressure the same, 

 namely, one hour. 



The results were as follows : The ale, lemonade and beer came out 

 sound and unimpaired ; the small space, however, left by the bottler 

 between the cork and the liquor was filled up. With this exception 

 all was the same. The first empty bottle the cork was driven in, and 

 as a matter of course the bottle came up filled with water. The sec- 

 ond bottle with the large knob was also driven in, and the bottle came 

 up full. The third, that had the wooden cylinder inside, on which the 

 cork rested, was driven in to a certain extent, but not entirely, and 

 this bottle came up also full, showing that at great depths, no corking, 

 however secure, will prevent the water from getting into an empty 

 bottle, but that when you send the bottle down filled and well corked, 

 there is no danger of the liquor's making its escape and being replaced 

 by salt-water. . 



* Another interesting experiment was tried to test the accuracy of Dr. 

 Wallich's statements as regards living creatures at great depths in the 



