96 



THE OCEAN 



following table, in which the true atmosphere 

 is not taken into account : — 



1 Tait's expression of one ton per 1000 fathoms would 

 mean 5 tons at 5000 fathoms instead of 6 tons as above. 



Effect of Pressure, — There is a widespread 

 view among many people that under great 

 pressure water becomes much denser and 

 may attain something of the consistency of 

 treacle, that ships and men, when they sink 

 in the sea, " reach their level," but do not 

 reach the bottom. The Sargasso Sea has 

 been represented as a great whirlpool, in which 

 men and ships float about at all depths. 

 Within the past year the writer has often 

 been asked if the " Titanic " really reached 

 the bottom in a depth of three miles. During 

 the " Challenger " Expedition, after a funeral 



