The weight of the sphere, 1 1 tons, dictates the over-all size of the craft. The compart- 

 mented flotation hull is 16 meters in length and 4 meters in diameter and holds approx- 

 imately 28,000 U. S. gallons of gasoline. When filled with gasoline having a specific 

 gravity of 0.70, it provides a positive buoyancy of 34.5 tons. Fore and aft of the cabin, 

 within the flotation hull, are two bins, each containing 4.5 tons of ballast. The net posi- 

 tive buoyancy of the hull when fully loaded is more than one ton. The ballast of iron 

 shot, averaging 2.6 millimeters in diameter, may be jettisoned through magnetic (sole- 

 noid) valves at a rate of 1200 pounds per minute. Approximately one ton of ballast is 

 expended for every 1000 meters descended. The solenoid valves are controlled by 4 

 watts of power. When the current is interrupted, the ballast is released. The system is, 

 therefore, designed to be "fail safe" in the event of a power failure. If for any reason 

 the valves become plugged or the guide chain fouled on the bottom, it is possible to 

 jettison the bins and guide chain. 



SCIENTIFIC PROGRAMS 



To provide maximum utilization of the bathyscaph for scientific research, several Navy 

 and Navy-contract-supported laboratories were invited to participate in the summer's 

 program. In April 1957, representatives of the Office of Naval Research, U. S. Navy 

 Underwater Sound Laboratory, U. S. Navy Electronics Laboratory, Hudson Laboratories 

 of Columbia University, and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution drafted a prelim- 

 inary research program for the TRIESTE. 



The U. S. Navy Underwater Sound Laboratory's portion of the program consisted of 

 three parts: providing the bathyscaph with underwater telephone communications, study- 

 ing the directional characteristics of background noise versus depth, and determining 

 the correlation pattern of the noise field occurring during any one diving period. Initial 

 planning indicated five dives for the above purposes, out of a total of 19 dives for the 

 entire program. Actually, four dives out of a total of 18 made for scientific purposes 

 were made by USNUSL (table 1). 



The acoustic program of the Hudson Laboratories was similar to that of the Under- 

 water Sound Laboratory but with its emphasis on the lower frequencies. The program 

 consisted essentially of two parts, ambient-level and directionality measurements. 



The observations proposed by the Navy Electronics Laboratory, which are the main 

 subject of this report, were: determination of the distribution, type, size, population, 

 habits, and abundance of marine organisms throughout the vertical water column; ob- 

 servation of the response of deep-sea organisms to various levels of sound energy, 

 light, and tactile stimulation; qualitative determination of bottom current; and viewing 

 of the sea floor. 



The bathyscaph's primary attribute is that it permits visual observation of the deep 

 sea. Observation of the poorly understood deep-sea realm permits identification of or- 

 ganisms and physical phenomena. Future investigations of a quantitative nature can be 

 effectively planned once the phenomena present are better identified. 



To supplement the data gathered by the bathyscaph, a surface ship was outfitted 

 with a hydrographic winch capable of reaching the bottom anywhere in the Mediter- 

 ranean. Nansen bottles, reversing thermometers, and two types of bottom samplers were 

 available for use with the winch. In addition, a 900-foot bathythermogram was on hand. 

 NEL also provided self-contained underwater breathing equipment. This was used for 

 underwater filming of the diving TRIESTE, changing film in the Edgerton camera, and 

 inspection and cleaning of the bathyscaph ports, as needed. All of the dives were made 

 in the Tyrrhenian Sea (fig. 3). 



