DEEP-SEA EXPLORATION. 
387 
instruction of the operator at the friction rope, wlio was an expert and at liberty 
to take advantage of every favorable circumstance to accelerate the descent of the 
siidver. The conditions of wind and sea, while not perfect, were favorable for rapid 
work. A moderate northeast trade and small sea were accompanied by an occasional 
long, rolling swell from a recent gale. 
A careful analysis of Table I shows : 
1. That tlie time intervals were not seriously affected by wind or sea. 
2. That the friction increased steadily with the length of wire out, 
retarding the descent of the sinker proportionately. 
3. That the operator felt the sounding shot at intervals by slightly 
increasing the friction until satisfied that there was no slack wire between 
the reel and sinker. 
4. That he maintained the friction approximately e<iual to the weight 
of submerged wire, as the reel stopped promptly when bottom was reached. 
We know this because it required but 2 minutes and 5 secoirds to ship the 
cranks and heave the specimen cup clear of the bottom, adjust the belt, and 
commence reeling in. 
5. That the prescribed limit of 120 pounds tension was closely followed 
while reeling in. The friction is observed to diminish as the wire comes up, 
but not with the regularity of the increase during its descent, for the follow- 
ing reason ; 
6. The sounding was made with stern to wind and sea, and the wire 
maintained in a vertical position without headway or stern board ; but, as 
soon as the sinker reached bottom, the vessel began to turn, with one pro- 
]ieller moving slowly, her way through the water being slight for a couple 
of minutes, then gradually increasing until at 5 minutes she was on her 
course, dragging the wire transversely through the water 2 or 3 minutes 
until it trailed out astern, and from that time the friction decreased regularly 
until the 200 mark was reached, when the speed of the reeling engine was 
checked; again at 100 turns it was slowed still more to prevent the sounding 
cuj), thermometer, etc., from jumping out of water, for by this time the vessel 
was steaming at the rate of 7 or 8 knots. 
The jjatent log was j)ut over at the 2,000 mark, and during the 14 
minutes consumed in reeling in the remaining wire the vessel steamed 1.4 
knots on her course. 
Table II is comiiileci from the original records of six sound- 
ings, including No. 424, from which Table I was taken, and is 
intended to illustrate the mean speed and uniformity of the 
Albatross’ soundings under normal conditions. 
Table II. 
Table I. 
Sounding wire. 
Going 
down. 
No. of 
turns. 
Coming 
up. 
M.S. 
M.S. 
n .50 
0 
45 
100 
0 
40 
0 
50 
200 
0 
35 
0 
50 
300 
0 
35 
0 
50 
400 
0 
40 
u 
55 
500 
0 
40 
1 
05 
COO 
0 
45 
1 
00 
700 
0 
45 
1 
00 
800 
0 
45 
1 
05 
900 
0 
50 
1 
05 
1, 
000 
0 
50 
1 
10 
1, 
100 
0 
55 
] 
10 
1, 
200 
0 
55 
1 
10 
1, 
300 
1 
00 
1 
15 
1, 
400 
1 
00 
1 
15 
1, 
500 
0 
55 
1 
20 
1, 
600 
1 
05 
1 
20 
1, 
700 
1 
05 
1 
25 
1, 
800 
1 
05 
1 
20 
900 
1 
10 
1 
25 
2, 
000 
1 
10 
1 
35 
2, 
100 
1 
20 
1 
30 
2, 
200 
1 
20 
1 
30 
2, 
300 
1 
15 
1 
30 
2, 
400 
1 
15 
1 
40 
2 
500 
1 
10 
1 
40 
2, 
600 
0 
40 
1 
00 
2, 
601 
Serial No. 
D.ate. 
Depth. 
Tathoms 
per min- 
ute going 
down. 
Time ro- 
quired to 
])ut on belt 
and start 
reeling in. 
Fathoms 
per min- 
ute com- 
ing up. 
Total deten- 
tion for each 
fathom of 
depth. 
Total time 
consumed 
in mak- 
ing the 
sounding. ; 
Fathoms. 
h. 
m. 5. 
h. 
m. 
S. 
h. 
-m. s. 
386 
Dec. 14,1891 
2, 696 
85.6 
0 
1 45 
112.3 
0 
0 
1.27 
0 
57 15 
392 
Dec. 15,1891 
3, 006 
83.5 
0 
2 25 
106.4 
0 
0 
1.33 
1 
06 40 
395 
3, 030 
75. 7 
0 
2 00 
92 5 
0 
0 
I 4.Q 
1 
15 on 
401 
Dec. 16,1891 
2, 916 
83.7 
0 
1 50 
109 
0 
0 
1.34 
1 
03 25 
405 
Dec. 17,1891 
3, 034 
83.8 
0 
3 20 
82.3 
0 
0 
1.51 
1 
16 20 
424 
Dec. 18,1891 
2, 825 
86.2 
0 
2 05 
112.2 
0 
0 
1. 27 
1 
00 00 
Mean 
2,918 
83.1 
0 
2 14 
102. 45 
0 
0 
1. 37 
1 
06 27 
