Jasper County Democrat, Volume 3, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 May 1900 — DEEPEST HOLE IN THE WORLD. [ARTICLE]

DEEPEST HOLE IN THE WORLD.

Has Been Discovered ■ Five Hundred Miles East of Guam. Tfee deepest hole in the world has been discovered by the United; States navy. It was during the survey of the proposed cable toute from Skn Francisco to the Philippine islands. The hole is in the bottom of the Pacific ocean., 500 miles east of Guam, and on that division of the proposed cable route which lies between Guam and Honolulu.' The lowest part of the hole is certainly six miles beneath the level of the ocean, and probably pinch more. At least that depth was proved. Thia means that if Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world, were dropped into the ocean here it would go completely out of sight and ships could sail over its summit with more than a thousand feet of water beneath their keels. Lieutenant Commander Henry M. Hodges, United States navy, made that part of the survey, during which this interesting discovery was made. The Nero is a large steam collier purchased for use during the late war, and on account of her great steaming radius was admirably adapted to make the survey. After careful consideration of the subject, it was decided that the best route westward from Honolulu to the Philippine islands was by the way of the Midway islands and Guam, landing the cable at a convenient point on the east coast of Luzon as near as possible to the latitude of Manila. It was also decided as desirable to survey a route from Guam to Yokohama. Elaborate instructions for the survey were prepared. The plan of the survey consisted in carrying direct lines of soundings, taken at alternate intervals of ten and two knots from Honolulu to the Midway islands, thence to Guam, and thence to Luzon, and also from Guam to Japan. The return course was a zigzag line passing back and forth to equal distances on each side of the route followed in going to the westward with soundingaat intervals of 20 knots at the turning points.

The Nero sailed from San Francisco for Honolulu on the 22d of April. She sailed from Honolulu to commence her work on the 6th of May. On the 22d of May she had completed a single line of soundings to the Midway islands, by July 4 to I Guam and by August 1 to Luzon. Along this route, which is 4,812 knots in length, 853 soundings wera taken. The characteristics of the bottom soil and the temperature of the surface water were observed at each, j sounding station, and these, together ; with the meteorological record and : the frequent observations of specfic 1 gravity, bottom temperature and the ; currents of the ocean, besides their value in laying a submarine cable, will ■ form an important contribution to the physics of the Pacific ocean. Here are the words from Commandi er Hodge’s report, in which he describes the deepest hole in the worlds “I then proceeded to find a southern route to connect with our direct 1 line to Midway; but struck the Nero , deep again, and am convinced that it I cannot be gotten around with, a cable. Mlere the two deepest casts, and the two deepest, temperatures, ever taken were recorded. The depths are 30,900 feet and 31,614 feet, andthe temperatures are 35.9 elegrees at 30,420 feet and 36 degrees at 30,606 feet.” In addition to the greatest depth, a remarkable subm rine mountain j was found. This li-es 12,108 feet from the bottom of tb. ocean to within 492 feet of the sur ice. It is a few miles westward of Midway island. ; Beith pits and mountn ns on the ocean 1 bottom must be avoided in laying & cable. Sudden breaks in the ocean’# depths will leave the cable hanging i like a festooix through a space of many hundred feet and exposed to the strain of its own unsupported weight or free to the attack of great fish. These sharp breaks are usually} ' within narrow areas, and for that reason can be detected only Ly frequent 1 soundings.—N. Y. Journal.