Pacific Ocean
the largest of the tralasia on the W. The name "Pacific," on the E., and Asia, Malaysia, and Auswas given to it by Magellan, the first European navigator who traversed its expanse. The greatest length of the Pacific Ocean from the Arctic (at Bering Strait) to the Antarctic circles is 9,200 miles, iles, and its greatest width, along the parallel of lat. 5º N., about 10,300 miles; while its area may be roughly estimated at about two-fifths of the whole surface of the earth. The deepest sounding yet found in the Pacific Ocean is 26,850 feet, or about 5 miles-nearly equal to PACIFIC RAILROADS the height of the highest mountain on the globe. The coasts of the Pacific Ocean present a general resemblance to those of the Atlantic, and the similarity in the outline of the W. coasts of each is even striking, especially N. of the equator; but the shores of the former, unlike those of the latter, are sinuous, and, excepting the N. E. coast of Asia, little indented with inlets. The shore on the American side is bold and rocky, while that of Asia varies much in character. Though the Pacific Ocean is by far the largest of the five great oceans the proportion of land drained into it is comparatively insignificant. Its basin includes only the narrow strip of the American continent to the W. of the Andes and Rocky Mountains; Melanesia, which contains few rivers, and none of them of large size; the Indo-Chinese States, China proper, with the E. part of Mongolia, and Manchuria in the Asiatic continent.
In Polynesia, especially near the New Hebrides group, hurricanes are of frequent occurrence from November to April. On the coast of Patagonia, and at Cape Horn, W. winds prevail during the greater part of the year, while in the sea of Okhotsk they are of rare occurrence. The frightful typhoon is the terror of mariners in the Chinese seas, and may occur at all seasons of the year.
The currents of the Pacific Ocean, though less marked in character and effects than those of the Atlantic, are yet of sufficient importance to require a brief notice. The southern Pacific current takes its rise S. of Van Dieman's Land, and flows E. at the rate of half a mile per hour, dividing into two branches about lon. 98° W., the N. branch, or Current of Mentor, turning N. and gradually losing itself in the counter Equatorial Current; the S. branch continuing its E. course till it is subdivided by the PACINIAN BODIES with other parts of the country, to which the aid of the National government was given in their construction. In 1862 an act was passed, granting to the companies five sections of public land and $16,000 in government bonds for every mile constructed, the land and bonds for every stretch of 40 miles to be turned over to the company only on the completion of such stretch. The Union Pacific railroad was built W. over the mountains, and the Central Pacific railroad was built E. from Sacramento. These two lines were joined, with impressive ceremonies, at Promontory Point, Utah, May 10, 1869. The last tie, of laurel wood, with a plate of silver upon it, was laid, and the last spike made of iron, silver, and gold, was driven in the presence of distinguished men. Telegraph wires were attached to the last rail, and the last blows were signaled upon bells in Washington and other large cities.
In May, 1878, an act, known as the Thurman Act, was passed. In addition to the amounts retained out of sums due for government service, the Act of 1862 provided for the payment of 5 per cent. of the net earnings of the company.
The Act of 1878 retained the entire amount due to the companies for government service, one-half to be applied to interest payments, one-half to form a sinking fund for the principal, and it required, moreover, the annual payment of a fixed sum ($850,000 for the Union Pacific and $1,200,000 for the Central Pacific). See RAILWAYS.