Delete That Record From The Records!

T'HE Royal Navy survey ship HMS Cook does NOT hold the record A for measuring the world’s greatest known ocean depth, as was reported last November ( PIM, Dec. p. 105.) Announcing this in March, the British Admiralty said that HMS Cook had made a mistake in claiming that she had measured a record depth of 6,297 fathoms in an undersea ravine off the Philippine Islands.

The Admiralty in a statement said that wrong equipment had been installed in the Cook, and that depth readings taken over a period of about three days were regarded as suspect.

The statement went on: “Now that all the data have come to hand and have been examined, the hydrographer is not satisfied that a new ‘greatest depth’ has been discovered.

“Depth readings taken over a period of about three days by the ship are now regarded as suspect and will need to be taken again because wrong equipment was fitted to the echo sounder during overhaul.

“From investigations still proceeding, it appears that the phrasing dial and glass depth scale belonging to a shallow water echo sounding set have been fitted on board in error to the deep echo sounder, resulting in soundings being read considerably in excess of the real depth.”

HMS Cook's apparently erroneous sounding of 6,297 fathoms was 263 fathoms greater than the record claimed by HMS Challenger in the Marianas Trench. Until new soundings are made HMS Challenger's sounding is still the record.