The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-07-16

tuition, but this letter has already extend.
ell 10 Gn unreasonable length. r. j. T.
The Icebergs in the Arctic Streams
Extract Of Letter from Mr.. Fulton, Of the
Baltimore American.)
TIE ICRBERGs AT ST. JOHNS.
Being compelled to close my letter from
St. Johns few minutes after entering
the harbor, l had not time TO properly
describe the magnificent scene we witness.
ed among the stranded icebergs as We en-.
tered. The entrance to st. Johns resem.
bles very much that to the harbor of
Havana, only that the Moro Castle Is
wanting in the towering rocks to the left.
The passage between these rocks Is not
more than four hundred yards in width,
and on either side OF the entrance to this
narrow passage stood two immense. ice.
6ergs, stranded here on their passage
down the Arctic stream. They were
nearly opposite each other, that on the
left side of the ship being about q hun.
dred yards iurthest seward. The dis.
lance from the vessel to either OF them as
VIC passed in was not more than fifty feet.
Alter viewing the first one all hands
rushed to the right side Of the ship to see
the other monster, and when the ship was
tull abreast Of 1t o large mass from the
top, about fifty feet in the air, and weigh.
ing probably one hundred tons, cracked
and fell into the water with atremendous
crash, dashing the sea up against the sida
Of the steamer, accompanied by crack
ling noise like q scattering volley
Of musketrY. No sooner had the
establishment at this sight passed
away than the huge mountain Of
ice began to rise in the sea and slowly
commenced to topple over, showing that
its depth under water must have been, as
the pilot assured us, one hundred and
sixty feet, that being the depth Of the
water at this point. AS it toppled over
there appeared to have been small lake
of water collected upon its surface, which
pured over, forming for moment beau
tiiul cascade, Us it rushed down the pure
white sides Of the iceberg, deeply tinted
with green. Not knowing whether the
motion Of the monster would be rapid or
slow, a slight tremor otterror passed over
the minds Of the beholders, as its motion
was towards the vessel ,which,was gliding
along within o few feet OF the reeling
mountain, in a minute, however, we had
passed out Of the way Of danger, and Us
we viewed it from the stern Of the yes.
sci, it quietly settled down again in its
own bed, surrounded by the floating
masses of crumbling ice that had become
disintegrated from it while turning over.
The ground swell caused by the passage
of our steamer so close to it, evidently
disturbed its equilibrium, though its fellow
monster stood firm as rock throwing off
from its summit cascade Of green tinted
water, which poured into the sea, being
the melting caused by. the rays of the
sun, which was shining brightly upon its
broad and extended summit. ''-'
On coming out Of the harbor two hours
aiterward, Captain Graham gave them al
wide berth, but fired his parting guns at
each OF them as he passed, evidently
hoping to get up another spectacle for the
amusement OF his passengers. 1t was
indeed a glorious. sight, and one well
worth visit to st. Johns to witness.
The close view we had of these immense
icebergs was grand in itself, but to see
one turning itself, leisurely over is seldom
so closely witnessed even by the denziens
oi the shores bordering the Arctic cur
rent. They, however, resisted all further
motion, and returned our gaze with fro.
zen solidity, rejecting the rays OF a full
rising moon as they had before those Of
the sun.
e. = COURSE OF THE ICEBERGs.
The vast number Of icebergs which are
borne past the shores OF Newfoundland
during The spring and early summer, Is
reported to be almost incredible. About
the end OF May Of this year o writer of
the Canadian Illustrated says that from
Signal Hill, an eminence at the mouth OF
the harbor, six hundred feet high, sixty
icebergs, great and small, were visible 10
the naked eye. They were moving slow.
ly southwark to their grave in the Gulf
Stream. There could not DO q more
strikingly beautiful object than one Of
these stately wanderers Of the deep, huge
and solitary, proudly sailing onward, re-
gardleSs alike Of wind and tide, borne
irresistibly along the deep sea current.
The waves that dash In foam against its
sides shake not the strength Of It's crystal
walls, nor tarnish the sheen Of It's emer-
aid caves. Sleet and snow and storm and
tempest are its congenial elements. Ice
tloes come in its way and are shivered 10
atoms; storms rage, butt needs them not,
Proudly 1t filings back the pillows from
It's projecting crags and pinnacles which
gle9m like cliffs Of chalk or white marble.
We might fancy that nothing could avail
to destroy such q giant mass, and that It
might sail on forever. But all the while
the rays Of the sun are playing upon Its
surface and penetrating its substance, and
the warm breath offspring is .loosening
its joints and relaxing its strength.
Streams begin to pour down its great
Sides. Huge crags drop down with sud-
den plunge iuto tho ocean; awakening the
echoes among the neighb0ring rocks and
hills. Large pieces are detached and float
away in independent. existence.
Presently 1t becomes too heavy, loses
Its equilibrium and turns upon It's side or
reels completely over with laundering
crash, making the sea boil into foam and
causing q swell that is perceptible for
miles.
DANGERS OF THEIR MOVEMENTS.
Woe to the luckless boat or vessel that
may be in too close proximity when the
monster makes one Of these lunges. At
times the berg cannot recover It's equtlib.
rum, as ours did at the mouth Of st.
Johns harbor, and continues rolling and
tum6ling like huge porpoise, dropping
fragment after fragment in his uncodth
gambols, I'LL the whole mass falls asunder,
like a wreck. These rolling icebergs,
which are peculiarly dangerous, our seal.
ers call "growlers" Or the berg may
right itself by complete immersion, and
sail onward rnnnnnh In din, a, uinA,n md