Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-08-04

poured into the sea, being the meltin
l caused by the rays of the sun, which wa
shining brightly upon its broad and extend
| summit. On coming out of the harbor tw'
hours afterwards our captain CAV
| them a wider berth, but fired his part
| ing guns at each of them as h'
passed, evidently hoping to get up anothe
| spectacle for the amusement of his passen
gers. 1t was indeed a glorious sight, ant
one well worth visit to st. Johns Il
witness. The close view we had of thes;
immense icabergs was grand in itself
but to see one turning itself leisurely evel
is seldom so closely witnessed even by the
denizens of the shores bordering the arctic
current. They, however, resisted al
further motion, and returned our gaze with
a frozen stolidity, rejecting the rays of a
full rising moon as they had before those Of
the setting sun.
THE COURSE OF OUR ICEBERGS.
The number of icebergs which are borne
past the shores of Newfoundland during
spring and early summer, Is reported to be
almost incredible. About the end of May
Of this year, writer to the Canadian IL
Lltstrated said that from Signal Hill, an
eminence of 600 feet at the mouth of the
harbor, go icebergs, great and small, were
visible to the naked eye. They were moving
slowly southwark to their grave In the Gulf
stream. There could not be more strik-
ingly beautiful object than one of these
stately wanderers of the deep, huge and sol
itary, proudly sailing onward, regardless
alike of wind and tide, borne irresistibly
along the deep sea current. The waves
fhaf do f ipf eli III -
the strength of its crystal walls, nor tarn-
ish the sheen of its emerald caves. Sleet
and snow and storm and tempest are its
congenial elements. Ice-foes come in its
way and are shivered to atoms; storms rage,
but it heeds them not. Proudly it filings
back the pillows from its projecting
crsgs and pinacles which CLEAN like cliffs Of
chalk or white marble. We might fancy
that nothing could avail to destroy such a
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 It's SUBSTANCE, and the warm
breath OF spring is loosening its joints and
relaxing its strength. Streams begin to pour
down its great sides. Huge crags drop
down with sullen plunge in the ocean,
awakening the echoes among the neighbor-
ing rocks and hills. Large pieces are de-
tached and float away in Independent ex-
istence. Presently it becomes top-heavy,
loses its equilibrium, and turns upon its side
or reels completely over with laundering
crash, making the sea boil into foam and
causing swell that is perceptible for
miles.
UNCOMFORTABLE AS NEIGHBoRs. 8.
70 fla ~ a..
may be in close proximity when the mon
ster makes one of his lunges. At times the
berg cannot recover its equilibrium, and
continues rolling and tumbling like huge
dropping fragment after fragment
in its uncouth gambols, TIL the whole mass
falls asunder like wreck. These rolling
ieebergs, which are peculiarly dangerous,
the sailors call "growlers." Or the berg
may right itself by a complete INNER
son, and sail onward reduced in
and enveloped in mist until
it reaches the warm waters of the
Gulf stream, where it is finally dissolved.
Seldom, however, are any icebergs met
with farther southwark than 40 degrees Of
north latitude. Even now, when the sum-
mer warmth is so slight, it is surprising to
note how rapidly the smaller bergs that
drift into the bays and harbors and get
aground dissolve under the influence of the
SUMS rays. As the summer advances they
become very brittle, and then slight de-
gree of violeoce is enough to rupture them.
should vessel be caught between two |
)ergs, or between foe and berg in mo- |
ion she could no more resist the pressure |
han a wine glass the effect of ball dis |
charged from an Arustr0Du o11r
THE SIZE AND SHAPE OF THE BERGs.
The majority of the bergs that float past |
he Newfoundland shores, are of no great |
'ize, though occasionally great big fellow
oils into view. One was reported last year
~ several captains as half mile in length. |
This might seem an exaggeration, but one
vas seen by Rose in Bafin's bay, the birth
lace of the bergs, two miles and half |
Ong, two miles wide, and 80 feet high, nine
lines as much of its bulk being under the |
water as above its surface. The weight Of
his iceberg was estimated at 1,500,0U0,00O |
Ons. The visible portion of an iceberg Is
My about One-ninth part of the real bulk
f the whole mass; SO that if one be seen
90 feet high its lowest peak may perhaps
'e 500 feet below the waves. Frequently,
ergs are seen 200 and 800 feet above the
ca, and then if their submarine proper
ions sink TO the maximum depth, must
each the enormous total height of from
200 to 1900 feet.
The bergs are of all shapes as well as sizes,
rising into pointed spires like
teeples: sometimes taking the form of
onical hill; sometimes having domes aud
inHacleS. They have been seen bearing
ne forms of old abbeys afoat, with a strik-
lg resemblance to q crouching lion. The
lost general form, however, is with one
Ugh, perpendicular side, the opposite side
cry low, and the Intermediate surface
,rming gradual slope. Some have been
zen containing prodigious caverns, and some
18th hollows containing vast accummula-
ons of snow. Their appearance is that of
lalk cliffs, with glittering surface and
nerald green fractures. Pools of azure
ue water lie upon the surface, or fall in
Iscades from them. From these reservoirs
essels often obtain supplies of water pc.
lliarly sweet and agreeable. They are en-
rely Of fresh water frozen, and when op-
)site Newfoundland have foated nearly
600 miles from the place of their forma-
On.
THE ICEBERGs IN A STORM.
The scene presented by these floating ice
during storm is peculiarly
and and frightful, and woe to the luckless
ariner whose vessel is caught among
em. Very probably the several ocean
Gamers that have been lost at sea, since
e days of the Inflated "President," have
ct their fate in the Arctic
ream. That these dangers are
1t imaginary may be gathered
ON the results of this seasons operations I,
nong the ice fields. At this date it is !
lown that II sailing vessels and three
rye steamers have been wrecked and to-
lily destroyed, and at least so seal-hunters
we met with watery grave, and 20 or go
sides were seriously injured. Not for .
If century has such season of peril and
StrucSion OF life and shipping been
loWn.
MY IATR.A HRTInAV