Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-09-01
A SEA OF ICE.
Encountered During n Voyage from London
to New York.
From the New York Herald. August 10

encountered Dur1Eg voyage from London
to New York.
From the New York Herald, August 10.
The bark Kate Crosby, of Yarmouth.
Nova Scotia, which arrived at this port
last Monday morning, ffty-nine days
from London, passed through an liz
mense fleet of icebergs on her voyage
hlther. The bark, very neatly built
vessel Of 600 tons, is now living off
Pigeons wharf, at Hunters point. Her
commander, Capt. Porter, has followed
the sea for a good part of his life, and
has been on the Kate Crosby for the
last four years. Never before in all his
experience, he says, has he passed such
large foes of ice. On the morning of
July 10, about 7 o'clock, when in lati-
tude "a degrees % minutes north,
and longitude AZ degrees AZ minutes
west, being about 21O miles east north
east OF Bonavista Point, the first ice
berg was seen. A thick fog through
which they had been sailing for the
two previous days had just cleared
away, and the thermometer had fallen.
AS the captain said g it was like cool
October day." No rain was falling,
and the sky was only slightly over
cast. Soon other icebergs were re-
ported, and the course of the vessel
had to be changed. In very short
time, from the deck, great many more
were discovered. By nine O'clock,
twenty seven icebergs could be counted,
and from the topmast they could be seen
covering the sea to the north as far as
the eye could reach. Shortly after
h0 1ol
three. The vessel sailed quite close
to some OF them. The water was covered
with many smaller floating pieces of
ice. Some of them were three times as
large as the ship, and the majority were
as high as the topmasts. They contin-
ued in sight all day until 10 P. NJ, when
they became less frequent. On the first
and second days after, between ten and
fifteen very large bergs were passed
daily. On the latter day, just after
they had passed quite close to large
iceberg, it turned over and burst with
great noise, like the rumbling Of an
earthquake. During this time they
had passed four steamers. Capt. Por-
ter said he could not understand how
there were SO few accidents, seeing the
SASSA " AAA@AJ Va OuA OVCduuC1O Oil
every voyage. More icebergs
have invaded our northern ocean this
year in the direct track of Euro
pean commerce than has ever
before beer recorded. The steamship
Indiana, or the American line, on her
trip last month from Liverpool to Phil
adelphia, reports that on the morning
of July 6she encountered between fifteen
and twenty icebergs within two hours,
from half-past three to half-past five.
The course of the ship had to be alter
ed to pass some Of them, and they sail
ed directly between others. The wealth
er was rainy and the thermometer had
fallen about ten degrees. This was in
longitude 4S degrees west and latitude
Al degrees north, directly south of
where the Kate Crosby encountered the
bergs nine days afterward. This was
almost the southern limit in which ice
bergs are seen at this season of the
year. They have been met, however.
earlier In the season, as far as 80 de-
grees north latitude.