Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-09-29

lceperSs are born of glaciers, whose
eXtremities break off and drop into the
sea- The glaciers being formed on to the
sides OF mountains the lcebergs are often
OF prodigous height, and the fall produces
shock in the water like an EARTHQUAKE
on land. DIR. Hayes gives an account OF
one, which almost proved fatal to his
crew:
Out from the midst of this din-and a.
length drowning it mplelely-came a
peal, compared to which the loudest
thunder of the heavens would be but a
feeble sound. The whole glacier was
enveloped in a cloud, which steamed I'D
and along the icy wall as one sees the
mists rising from the abyss below Mag.
ara, and, receiving the rays of the sun,
held rainbow lowering over the vortex.
Out of this cloud rose great white mass
at first slowly, then with bound-and
from out OF the mist, wave of vast pro-
portions rolled away in Il widening semi
circle.
Until this moment had watched every
action of the glacier with close attention :;
but now the impulse of curiosity was
divided with that of safety. The wave
came down upon us with the speed of the
wind, and the instinct of self-preservation
drove me to seize the first firm Object
could lay my hands upon, and to grasp it
with all my strength. The wave occas.
loned by an earthquake only Can compare
with it in its magnitude and force. 1t
rolled beneath our ship, lifted her upon
its crest, tore her from anchorage, and
hurled her, rs if she had been the yeriest
toy, toward the rocks. had not doubt,
so-far as there was time to think at all,
that she wonld be stove 70 pieces or land
ed high and dry on the rugged shore.
But there was little time for reflection.
While the vessel was almost on her beam
ends, and we were clinging to something
OF other for safety u deluge of water fell
laundering upon the deck, and the ship
was half buried.
We escaped seemingly by miracle.
The anchor was brought up within two
fathoms of the abrupt shore, against
which the huge wave broke and rolled
back upon US with blow that caused
some injury. but did not seriously hurt
anybody.
Through the mercy of providence we
had been saved; but where were our
comrades who had inst landed on the
shore and those in the boatP This was
our first thought. The boat had proved to
be all right. She had got ahead of the
wave, and far enough from the rocks to
ride easily; but the people on shore could
not escape the whole fury of the waters.
Seeing the wave, they had clambered up
the hillside rs far rs they could, but find
ing they would be caught, they flung
themselves fiat upon the ground, and
clinging to each other and to the rocks.
they prevented themselves from being
Carried off or seriously hurt, One had
been however, lifted, and hurled with
much violence against a rock; but with
the exception of few bruises he was not
injured. and with great fervor he thanked
Heaven that it was no worse. He had
indeed. abundant cause. Had not the
party been favored by the rock-which
was of such formation that they could
readily spring from ledge to ledge they
must inevitably have all persisted. The
wave, before it reached them, had expand
ed much of its force. Had they been
upon the beach, and received the full force
OF the blow, they must have been struck
to death. Their implements bottles,
baths, plates, everything which they had
purposed using in their art, except their
camera, which had been fortunately
perched upon u hill and left there in the
morning-were either carried bodily
away. or else made wreck Of
Waves of considerable though not dan
gerous magnitude followed, and it was
quite half an hour before the waters were
at rest. And there before us, floating in
the sea, above which its crest rose hun
dred and forty feet, was Il glttering mass
of blue-a lapts lasuH, a quarter of
mile in diameter, set in chased silver
for the sea is but mass of foam. And
this was the monster that had made the
mischief An iceberg had been born!
Thus had we not only seen an iceberg
born, but also its terrible power when set
in motion from the parent glazier, to tread
the blue waters of the deep, and through
many years to come to cast into the sea,
little by little, the crystal drops of hard
ened snow which have for ages lain upon
the Greenland hills.
Upon measuring this iceberg atterward,
found its crest to be one hundred and
forty feet above water; and since fresh ice,
floating freely in the sea. has seven parts
beneath the water, its total depth must
bave been upward of one thousand one
hundred feet.