Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-12-03
Birth of an iceberg.

cAtIemiticS UEedh Ou duu uEOp tulO the
sea. The glaciers being formed on
the sides of mountains the icebergs are
often of prodigioas height, and the
fall produces shock in the water like
an earthquake on land. DR.. Hayes
gives an account Of one, which almost
proved fatal to hiss crew:
Out from the midst of this ain-and
at length drowning it completely-came
appeal, 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
up and along the icy vail as one sees
the mists rising from the abyss below
Niagara, and, receiving the rays of the
sun, held a 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. q
wave OF vast proportions rolled away
in widening semi-cirole.
Until this moment l had watched
every action of the glacier with close
attention; but now the impulse OF Gu
riosity was divided with that of safety.
The wave came down upon US with the
speed Uf the wind, aud the instinct of
self-preservation drove me to seizs
the first firm object 1 could Law my
hands upon, and to grasp it with all
my strength. The wave occasioned
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 anchor
age, and hurled her, as if she had
been the veriest toy, toward the rocks.
l had not doubt, so far as there was
time to think at all, that she would be
stove to pieces or landed high and dry
on the rugged shore.
But there was little time for refiec-
ton. While the vessel was almost on
her beam ends, and we were clinging
to something or other for safety, de-
LUCE 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 a 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 just landed on
the shore and thoss in the boat? 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 hill
side as far as they could, but finding
they would be caught, they flung
themselves fiat upon tho ground, and
clinging to each other anu to the rocks,
they prevented themselves from being
carried off or seriously hurt. One had
been, however, lifted, and hurled with
much violence against e 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 expended much of it's force.
Had they been upon the beach, and re-
ceived 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 hill and left there in the morn
ing-were either carried bodily away,
or else made wreck of.
Waves of considerable though not
dangerous magnitude followed, and it
was quite half an hour before the
waters were at rest. Aud there before
MS, floating in the sea, above which its
crest rose hundred and forty feet,
was glittering mass of blue--a lapiS
lazni, quarter of mile in diameter,
set in chased silver--for the sea is but
mass of foam. And this was the
An iceberg had been born!
Thus had We not only seen an ice
berg 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 hardened snow which
have for ages lain upon the Greenland
hills.
Upon measuring this iceberg after
ward, found its crest to be one hun
dred and forty feet above water; and
since fresh ice, floating freely in the
sea, has seven parts beneath the water,
its total depth must have been upward
of one thousand one hundred feet.
Pharmacies to Romish saints sbrines
in France and Ireland appear to be fire.
quent and large. Eight thousand pill
grims recently left Orleans for Lourdes
at one time. Cardinal Manning en-
courages it in England by going to
worship at one of tie shrines himself.
Answer This.
Did you ever know any person to be i'll
without inacti of the stomach, liver or
kidneys, or did you ever know one who was
we'll when either was INSTRUCTED or inactive;
and did you ever know or hear of any case
Of the kind that Hop Bitters would not cure?
eli ma i,vIh nrf