Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-07-29
Ah0uf lcaherRR.

A New York paper says: Vessels sail
ing hence for Europe, particularly the
regular steamers, have encountered an
extraordinary number of icebergs this
| season, and been exposed 10 great dam
ger therefrom. Many icebergs are pro-
duced from glaciers, which. thrust
down from the higher lands of the polar
regions, are pushed forward 10 the sea,
where vast fragments break of and noat
away. The edges Of glaciers extending
for miles along PERCEPTIONS coast nave
been seen 10 fall into the ocean and thus
become icekergs, often carrying with
them masses of rock gathered up by the
advance of the glacier. Enormous bergs
are also formed by the breaking up Of
fields of sea-made ice which accumulate
along the shores Of far northern waters.
In 1917, the ice covering several thou
sand square miles OF the sea north Of
Iceland, and mainly on the east coast OF
Greenland, most of which had not, it il
thought, been disturbed tor nearly four
centuries, was suddenly dislodged and
scattered over the North Atlantic. POr-
tions were carried far beyond the usual
eastern range of icebergs from the north,
approaching within eight hundred miles
OF Ireland. This great breakup led to
the expedition OF Admiral (Sir john
Ross in search of a northwest passage,
the belief then Being that the climate had
undergone so great modification as
| would insure the continual openness OF
| the northern seas. Northern icebcrgs
| drift with the great polar currents.
! One of these sets in south-south-
west direction, between Iceland and
| Green land, and another along the
west side Of Baflin's bay, near the
coast OF Labrador. The bergs are brought
against this continent and the west
| shores of its bays from their not catch.
| ing Immediately the rapider rotatin 2
motion Of the earth as they pass upon
! larger parallels, and so permit the mo-
rion to slip from under them. The ma
| iority of icebergs form on the west side
| of Greenland, their most remarkable
center being at Jacobs light, an inlet
n little north OF Disco island. From
Labrador the ice floats with the current
past Newfoundland, meeting near the
Great bank the warm influence Of the
Gulf stream, and usually disappearing
about latitude forty-two degrees, the
extreme limit being forty degrees. In
the southern hemisphere borgs 90 still
nearer the equator, being visible occa-
sionally off the Cape OF Good Hope, in
latitude thirty-six degrees. They sensi-
| bly, cool the waters Tor fortY 10 nifty
miles, and the thermometer on approach
ing them falls seventeen or eighteen de-
grecs. When driven, as they sometimes
are, into Hudson's bay in large numbers,
they cause intense cold over the north
ern part of the continent. Ice is always
found, even In summer, at the mouth OF
Hayes river, though tins is in the lati-
tude of Northern Prussia. When the
ice is spread out into sheets of hundreds
OF miles extent, and rises only few
feet above the water, it is called n field,
and when its entire area can be defined
from the masthead it is named a foe.
The bergs are rugged and picturesque,
and are sometimes seen moving together
! in great numbers. Doctor Kane counted
on his first cruise $50 in sight al the
same time. most of them $50 feet high,
and some 300 feet. They are generally
/ seven or eight times further below than
above the surface, and the biggest arc
! measured by miles.