West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1885-08-28

tude tOrty-tive degrees west. as 10 On
able her master to enjoy the luxury OF
a walk on the ice in mid-ocean. lee
bergs have been seen richly laden with
stones. earth. and other substances.
which they deposit gradually on the bed
ot the ocean. perhaps for gcologists of
iuture ages 70 ponder over
Occasionally, icebergs are the car
riers of more interesting objects. In
June, 1874. His Maiesty's ships Dpda-
lus and Ceres passed very high and
dangerous ice-island on which shin
was stranded. In June, 1915. in lati-
tude tortY-siX degrees north, longitude
torty-sevcn degrees west the Perth
shire passed an ice-island thirty miles
long. and on the north end was "A ship
high and dry with her crew but no
assistance could be afforded them. In
April, 1851, the Renovation. In latitude
iorty-tivo degrees fifty minutes north.
ON tho edge of the Grand Bank. passed
very large berg. on which were two
three-maStcd ships high and dry. They
had apparently been made snug and
secure at some previous time for win
ter quarters in the Arctic regions.
These two vessels were supposed by
some 20 have been the Erebus and Ter.
ror OF tranklin's long-lost expedition,
though later tidings do not support this
supposition. In MAY, 1888. tire City of
Lincoln passed twenty-seven large
bergs in latitude forty-five degrees
north, longitude forty-eight degrees
west, with many Polar bears on them.
The Magdalene, ten days previously.
but two degrees farther 60 the eastward.
had passed tremendous bergs. like
lgIanha Nth 1
them. In April large berg was seen
with hut on il; and on the 2Sth of
the same month the Glamorgan passed
more than ono hundred bergs with
numerous bears on them. The ice
was two hundred and sixty miles I'm
width. Probably these animals would
exist on fish and seals. DIR. Scoresby
once counted five hundred bergs al one
time in the Polar Seas. a steamer has
passed as many as three hundred dur
ing her passage across the Atlantic
There is scarcely anything moro
grandly beautiful and maiestically inn
pressive than a large berg seen under
favorable conditions. 10 IL sight
hardly 20 be reproduced on the canvas
OF the painter or TO bc portrayed in
words. Its stately domes, It's
glittering pinnacles, its fairy-hko arch
ltecture, it's peculiar sea green tint, the
miniature cascades, all cOnspire 20 hold
captive the senses with IA feeling of
awe. They are, however. rs treacher-
ous as beautiful, being extremely dan
gerously TO approach except at re-
spectacle distance. Owing TO the CON
stant melting of the rec, the bergs arc
always changing their form. Their
center Of gravity becomes displaced;
they topple over. and woe betide the
unfortunate vessel close nc handi If
the bergs were easily distinguishablo,
the mariner would have little TO fear.
This ~ not the case. They are geno-
rally shroudcd in mist, and are met
with in lattudus where dense foo is
prevalent. The thermometer pives but
imperfect Indications of the presepce
of ice. With the utmost vipilance
bergs are close TO the ship before being
seen. The passenger in his warm
berth can hardly realizo the intenso
strain on the senses of the captain and
officers at such times
The Meteorological Office is in
formed, by telegram from America. of
the exact position Of bergs passed bv
steamers on their outward passage to-
New York This information ~ pub.
llshed in the daily papers for the immc-
date benefit of the mariner. Tho
Admiralty place on their charts tho
limits within which ice is likely 10 be
met whilst the American Government
published monthly charts in which they
embody all the reports OF ice met with
up TO date Of going 10 press IL is a
matter of wonder and sincere thank
fitness that in this iron age, when time
Is more than ever money out Of the
large number Of vessels carving pas
sengcrs across tho tracks Of these un-
welcome pests of the deep, so few
casualties occur.
This year icebcrgs have been upus-
ually numerous and very far east for
the time of year. At Quebec. ON the
10Th Of May. rs many a. three steam
ers were behind time. owing 90 the fact
that the unprecedcntedly heavy ice
had blocked the entrance 10
the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Sucb
an occurrence has hitherto been I'M
known in the annals Of the port. Six
sailing-ships bound for Quebec were
totally lost, and eight steamers scri-
Ously damaged, by collision with ice
bcrgs. The barque Maranee fOuudered
with all hands except the captain and
two scamen The survivors. witha few
biscuits 60 sustain life. were eighteen
days IN an open boat, surrounded bv
iceberg-. and exposed TO the inclcmcncv
of an almost arctic skv. Tho screw
steamer Sarmatian got i'm the ice ON the
lst Of May, and remained fast tll the
9Th The ice was solid as far a4 tho
eye could see, extending completely
across the entrance Of the Gulf Of ST.
Lawrence. The screw steamer CITY Of
Berlin, AZ thirty-hyc minutes past three
on the 10Th Of June ran item ON 10 au
immense berg, doing damage estimated
at five thousand pounds Many tons
OF ice fell on her deck. crashinp
through into the hold A dense fo0
prevailed al the time On the 28th of
june the screw steamer BROOKLYN col.
hded with large iceberg in 20 chick
fog when much ice fell on deck.
though happily no one was injured.
Some hours after thc fog being still
dense. it was discovered that the shin
had passed between two large bcrVs.
The whole of these steamers escaped
fouudcrng. owing TO their being divided
Iuto wator-tight compartment - Ch0ui-
bcrs Journal
There used 20 bc an old gentleman
who lived up in ORC of the parishes of
This State who was noted for bis ire