The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1890-07-25
VAGAB0ND ICE.
GLACIAL BERGs WHICH MAKE
OCEAN TRAVEL DANGEROUS.
Greenland is the Great Factory for
she Formation Of Icebergs-
Studying the Movements
OF Floating FiOes.

Ensign Hugh Rodman, of the United
States Navy, has just returned from a
trip 10 Labrador and Newfoundland,
where he went for the purpose of obtain-
ing a mo- bcurate knowledge in rela-
ton to thelhovements of ice within the
lines of regular ocean travel. He says in
the Washington Star, Newfoundland,
and the mouth of the st. Lawrence River
yearly send out miles Of ice that is ex-
tremely dangerous to navigation. In
deep waters the course of ice can be easily
trnced, but in shoal water this becomes
difficult. The movements Of the ice de-
pend in a great measure upon the various
currents that traverse the ocean in this
vicinity, as well as upon a great variety
OF other forces, and little can be said
with any degree Of defniteness as to the
probatsg- ue-z.k0snts eE-ioe beforehand.
Hundreds Of rs have been lost from
ignorance Of e local path of ice, and
many are damaged severely yearly on the
same account.
Greenland Is the great factory for the
formation Of icebergs and the most of
those that make an annual appearancc in
the northern waters are from this region.
It is large island, entirely covered by
ice, that flows down to the sea and,
breaking of, forms bergs and fields.
Each glacier produces from ten to twenty
bergs year, an annual output Of ice
that has been estimated at $50, 600, O00,-
600 Of cubic feet, or, calculating at the
rate of five pounds dag for every man,
woman and child in the United States.
enough 20 supply this country for at
least hundred years. But only a small
proportion of the years production of
bergs ever reach the transatlantic
steamer lines, for many are melted, but
more are broken up before they get into
the navigable waters. OF the Grand
Banks the berss are the most plentiful
during the spring months. There IS a
great difference in the rates at which
bergs travel. One may reach the south
ern waters the same year IN which it Is
produced, while another NAV be seE~ q
years going the same distance. 'siess Fl
fields az great obstacle to. ,:,-u e aus n
of the berg, smashing - 80 ~ .ie s.
ing theF disintegT viii sbattsr b. .ne al
oefgs = Yeryeh demolished by the cons ~ 81
SHARP 9k6e report of cannon. They in
ana z kd reports that can he
cuSp With loS Water oftsn - er
nd some Distances "a -. ~ niel's p,
crevices Of the ber a el enen by an
no change of temperatl ire pc again, n n
: then-it often happens thss Dy reason IN
o. &c. evanston and contraecea-ale. to ~ ~
,sns h. = in the condition Of the wal- y r. /.
! 80 10 s snlit and thus bergs are ire
Ill. III DESTROYED. They melt away as T.
-, - oct into the warmer water Oh inc h
~, Mn and are ground against the helas h
. = broken IKE, ice that they meet on the a
~ some Of them last for several n
-. They oui4s often have long, out c
es.s' snurs proi ug under the surface q
I n t5c water that are very dangerous - t
h;n ne for they are invisible and may
,;ar =, the side OF vessel Bergs are, q
- nile. nicely balanced, and are 9uis
=, su 70 tumble over if disturbed. On a
IT, dav a berg can be seen for q long
,,-'...,se. ~ account Of its brilliant @ni's
-. =. int from its Tefalgenee.
Z, -