Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-08-14
OCEAN VOYAGE ON ICE.
A NOVEL PROPOSITION TO CROSS
THE WATER TO EUROPE.

| 49, WI ~ EOnOFEs
a Plan Which Would Be Very Popular
If PracticabIe-DetaiIs That Present q
Mighty Pleasing PictuFe-This Scheme
Would Do Away with All Danger ut Sea.
Newton discovered that apples fall to
the ground because they are heavier
than the atmosphere, and Calico was
the first to find out that icebergs float
because they are lighter than water.
Many grand results are attributable to
the first of these divinations of one of
these long impenetrable mysteries, and
most astonishing consequences are about
to attend the application of the second
fact of natural philosophy. 1t is rather
extraordinary. when you come to think
! of 1t, that 500 years should have elapsed
between the discovery that ice would
float and the practical determination to
| float it. But man has way of making
: his utllltarian purposes answer a crying
necessity, of doing things only when the
/ world seems to be able no longer to do
/ without them. Railroad travel is little
more than hundred years old, yet we
wonder how mankind managed to do
without it for 5000 or 1000 years.
A NOVEL SCHEME.
1t Is proposed to construct a dozen
towing vessels of maximum power, to
be operated singly, in pairs, in groups,
or all at once, as the circumstances NAV
determine. These will be constructed
XE-i4n c1Nafia1 y-ofaro,,n, - III
will be in many ways unique. These
will be sent into the polar regions to
gather tOwS of the greatest practicable
burden that may be suited to traffic and
transportation. As these vast areas of
ice become detached by force of winds
and currents they have a natural ten
dency toward warmer latitudes, and
move with such readiness that no great
force will be required to give them reg
ular direction along a desired course.
Unassisted these monster bergs frequent
~ approach to within 40 dogs. of the
equator, and by expediting their speed
they could be got to, that point with per-
feet security and with little diminution
of their original bulk.
These lows, ranging in extent from
one to five acres and in height above |
water from fifty to three hundred feet.
will be brought into direct competition |
with the English, French and German |
lines of steamers plying between New
York and European points during the |
summer season. On these floating islands |
of ice will be every imagined conven- |
ience for the comfort and pleasure of |
passengers and the rates of passage will |
be reduced to the minimum of profit. In |
this latter particular the projectors of
the scheme seem to us to have made
serious mistake. The inducement to
travel by this means will be sufficient
without making any sacrifice of passage
money. 1t is estimated that the trip
from Liverpool to New York can be
made within two days Of the best run
ming time of the ocean greyhounds; but
this increase of time will make no diff
ference to the passengers, who will find
the extra pleasure of the voyage more
than compensation.
LUXURY ON AN ICEBERG.
The appointments will be luxurious,
rugs, cushions, awnings, easy chairs and [
sofas, water proof mattings, and to secure
privacy a unique arrangement Of screens |
for those who do not care to patronize
the berths will be hewn in the side ele- !
vations of the berg. One part of the ice
palace will be reserved for skating and {
Shedding, another part for various games {
and sports, while near the center, Sc 1
GUIDED from one another, will be two /
basins cut into the ice and filed with salt | i
water for the benefit of those who may I
wish to take plunge baths. All the cook /
ng for the passengers will be done on /
board the tugs, and viii be transferred i
20 the ''island" in small boats. The tables r
will be simple lodges Of ice at short in b
ervals. There will be promenades and b
and one Of the favorite under v
akings with the adventuresome will be I
mounting to the unexplored regions Of
he masses that tower 800 feet above the
mean level Of the island. !
There will be no danger of any one =
reezing to death, as the supply of rugs,
blankets, ETC., will enable each person to
ontrol the temperature to suit himself, =
nd it is estimated that the average tenn =
erature will be about5 so deg. The pom =.
erosity of the ice mass will greatly di- =
ninish the rolling motion incident upon 20
rdinary travel, and will correspondingly
ecrease the liability to seasickness, a
cry grave consideration withmany who =
re deferred from ocean voyaging :,
trough their horror Of NAL de mer, and
! case of storm it can be understood
hat great advantages the passengers -
7ould enjoy in comparative freedom
rom disturbing commotion. =.
As only about the eighth part Of the -
ntire bulk of one of these masses Of ice =: =:
1ows above the water this new style of = =.
ceal sailer would be most substantial,