The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1890-08-16
OCEAN VOYAGE ON ICE.
A NOVEL PROPOSITION TO CROSS
THE WATER TO EUROPE.

THE WATER TO EUROPE.
A Plan which Would BE Very Popular
if Practicable-Details That Present a
Mighty Pleasing Picture-This scheme
would DO Away with All Danger at Sen.
Newton discovered that apples fall to
the ground because they are heavier
than the atmosphere, and Galileo was
the first to find ont 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 impenetrabe mysteries, and
most astonishing consequences are about
to attend the application Of the second
fact of natural philosophy. It is rather
extraordinary, when you come TO think
of it, that 800 years should have elapsed
between the discovery that ice would
float aud the practical determination to
float it. But mau has way Of making
his utilitarian 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 a hundred years old, yet we
wonder how mankind managed to do
without it for G,000 or 1000 years.
A NOVEL SCHEME.
1t is proposed to construct q dozen
towing vessels of maximum power. to
be operated singly, in pairs, in groups.
or all at once, as the circumstances may
determine. These will be constructed
with special reference to their uses and
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 forco Of winds
and currents they have 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
ly 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 tows, ranging in extent from
one to five acres and in height above
water from City 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 viii 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 a
serious mistake. The inducement to
travel by this means will be sufficient
without making any sacrifice of passage
money. It 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 n 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 win 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
al, 1CI l.
basins cut into the ice and filled with salt
water for the benefit of those who may
wish to take plunge baths. All the cook
ing for the passengers will be done on
board the tugs, and viii be transferred
to the "island" in small boats The tables
will be simple lodges Of ice at short in
tervals. Those will be promenades and
'climbs," and one of the favorite under
takings with the adventuresoIne will be
mounting to the unexplored regions of
the masses that tower 800 feet above the
mean level Of the island.
There will be no danger of any one
freezing TO death, as the supply of rugs,
blankets, etc, will enable each person to
control the temperature to suit himself,
and it il estimated that the average tenn
peratura win be about 80 deg. The pom
derosity of the ice mass win greatly di-
minish the rolling motion incident upon
ordinary travel, and will lcorrespondingly
decrease the liability to seasiclSness, a
very grave consideration with many who
are deferred from ocean voyaging
through their horror Of NAL de mer, and
in case Of storm it can be understood
what great advantages the passengers
would eijuy in comparative freedom
from disturbing commotion.
As only about the eighth part Of the
entire bulk of one Of these masses of ice
shows above the water this new style Of
ocean sailer would be most substantial,
and 1t is even believed each island might
be used 10 tow a cargo back to England.
At any rate the quality Of ice brought
into New York harbor each trip would
revolutionize the ice traffic in that city.
The prospect held out by the Chicago
man is delightful to contemplate, and
we can imagine the joy of 800 persons
sailing the ocean blue on an island
of ice, reclining upon hammocks Of
crystal, laughing III the face Of baffled
Sol, and calling down blessings on the
clustering frost king Of the frigid north.
Ahl the ineifable bliss of freezing and
thawing at pleasurel It is hoped the
iceberg transit company will be organ
lied In short order. - Chicago Inter
Ocean,