The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1890-08-23

Ensign Hugh Rodman. United States

ONCE. delivered an interesting lecture
at the thirty-ninth meeting of the
National Geographic society In the
assembly-hall OF the Cosmos club saws
the Washington Star. His topic was
''lcebergs aud Field-Ice in the North
Atlantic" he having just returned
from "A trip into the ice-making regions
OF Labrador and Newfoundland on a
special mission on behalf OF the HYDRO
gen Office for the purpose OF obtaining
information that might lead 10 more
accurate knowledge In relation 10 the
formation and movements Of Ice around
the lines of regular ocean travel.
His lecture was illustrated with
lantern slides from views taken by him
during his trip. Newfoundland am;
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 traced but In shoal water this
becomes difficult. Tho movements Of
the ice depend in great measure upon
the various currents that traverse tho
ocean in this vicinity as well as upon
great variety of other forces. and
little can be said with any degree OF
deiinitcness as to the probable move
ments of ice beforehand. Hundreds of
vessels have been lost from ignorance
OF the local path OF the 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 appearance
In bn .Asstb hfu
region. II is a large island. entirely
covered with ice. that flows down to
the sea, aud breaking off forms bergs
and fields. Each glacier produces
from ten to twenty bergs a year. an
annual output OF ice that has been esti-
mated at $50 600. 900. 900 of cubic feet.
or. calculating mt the rate of live
pounds day for every man. woman,
and child in the United States. enough
to supply this country for at least 100
years. But only 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. on the Grand
banks the bergs are the most plentiful
during the spring months.
There Is great difference in the
rates at which bergs travel. One may
reach the southern waters the same
year In which 1t Is produced, while
another may DO several years going
the same distance. The ice-fields are
n great obstacle 10 the progress OF the
bcrgs. smashing them up and causing
their disintegration. The ice of the
bergs is very brittle. and sometimes q
sharp blow OF an ax will shatter
berg. and they are often demolished
by the concussion Of the report of
cannon. They break up with loud re-
ports that can be heard for some dis
lance. Water often melts In creviccs
of the bergs, and then. by some change
Of temperature. freezes again. and then
II often happens that. by reason OF the
expansion and contraction due 10 the
change in the condition of the water,
the ice Is split. and thus bergs are fire.
quently destroyed.
They melt away as they get into
the warmer water of the south. and are
ground against the field and broken
ice that they meet on the way. Some of
them last for several years. They quite
often have long. outlying spurs pro
jecting under the surface of tho water
that are very dangerous to ships. as
they are invisible and may pierce the
side OF vessel. Bergs are, as rule
nicely balanced and are quite apt to
tumble over IL they are disturbed. On
a clear day berg can be seen for
long distance on account of its brilliant
whitcness and ut night from its reful
gcnce.
In fog bergs may be detected by
their apparent blackness, but more
often by the echo which they throw of
from any such sound as fog-horn or
whistle. An instrument on deck
catches the echo waves. and by n per-
fccted mechanism their lengths may be
measured. thus giving the mariner
some idea as TO the distance he Is away
from his danger. Field ice is con.
stantly drifting and seems to have q
motion within itself that is always
carrying il on In some direction. IL
often Breaks up. drifts and freezes
again the same day. Two vessels
caught In the ice near each other may,
In a few days. be many miles apart,
although there IL not n time when one
could not walk from one to the other.
The Arctic ice takes several seasons to
make. while that made further south
forms each season. The latter is softer
and does not last as long as the other
sort Only an avcrage-sized berg can
get across the banks. owing 10 the
great depth OF water which they draw.
and many are grounded there TO melt
slowly away.
The cod follow the ice down and feed
under IL, while the seal, the sort that