The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-07-04
What Was tho Matter at Chicago.

A very remarkable condition Of things Is
shown by the Pilot Chart OF the North At
lantic Ocean Just issued. This goes under
the name OF the July chart, though 1t exhib-
its the situation during June. Probably very
little change has taken place since its publ
cation. On this chart the clustering OF ice
bergs east and southeast OF Newfoundland
is very striking feature. The ocean Is
thickly covered with them over a space al
most equal in area to the whole OF the
Eastern and Middle States. Starting from
Cape Race and st. Johns, the great ice fields
stretch eastward for fully 300 miles. and
scattered bergs are shown dotting the ocean
at least as much further to the east. The
great mass OF the ice sweeps southwark be-
tween longitude 45' and 500, and extends to
latitude 40, or as far south as the parallel
of New York. Viewed as a whole, the Ice
covered area is in the form Of vast cres-
cent, convex toward the east and extending
500 miles from north to south. This cres-
cent is about $50 miles broad near the CEN
tre which lies sout beast OF Newfoundland.
and it narrows toward the horns.
noteworthy fact is that the ice thins out
near the middle OF the crescent just south
OF its broad est part. SO that lane OF clear
water appears extending through the Ice
fields between latitude 4o and 450. North
and south OF this the bergs cluster thicker.
Covering the Ice area, and extending
hundred miles or more beyond Its borders.
is the region of frequent fogs. This, too, Is
divided by lane OF clear air in the centre.
From the northern half of the ice region
fog belt averaging perhaps 100 miles in
breadth but narrowing rapidly in its east
ern portion, stretches completely across the
ocean to the mouth of the English Channel.
Vessels bound for Liverpool or Glasgow
have to cross this belt. similar fog belt
| extends from the southern cluster OF
| bergs, with n gap between longitude
| 54o and 56o, almost to New York har-
| Dor The appearance of this huge zone
OF fog lying across tho Atlantic, IL seen from
another planet would no doubt closely re-
| selnblc that of some OF the markings
visible upon Jupiter or Mars In fact, both
IN its dimensions and In the manner OF Its
development and disappearance, 1t would
present a striking likeness to tho mysterious
canals on Mars discovered by SoHIAPA-
RELLI But in other respects there would
be a striking difference. SCHIAPARELLTs
canals are seen crossing not The seas but the
continents Of Mars; and their color Is darker
| than that Of the general surface OF the
planet, not lighter rs the fog belt would
| appear In the sunlight. AS to the visibility
of such phenomenon as the North Atlantic
| fog belt, there can be little doubt that tele-
scopes equal to ours would readily reveal 1t
! to the inhabitants OF Mars Perhaps some
OF the learned men up there have already
| invented theory To account for this queer
| anuearanCe uDOu the surface OF our planet
While the Atlantic has been vexed with Ice
and fog. an equally extraordinary, and, 30 far
as injury to life Is concerned, a far moref ormi-
dablc phenomenon has since the 2Othof June
manifested itself In the centre OF this country.
There Is something tremendously impressive
in such display of the destructive power OF
the atmosphere as has Just been witnessed
II the great Lake and river valleys OF the