New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-04-22
ICE FIELDS IN MID-OCEAN.
A REMARKABLE SIGHT REPORTED BY
TWO INCOMING STEAMERS
WOULD HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS
HAD THE WEATHER BEEN FoGGY-soME
OF THE BERGs APPEARED TO

OF THE BERGs APPEARED TO
BE 200 FEET HIGH.
Two large ocean steamships. the Mobile and
the Glenlochy, which arrived In New-York yes
terday morning from London and Glasgow, re-
spectively. report seeing an immense field Of Ice
just east Of the southern part Of the Banks
nearly In the southern course OF European
steamships. on Friday of last week The danger
to navigation from this enormous quantity OF
Ice would be considerable, 1t is thought. II set
tied foggy weather should prevail
The Mobile left London on April 0, carrying
thirty-four passengers and a large amount OF
freight. and had an uneventful journey until the
morning Of April II. I'VE were then following
the regular summer course" said Captain Lex
land last night, "ans about In longitude
80 and latitude 1920 1t was about o'clock In
the morning when we began to pass floating Ice
but 1t was not until o'clock that We sighted the
field. II was then fair and perfectly clear. and
we We're steaming west BY south. but when we
sighted the Ice I ordered the course changed to
west. BY this means we passed to the north OF
all the ice, except q few detached bergs The
lead at that time showed thirty fathoms and
as the sky was clear the sight was beautiful
one. For fully twelve miles to the southwark,
or as far as we could see. at any rate. the field
OF Ice extended. Far away was formed SOLID
mass. towering In some places as high should
think. as 200 feet and over. Nearby US were
many smaller bergs. through which we were
obliged to tread our way with great caution.
Some OF the Ice mountains were 100 feet high. and
none were less than twenty feet in height. The
ice was a dazzling white and gttered splendidly
In the sun. The immense fleet Of ice to the south
OF us looked as II covered with thousands OF
spires and nina rets and turrets. 1t was melting
rapidly, however. and hundreds Of streams OF
water varying In size from rlvulets to cataracts.
poured from It's sides.
Occasionally one OF the bergs would tip over
In obedience to the law Of gravity. or huge
masses of ice would melt off and go crashing
into the sea-
THE influence Of the ice on the temperature
Of the air was very marked. AT a. m. the
thermometer registered 80 degrees and at noon
only 81 degrees We had TO turn on steam
throughout the ship. as It was too cold for the
passengers to be on deck We had several
children aboard. and they were immensely
pleased with the sight OF the Ice All the morn
ing we steamed through the Ice. having TO
change our course no less than hve times IN
order to avoid collision with one OF the big fel-
lows We passed 90 near 10 several of them
that We could have tossed a biscuit into them.
The entire field Of Ice extended. should think,
about ffty miles east and west. II 1t continues
10 melt there Will be little left OF II In ten days
John Scott chief officer Of the Glenlochy. said:
I'VE fell in with icebergs about o'clock on the
morning OF April II. We passed about thirty
six bergs Of varying size when we were in lati-
tudc 45:,o and longitude 1920. Al $50 we came
within two miles OF one berg that was about
i50 feet high. and a little later saw one that was
shaped much like gigantic ship. 300 or 400 feet
long and forty feet broad. We we're moving at
the rate Of about twelve miles an hour, but we
did no; have to change our course at any time.
Our thermometer fell from 40 degrees TO 30 de-
grees and the wind was bitter cold. The Ice
extended area OF about seventy miles
east and west and was melting very rapidly.
II took US about six hours'to get through It,"