The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1899-12-07
DANGER IN THE GROUND SEA
Why Sailors Refuse to Go to See,
Though Landsmen See
No Danger.


Many visitors to the coast at this time
Of the year are soreiy puzzled when q
boatman either refuses to put off from
shore or at most to go far from land on
q day when there is no sign of an APP
preaching storm and the water is only
moved by a long and gently rolling
swell. Argument is of no avail, and If
the old salt is pushed for reason he
will only reply with SOME cryptogramic
remark about 1.-The ground sea-" the
questioner then retiring more bewfl-
dered than before.
It is hard TO understand how such q
gentle swell can presage danger, but to
experienced eyes it gives warning
that must be needed. All along the west
and parts of the south coasts of Eng
land and Ireland as we'll as on the west
coast of Scotland rncounted tales are
told of ships which on perfectly calm,
day have been within few hours first
caught by gentle roll Of the water and
finally thrown on a rock-bound coast
by the dreaded ground sea-"
To understand this curious marine
phenomenon it must be borne in mind
that out on the Atlantic waves are often
formed to a height of 40 feet. Driven
before heavy gale these advance at a
rate of from 30 to 40 miles an hour.
Travelling at such rate they soon get
out of the wind-swcpt area, but even
though, for them, the storm is past.
they still roll on in fury, their undula'
tons often being felt 500 miles from the
point of their creation.
In the region of the storm these waves
are fierce, breaking pillows, but as they
get farther away they settle down into
long, rolling ridges, which travel on
ward in long, unbroken lines, perfectly
parallel with each other.
Out on the open sea these ridges
often stretch out for distance of over
30 miles, and as they travel in threes,
each successive wave being larger than
its predecessor, the sight is an impos-
ing one.
The farther they progress the smaller
they become in height, but this is COM
pensated for by the fact that their mo-
ton is communicated to the mass OF
water below, until the roll can be de-
tected fully so feet under the surface.
This gives them the name of ''ground
sea-"
In this popularity their danger lies.
for when becalmed ship is caught in
them her draught, the resisting power
that enables her to ride out storm,
becomes the fulcrum which the liquid
mass uses to hurl her on to destruction.
On a calm day any sailing craft
caught in the ground sea" near a
rocky shore is as good as lost unless a
wind can spring up and enable her to
beat out to sea. Many ship has met
this fate. The reason many more do
not get lost is due to the gentle swell
that SO deceives a landsman and warns
q sailor.
AS the ground sea" advances it push
es certain amount of water before it.
This also forms into ridges, like its pur-
suer, but of less height and approxi-
mately no depth.
The "false sea-" as it is called, is little
more than a rolling swell, but it gives
a warning of from 20 minutes to two
hours duration, enabling a ship to
either run into port, get out to sea OF
securely anchor, while at the seaside
resorts the boatmen run close in shore
to the surprise of the 'trippers."
When it is remembered that wave
20 feet high, which is often attained by
the ground sea-" strikes with a force
of one ton to the square inch the neces-
sity for caution will be recognized.
All waves that come in parallel ridges
however. are not dangerous, as there Il
q wind billow" that is closely allied to
the ground sea" in appearance.
"Wind billows'' are due to q heavy
wind blowing but few miles of thu
land, but as they have but compare
lively short distance to travel they have
no depth. Consequently even q rowing
hat 70 pnr%oo<1v sofo ~, ~ an, - nro,,o,.