The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1900-08-15
THE GROUND SEA.
A Peculiar Condition of the Ocean
Which Wrecks Vessels In a Calm.

Many visitors to the coast at this
time of the year are sorely puzzled
when boatman either refuss to put
off from the shore, or at least to go
far from land. on a day when there is
no sign of an approaching storm, and
the water Is only moved by a long and
gently rolling swell. Argument is of
no avail, and II the old salt Is pushed
for reason he will only reply with
some cryptogramic remark about the
ground sea- the questioner retiring
more bewildered than before.
1t Is hard TO understand how such
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
England and ireland, as we'll as the
west coast of Scotland. uncounted
tales are told of ships which on a
calm day have been within few
hours caught by gentle roll of water
and finally thrown on rock-bound
shore by the dreaded ground sea.
TO understand this curious marine
phenomenon II must be borne In mind
that out on the Atlantic waves are
often formed to n height of forty feet.
Driven before heavy gale, these ad-
vance at n rate of from thirty to forty
miles an hour. Travelling at such
rate they soon get out of tho wind
swept area. but even though, for
them, the storm IL passed, they still
roll In fury. their undulations often
being felt Ave hundred miles from the
| point of their creation
In the region of the storms these
waves are fierce. breaking pillows,
but as they got further away they
settle down into long, rolling ridges.
which travel onward In long. unbrok.
en- lines, perfectly parallel with each
other. Out on the open sea these
ridges often stretch out for II distance
of over thirty miles, and as they
travel In threes. each successive wave
being larger than its predecessor. tho
sight Is an imposing ono. The fur
ther the progress the smaller they be-
come In height, but this is compensat-
ed for by the fact that their motion is
communicated to the mass OF water
below until the roll can be detected
fully fifty feet under tho surface. This
gives them tho name of ground sea
In this popularity their danger lies.
for when becalmed ship Ia caught In
them her draught. the resisting power
that enables her to ride storm be-
comes the fulcrum which the liquid
mass uses to hurl her onward to dc.
struction. On n calm day any sailing
craft caught in ground sea" near a
rocky shore is IA good as lost unless
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 ~ due to the gentle
swell that SO deceives landsman
and warns sailor.
Az the ground sea" advances 1t
pushes a certain amount of water be-
fore II. This also forms into ridges.
like It's purAuer but of less height and
approximately no depth. The false
sea" rs 1t 10 called. Is little more than
rolling swell. but II gives warning
duration. enabling a ship either to
| curely anchor: while at the seaside
resorts tho boatmen run close to
shore, to the surprise of the trlppers
When 1t Ia reY0embered that wave
tanned by ,has ah %hiSSh se Il e'sSsr, fes
with force Of one ton to the square
inch, the necessity for caution will be
recognized.
All waves that come In parallel
ridges. however, are not dangerous
as there is wind billow" that Is
closely allied TO tho ground sea" In
appearance. wind pillows" are due
to a heavy wind blowing but n few
miles off tho land, but as they have
but comparatively short distance
to travel they have no depth Conse.
quently. even rowing boat Is per.
fectly safe on them II properly han
| dled.-Pearson's Weekly.