Evening journal., 1900-03-14
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 a boatman either refuss to put
of from the shore. or at least to go
far from land. on 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 a reason he will only reply with
some cryptogramic remark about "the
ground sea-" the questioner retiring
more bewildered than before
IL is hard TO understand how such a
gentle swell can presage danger, but
TO experienced eyes It gives a warning
that must be needed. All along the
west and parts Of the south coasts OF
England and Ireland. as well as the
west coast OF Scotland, uncounted
tales are told OF ships which on a
calm day have been within a few
hours caught by gentle roll Of water
and finally thrown on a rock-bound
shore by the dreaded ground sea-
To understand this curious marine
phenomenon IL must be borne in mind
that out on the Atlantic waves are
often formed to a height Of forty feet
Driven before a heavy gale, these ad-
vance at a rate of from thirty to forty
miles an hour. Travelling at such a
rate they soon get out Of the wind
swept area, but even though, for
them, the storm is passed, they still
roll in fury. their undulations often
/ being felt FIVE hundred miles from the
point OF their creation.
In the region of the storms these
waves are fierce, breaking billows,
but as they get further away they
settle down into long. rolling ridges.
which travel onward in long, unbrok-
on lines. perfectly parallel with each
other. Out on the open sea these
| ridges often stretch out for a distance
of over thirty miles, and as they
| travel In threes. each successive wave
being larger than its predecessor, the
sight is an imposing one. The fur
ther the progress the smaller they be
come in height. but this is compensate
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 the surface. This
gives them the name of ground sea.
In this popularity their danger lies,
for when a becalmed ship is caught in
them her draught, the resisting power
that enables her TO ride a storm. be
comes the fulcrum which the liquid
mass uses to hurl her onward to de
struction On a calm day any sailing
craft caught in ground sea- near a
rocky shore is as good as lost unless
a wind can spring up and enable heI
to beat out to sea. Many a ship has
met this fate. The reason many more
do not get lost is due to the gentle
swell that so deceives a landsmar
and warns a sailor.
AS the ground sea- advances Il
pushes a certain amount of water be
fore IT, This also forms into ridges
like it's pursuer, but Of less height ant
approximately no depth. The "fals'
sea. as II is called, is little more thar
a rolling swell, but It gives a warning
OF from twenty minutes to two hours
duration. enabling a ship either t
run into port, get out to sea. or Sc
curely anchor: while at the seasid
, resorts the boatmen run close d
shore, to the surprise of the tripperi
/, When it is remembered that way
twenty feet high. which is often a
tanned by the ground sea" strike
with a force of ono ton to the squar
inch. the necessity for caution will b
recognized.
All waves that come in parable
, ridges. however. are not dangerouI
: as there is a wind billow" that
closely allied to the ground sea"
/, appearance. wind billows" are du
, to a heavy wind blowing but fe'
. miles off the land but as they hav
: but a comparatively short distanc
to travel they have no depth Cons'
, quently, even a rowing boat Is pc
: fectly safe on them If properly haI
: dled-Pearson' Weekly.