The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-02-09
WRECKED ON CALM DAYS.
Waves Which Look Harmless, but
Are Terribly Dangerous.
From Pearson's Weekly.

ATe AeTTAoAy Oou6oEVuS'
From Pearson's Weekly.
Many visitors to the coast at this
time of the year are sorely puzzled
when a boatman either refuses to put
off from shore, or at most to 60 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 If the
old salt is pushed for a reason he will
only reply with some cryptogramic
remark about "the ground sea-" the
questioner then retiring more bewild-
| cred than before.
1t 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. as well as the west coast
of Scotland, uncounted tales are told
of ships which on a perfectly calm
| day have been within a few hours
first caught by gentle roll of the
water and finally thrown on a rock
bound shore 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 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 past, they still roll on in
fury, their undulations 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 further away they settle
down into long, rolling ridges, which
| travel onward in long, unbroken 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 further they progress the small
er they become in height. but this is
compensated 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 sur
face. This gives them the name of
ground seas"
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 a storm,
becomes the fulcrum which the LIQUID
masses uses to hurl her onward to de-
struction.
| On 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
the sailor.
AS the ground sea" advances II
pushes certain amount Of water be-
fore it. This also forms into ridges
like its pUrsuer, but Of less height and
approximately no depth.
The false sea" as it is called. is
little more than a rolling swell, but
it gives a warnig of from twenty
minutes to two hours duration, en-
abling shir to either run into port
get out to sea or securely anchor;
while at the seaside resorts the boat
men run close in shore to the surprise
of the "trippers."
When 1t is remembered that a wave
twenty feet high, which is often at.
tained by the ground sea-" strikes
with force OF one ton to the square
inch, the necessity for caution will bt
recognized.
| All waves that come in parable
ridges, however, are not dangerous, as
there Is a wind billow" that is close.
ly allied to the ground sea" in ap.
pearance.
"Wind pillows" are due to a heavy
wind blowing but few miles or land
but as they have had but a compare
lively short distance to travel they
have no depth. Consequently even a
rowing boat is perfectly safe on them
II properly handled.
These waves usually appear wher
there Is comparative calm, near tn.
shore, their great point of difference
from the ground sea" in appearanc,
being that their unbroken lines arr
nearer and are all equi-distant, no
travelling in threes.
Generally the "wind billow" does no
break into foam, but occasionally thi,
happens when they are coming II
against the tide. Then 1t Is hard I,
detect them from ordinary waves, tn,
product Of a local wind storm. Thes,
always break into foam at their crest
the white horses" OF the marin,
poet.
Remembering these peculiarities O
the various waves will save tourist
considerable disappointment when wise
heads bid them keep to the land. TO
to them no apparent reason, while I
may keep them from rushing into un
known dangers. One other fact Is ais
worthy OF mention. az 1t may prov,
OF advantage should a boat drift on
to sea with an inexperienced crew ant
no compass aboard.
Then, IL ground sea" IL run
ming" set your mind at ease. for yov
can steer by 1t. as-on the English an
Irish coasts, at least-it always come
from the northwest. BY making du
allowance for this. any point of tn