The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1903-05-07

MONSTER ICEBERG IN STEAMER TRACK.
EFrom photo taken 800 miles east of Hall
.- fax.l
ing the season of dense fogs. yiolen
windstarms and low tempera ture thu
peril to shipping is increased hun
aredfold. .. .-......r -.
Many transatlantic steamers entering
thb port during the last fortnight have
encountered great bodies of floating
ice, which entailed the most watchfu
care en- the part of the naYigators to
prevent disastrous collisions and re,
suited in much perpIexing delay The
log. Of one incoming vessel shows that
nearly. a hundred ieebergs varying in
height above the water line from fifty
to 300 feet We're sighted on the trip
across the. Atlantic These covered a
stretch of over 80 miles. being mainly
between latitude ~ degrees IL min
utes. longitude 49selegrees 20 minutes,
to latitude II degrees i minutes longi-
tueie So degrees So minutes, which is
about zoe miles almost due east OF
Halifax. Its passage was most haz-
ardous one. and on several occasions a
collision which might have sunk the
ship and caused d ffightful disaster
was narrowly averted Other ships
have scarcely less sensational stories
to tell of experiences with the perilous
fee foe.
According to tile expert hydrogra-
piers. who know as much about it as
anybody else and probably not much
more, this early appearance of the ice
is the result of warm and early
spring IN northern ATTITUDES. causing
the breaking off OF large bodies of ice
from the great glacial formations of
the arctic region. from whence they are
brought southwark along the coast of
Newfoundland into the path of steam
er traffic by the polar currents.
. The size of an iceberg appearing
above the surface of the sea does not
constitute its essential peril to ship
ping Frequently that seen above the
water is less than ninth of its total
bulk. SO that a berg that stands 300
feet above the sea level may be actual
" 200 feet high and OF far greater
area than is indicated By the exposed
surface.
In mild weather the proximity of
large BODY Of ice at sea is usually indi-
Gated BIZ colder air and water, but in
thick and heavy weather. which pre-
walls at this season of the year. it is
extremely difficult 70 detect the pres
ealee Of an iceberg by the tempera-
ture until the ship is aauarely upon it
A familiar method of keeping i look
cut for Ice in thick weather is to take
soundingss with thermometer. The
instrument is lowered below the sur
face 1t Intervals. and record is kept
of The waters temperature. A sudden
drop ct or degrees is usually the
signal for reducing the vessels speed.
doubling the lookout and keeping the
whistle blowing for echoes. An auto
matte signaling thermometer is also
used. This IS kept permanently below
the surface and any important change
IN teTf1perature is registered in the pilot
house
The birth OF the iceberg Is In the far
north Is q glacier or ice river pushes
Its way into the ocean huge masses
break away from the edges and float
seward Currents carry them scme-
times for thousands of miles before
warmer climates eventually cause their
disin tegration.
Charts Of the north Atlantic show
that a vast number OF bergs float with
the Labrador current in southerly d.
rection around the cOast of Newfound-i
land and Nova Scotia and from thence
farther Out to sea until they finally
naeit away and become part thereof.
Many Of these gceat deating naan-i
tains come from the coast Of Grcen-I
fand, where the snccessisn Of eiaciau
afyes birth to thousands Of bergs. Ike
human beings. each enc caIlilIs ffs ava
destiny. Some are srsunAe1 aearfSAel