The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1910-10-05


the greatest danger 70 the Eactner.
The be1Ss have their origin almost
exclusively u western Greenland. al
though few may come around Cape
Farewell from the S2izte1sen sea and
some from Hudson bay.
4 huge sheet Of Ice mile thick Il
places covers the wnole Of Greenland
This gradually slides down the valley
toward the sea. into which it Is thrust
IN great sheets aty niles vide. As
these ends become too heavy they
break OF and become bergs- The proc
ess IS known as ''calvsng" The pieces
set a6r.te thus may 30 q thousand feet
out Of the water and mile squara
but as they d-.1e about they become
broken and continue TO diminish iC
size until they finally disappear COM
p.etely. The process sometimes takes
several years.
Oace set adrife tceberss fnc Their
way into the Labrador current and be-
gin their journey But Of all bergs SO
set adrift only very small proportion
evcr-dod tae.- way into the path Of the
Transatlantic teaush!ps.
Nor Go all bersS take the same
coc-sc. Some go south: others lodge
against the shore or against Islands
Two years may separate the time that
two bezcs reach low latitude. though
they were "calved" at the same no
Oent
Field ice :!so offers an obstruction to
tie icebe-Ss. though by their great
size and bulk they often act Is p!owS
and aid materially Il breaking up the
ice fields which obs:ruct the arctic ha.
81
Ice fields are more affected by the
wind than ere iceberSs. Be-sS Geaer-
ally drift With the current. so that one
sometimes IS seen moving into the
wind.
Advantage IS taken Of this bT the
scaling and fishing boats whec caught
in an ice field. They often tnoos 20 a.
iceberg and are tawed niles through
TIE ice. through which otherwise they
coc.d c,ake no headway. This g ac-
conpHshed oy sinking an anchor into
the berg ard using strong tow!ine.
As The berg advances open water. with
small floating Ice, IS left astern
ert this IS indeed dangerous thiDs
to do. All ice IS brittle. b1t especially
tceberss. A blow Of az ak has been
known to split one. while the repor;
Of gun OF times VIII accomplish the
same end n July and August. when
the berss s-e breaking up along the
coast OF Labrador, the noise at tines
IS 6eatentnS. and the noise OF one Of
ten causes another to break up.
From their yeSy natrre ice5ergs as
sune az endless variety Of shapes.
Sone resemble seometVica! .:sure>.
while others carry fantastic GoCes.
spires and niaarets- Sometimes they
appear TO be veEicaoie ice bridges.
with TWO separate supports II many
there are great caves and in6enta-
lions. As they dCft south and begin
melting cascades Of water pour down
their sides or rrn from the tips Of the
hundreds Of tcicles which depend from
every ledge.
Frequently there are outlying spurs
IN the water. as dangerous to ships as
submerged reefs For this reason YES
seis should always give them q wide
berth. half mi!e being conslGered the
nearest that one may be approached
with safety.
Several years ago the British steam
ship Nessmore ran into all iceberg and
stove In her bows When she Tas
docked scratch was found next the
kee. the tc:; length OF the ship. the
plates being almost cut through. The
ship eyideauy struck submerged
spcr. The government. report says:
IT is generally best for ships to so
to windward OF then. because -Ns!n-
;egrated fragments have tendency 10
drift to leeward. While open water vii!
be found tc wtndward."
So nicely are tcebecss balanced N
the water that the slightest melting
sometimes VII cause the center OF
gravity 70 slit. a1d the entire berg
Will capsize or founder. Thus tnan:
slips have been wrecked.
Field ice Is formed throughout the
waters within the arctic circle south
as far as Newfoundland. end each
year vast foes leave the shores and
drift south into the paths OF CON-
merce. Tie arctic ice often has lived
through several seasons IN the Ear
north and occasionally IS ten tc s1teen
and sometimes twenty teet thick. Be
cause oc its continual motion. due to
currents. wind. etc. gradually It be-
coces broken up. Swelis from storms
il The open seas cause ii 70 raft or
Pile onc pan on aoother-to the arctic
e:cry piece OF aeld ice is q pao-rnci
K IS covered With hunmocks.
Ice also becomes RATED by the grind
IL: Of II free Geld asains, another
frozen 10 the shore or By the grinding
OF two ae!6s against each other wien
one Is g:vep Q turning motion hE con-
,r..y wind ard tide. This rotary mo-
don. ), IS said. IS particularly danger
ocs 20 ships that sc, cauSat between
Chicago Inter Ocean
A Vicious Fish.
IN South America there Is y small