The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-11-14
Frigid Yield From Greenland's
Icy Mountains.
THE MAKING OF AN ICEBERG.

melt and float from the places where
they have been stranded. that there is
the grea r,>t danger TO the mariner.
The bergS have their origin almost |
exclusively N western Greenland, al
though few may come around Cape |
Farewell from the Snizbergen sea and
some from Hudson pay.
A huge sheet of ice a mile thick in
places covers the whole Of Greenland.
This graGnally slides down the valley
toward the sea. into which 1t Is thrust
in great SHEETS fifty miles wide. AS
these ends become too heavy they
break off and become bergs. The proc
ess Is known rs ''calvlng" The pieces
set adrift thus may be a thousand feet
out Of the water and a mile square.
but as they drift about they become
broken and continue to diminish In
size uulil they finally disappear com
pletely The process sometimes takes
several years
Once sci ndrkft icebergs find their
way into the Labrador current and be-
gin their journey. But Of all bergs so
set adrift only very small proportion
ever find their way Into the path of the
transatlantic steamships.
Nor do all bergs take the same
course Some 60 south: others lodge
against the shore or against Islands.
Two years may separate the time that
two bprgs reach q low latitude. though
they were "calved" al the same mo-
ment-
Field ice also offers an obstruction 10
the icebergs. though by their great
size and bulk they often act as plows
and aid materially IN breaking up the
ice fields which obstruct the arctic ba-
sin
Ice fields are more affected by the
wind than are icebergs. Bergs gener-
ally drift with the current. so that one
sometimes is seen moving into the
wind.
Advantage is taken Of this by the
sealing and fishing boats when caught
in an ice field. They often moor to an
iceberg aud are towed miles through
the ice, through which otherwise they
could make no Roadway. This is ac-
complished by sinking an anchor into
the berg and using strong towline.
AS the berg advances open water. with
small floating ice. is left astern.
But this is indeed a dangerous thing
to do. All ice is brittle. but especially
Icebergs. A blow of an ak has been
known TO split one, while the report
Of a gun at times will accomplish the
same end. In July and August. when
the bergs are breaking up along the
coast Of Labrador. the noise at times
Is deafening, and the noise OF one Of
ten causes another 10 break up.
From their very naure icebergs as
sumo an endless variety OF shapes.
Some resemble geometrical figures
while others carry fantastic domes
spires and minarets. Sometimes they
appear to be veritable Ice bridges
with two separate supports. In many
there are great caves and indenta
tons. AS they drift south and begir
melting cascades of water pour dowr
their sides or run from the tips OF the
hundreds OF icicles which depend from
every ledge.
Frequently there are outlying spurs
In the water, as dangerous to ships al
submerged reefs. For this reason YES
sells should always give them Wild
berth. half mile being considered thu
nearest that one may be approached
with safety.
Several years ago the British steam
| ship Nessmore ran into an iceberg an
stove In her bows When she wa
locked scratch was found next tn
keel the full length Of the ship, tn
plates being almost cut through. TIL
snip evidently struck a submerge
spur. The government report says:
| at is generally best for ships to s
TO windward OF them. because disiI
tegrated fragments have tendency
drift TO leeward. while open water wi
be found to sindward."
| So nicely are icebergs balanced
the water that the slightest meltin
| sometimes viii cause the center {
gravity to ssift, and the entire Der
will capsIzn or founder. Thus man
ships have been wrecked.
| Field ice is formed throughout ii
| waters within the arctic circle sout
as far as Newfoundland, and eac
year vast foes leave the shores an
| drift south into the paths OF con
merce. The arctic ice often has live
through several seasons in the II
| north and occasionally Is ten TO tiftee
| and sometimes twenty feet thick. b
cause Of IT'S continual motion. due
currents. wind. etc. gradually II b
comes broken up. Swells from storm
IN the open seas cause II to raft I
| pile one pan on another-in the arct
| every piece Of Geld ice Is pan-uni
n II Is covered with hummocks.
Y Ice also becomes RATED by the grin
ing OF free Geld against anoth
frozen to the shore or by the grindiI
Of two fields against each other whit
| one Is given a turning motion by CO
| trary wind and tide. This rotary m
| ton. It is said. is particularly DANCE
GUS to ships that get caught betwe'