Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-21
EiTR-Y.Y ~

Every day for six months they seemed
to be near the inevitable end Finally
the Tfgris. sealing steamer from New
foundland, picked them up near the Strait
of Belle Isle, in latitude % north.
4
on Belle Isle these areas of field ice
find their way south in the gulf stream,
where they are often to be seen in all
manner of shapes. Usually these ice
areas are white. covered with snow. and
visible at long distance. They are full
of hummocks, uneven blocks piled high
upon each other or stood on end. and the
whole mass forms an impenetrable field
which Is dangerous to any craft.
Old seadogs of the north have many
methods by which they are able to sense
the presence Of icebergs. Before ice Is
seen from the deck of ship what 10
known as blink Is detected by the
old mariner and indicates the presence
Of danger. This blink is sort Of flare
of light in the sky and commes from the
fact that the ice refracts either moon
light or sunlight. When in the region
where there is possibility Of encounter
ing Ice the navigator always keeps his
eye out for the blink. On a clear day Ice
bergs can be seen at a long distance,
owing to their brightness, and at night
because Of their effulgence. Seen
through fog. they can be made out be-
cause Of an apparent blackness.
When in a region suspected of harbor-
ing icebergs the whistle or foghorn Of
the ship is often sounded and great care
is exercised to determine whether or
not there Is an echo. When this echo is
heard it indicates that there is some OBJ
ject which throws back the sound. The
distance of that object from the ship
may even be figured by the time which
whistle and the hearing of the echo
Sound travels LOO feet a second. and
upon this basis, to determine the differ
ence between the ship and the iceberg.
the time In seconds would be multiplied
made known by the noise Of their break
ing up and falling to pieces. The crack
ing of the ice or the falling Of pieces
into the sea makes q noise like breakers
sence Of swell Of wave motion in fresh
breeze is a sign that there Is land or Ice
on the weather side.
The appearance Of herds of seal or
fiocks of birds far from land is an indi-
cation of the proximity of ice. The tenn
perature Of air falls as Ice is approached.
especially on the leeward side. but gen.
orally at an uncomfortable distance from
the object endangered. The fall OF the
temperature Of sea water is sometimes
sign OF the nearness OF Ice. The ability
of old seamen Of the north to determine
the nearness Of an iceberg by the mere
fan Of a cold breeze often seems almost
superhuman.
Taking passage on TRANSATLANTIC
liner at this season Of the year and
crossing over by the northern route.
said Captain Commandant E. p. Bertholf
OF the revenue cutter service, is like
getting into a cab and ordering 1t driven
up q street that you know to be studded
with bombs. II you get through this
sort of street you congratulate your cab
by. II you strike a bomb it Is all over
and the public has no epithet vile enough
to apply to your stupidity and the cab
by's lack Of skill. Yet the public is de-
manding and the steamship companies
are furnishing just such risks every time
a vessel hurries across the Atlantic under
full steam by the northern route. Both
the public and the steamship people re-
fuse to avoid danger by taking the longer
route. One great tragedy has resulted
from this policy and others VIII result
unless the warning il needed"
Copyright, 1914 BY william Atherton Du PyJ