New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-06-30

HEN Captain T. c. Johnson, IN
M spector of lighthouses for the Do
w minion government returned with
the steamer Montmagny a short while ago
after searching for the Titanic's dead ne
referred to the fact that he had discovered
the existence of a pocket OF cold water
right in the normal path of the Gun
Stream This was not the only curious
ASPECT Of the trespass Of the Arctic cur
rent-the flow OF that unusual body OF colo
water was Of a velocity far below the sweep
Of the Gulf Stream. into whose Path 1t ha"
wandered. Captain Johnson reported the
Labrador current to have thus invaded
southwark the normal course of the Gun
Stream for a distance of quite one hun
dred miles All Of which goes to show that
there are forces at work in directing the
great ocean rivers sufficiently powerful to
disturb the courses of these streams and 10
create conditions which demand the utmost
vigilance on the part of navigators.
Our own naval authorities were alive 10
the hazards to which ocean traffic upon the
North Atlantic was exposed, and. because
of this appreciation Of the unusual state OF
the conflicting currents, the scout cruiser
Birmingham was dispatched on May u 10
patrol that area of the Atlantic when
covers the southern apex of the downward
drift of icebergs within the neighborhood OF
the present steamer lanes. Thanks 10 the
services of the Birmingham and her ieIel'
the scout cruiser Chester the fast passeh-
ger traffic on the North Atlantic has beeh
materially safeguarded from harm. But
the mission of these ships has been some
thing more than keeping watch for ice ana
in reayinC by wireless 20 Halifax both
night and day, the results of their own 3D.
servations and the reports received from
other ships by autobiography.
When the Chester lately took station upon
the patrol area she carried with her three
officials of the United States Bureau OF
Standards These officials went to super
wise the employment Of certain sensitive IN
struments which were taken along for the
purpose Of observing the temperatures ana
the density of the sea water throughout
tho patrol field. The object Of the investi-
cation was 10 supplement the data already
in the hands Of the United States Hydro
graphic Office bearing upon the mutual re-
lations of the waters of the Labrador cur
rent and the Gulf Stream.
PULLING SEA CONDITIONS.
A good deal Of conflicting information
was received shortly after the loss of the
Titanic relating TO the value of tempera-
ture tests for the purpose OF detecting the
approach Of ice and the actual position OF
the observing ship basing her geographical
location by her course in the Gulf Stream
or the Arctic current as the case might
be. When ships are running in fog and
astronomical observations are impossible
the temperature Of the water. the depth OF
the water if the ship he within soundlngs'
and the character of the bottom all serve
TO help the seafarer feel his way when
other guides fail. In a measure, II is as II
any of us tried to follow the thread of a
winding road where the sidewalk differed
from the middle of the track only in the
hardness Of the treadway. If the ground
became soft, we should know that we were
not i'm the Path. and If the dirt in ;he