The Washington times., 1912-04-15


bergs, some of them mountain-like
In size. and in which three ocean
steamships are known to have been
damaged. and at least one full-rigged
ship and one fishing smack are impris-
oned. has drifted into the west
bound transatlantic track about 1000
miles east of Sandy Hook The, Gu
harder Carmania, in yesterday from
Liverpool, ran into this Ice field. Al
though the big vessel got out without
damage, she nevertheless had perllous
time while in the field, and everybody
breathed easier when the bergs had
been left behind.
The French liner Niagara, from
Havre, ran into the ice about the
same time as the Carmania. but she
did not have the good luck of the
Cunarder The Niagara, which Is
due to arrive here this morning. had
two holes Knocked In her bottom,
and many of her plates dented and
twisted. At one time her captain
considered his condition so serious
that he wirelessed to the Carmania
Tor help. The Carrnania was on her
way to render aid when a second
message said the Niagara had been
patched up and would be able to
proceed without assistance.
Covers Westbound Track.
For q week the ice field has cover
ed the westbound track off the Grand
Banks and besides the Carmania and
the Niagara, the steamers Excelsior.
Kura, and Lord Cromer. which have
arrived at New York. and the Armen-
ian. which arrived at Boston. have
reported battles with the ice, The
Lord Cromer and the Kura were dam
aged below the water line. The Kura
had about twenty-five Of her plates
ripped of, while the Lord Cromer had
about the same number dented and
otherwise DANA ged. The Armenian
reported that the field was at least
seventy miles long and half as many
| miles wide when she encountersd IL
| The Carmania had on board l.4oo pas
sengers, of whom 400 we're in the cabin.
| She entered the ice field last Thursday
afternoon at about 1880 o'clock. 1t was
Ice everywhere. according TO the pas
| sengers. the great cakes being so close
! ly jammed together that II was impos-
sible to see a crevlce between them. A
| heavy swell prevailed at the time, and
the passengers described the upward
and downward motion Of the Ice as
both beautiful and weird The sun was
shining brightly and the glitter of the
ice field made the spectacle all the more
magnificent
1
! eve could see there was nothing but Ice,
| with here and there great berg to
break the monotony Of the picture. One
berg was described as being like great
passengers said 1t looked to be about
10000 tons in size. When Captain Dow
was asked about this he said the pas
senger had been far too conservative,
and then added laughingly. Forty mil
lion tons would be more like 1T
Passed BY Big Berg.
It was about p. m. when the Car
She passed within a quarter of a mile
of it, and the passengers all agreed
they never had seen anything more
beautiful. Another big berg stood out
conspicuously in a feet Of twenty-five
bergs, because Of the fact that it's tor
was a perfect plateau that appeared tc
be as smooth as a billiard table.
The twenty-five big bergs were group
ed in a comparatively small area, and
all of them were in view from one side
or the other of the liner all the time
Six were lined up in majestic fashion
on the horizon. Many of them wer,
only a few hundred yards away wher
the Carmania. proceeding at what the
official log calls dead slow passed
them. .-.... ....- -.
Captain Dow never left the bridge 6
I'second during the hours he was feeling
his way through the ice, and the siren,
or the liner were constantly sound
ing out the warning OF the ships prog.
| ress for the benefit of other ships thai
might be in the same fix, but not ir
| view. 1t would have been easy for q
ship as big as the Carmania to have
been within hearing distance of the
siren and yet have been hidden from
view by one Of the big bergs.
Miss Claude Sturm, one OF the Car
mania's Young women passengers. saIt
yesterday that she had never seen ary,
great see field and the big bergs thai
dotted 1t. 1T was beautiful" she said
but 1t was mighty scary. The heavlnl
np and down OF the ice because of tbs
great swells was awe-inspiring. aud
was glad when we got back into cleaI
water. where there was no field ice and
no bergs."
1000 on Damaged Liner.
The Carman;a still was in the ice
pack when the wireless message from
tho captain OF the French liner Niagara
was received. In that message the
Trench skipper said that two holes hac
been stove in the Niagara below the
water line. The Carmania, which had
been compelled to change her course ir
order to get free of the ice field, wa:
heading in the direction OF the Mag
ara's position when the second message
was received. saying that the lincl
would be able 20 continue without any
assistance. and 1t is presumed that til,
crew was able to effect repairs withou'
|