New-York tribune., 1912-04-21
MENACE TO THE BIGGEST STEAMSHIP.
Thew Reach the Banks of Newfoundland in
Bulks Sometimes Miles in Length, and Only
Through Melting Influence of Southern
Seas Do They Cease to Menace.

I the dread enemy have been invented, but
they have not proved infallible as yet
One is n microthermometer which is hung
so as to drag in the water al the water
| line of a ship and reveal the sudden
change in the temperature Of the water
due to the melting Of the iceberg. The
inventor, Professor II. T. Barnes. OF Nc
Gill University, has made a study Of ice
| bergs for the Canadian government in
order TO make navigation of the Gulf Of
, St Lawrence safer Another device is
| that for detecting ice by means OF sound.
Lewis Nixon thinks perhaps bell signal
may be used TO locate bergs under water.
THE sERGs' MANY VICTIMS.
The list of collisions with these sea
monsters is a long one, and. doubtless.
should include those vessels which are
classed as having mysteriOusly disap-
peared with all on board one Of the
earlier of the crack Atlantic liners TO
meet with accident on the Banks was the
Arizona, then the chief Of the flyers. She
tore away her bow near Cape Race in No
yember, 1879. Most shipmasters in those
days thought the region was free from
ice at that time OF the year Experience
has changed that belief. she put in at st.
Johns, where two hundred tons of ice
was removed from her forepeak and a
wooden bow was built in TO enable her to
! reach New York St Johns is the haven
Of refuge for vessels meeting with such
accidents and every year disabled vessels
are obliged TO put in there for repairs.
The City Of Berlin in 1893 struck a berg
Z h.. al. y,, 60 fArv.s,, ta rf1
speed at which she was travelling she suf-
fered Only q telescoped stem and the de-
structIon Of her forward gear through the
dislodgement of a hundred tons Of ice which
crashed down on her deck. Her sister ship
the City Of Rome. a famous snip iR her
day, was saved from destruction in Septem-
Der. 1900, by her clipper bow when she
mounted a low living "growlcr.' She had
a hole in her stem large enough 20 admit an
automobile when she finally steamed into
New York Harbor followins the disaster
The Saale which arterwart suffered so Sc
verely in the fire that DESTROYED the Ho-
boken piers, struck a berg a glancng blow
that threw her over on her beam ends ana
almost sank her on ono trip. Her coal
shifted and she came into port with list.
one of the narrowest escapes from de-
structlon from ice anJ an incident which
Illustrates the treacherous character OF tee
hergs. was that Of the Portia. She was
sailing along the coast Of Newfoundland IN
1895 when she ran close TO big berg IN
order to enable some Of her passengers TO
take photographs Of H. She climbed on
submerged section which disturbed ts
equilibrium and was being lifted out OF the
water by the swayins mass when IL broke
off and she settled back into the water ana
was able to steam away aga!n within SO
short a time that the passengers had hardly
time to become thoroughly alarmed before
she and they were out OF their great peril
The LIST Of accidents IN which vessels nave
teen sunk or damaged Is a long one ouN
owing to the precautions taken by naVl-
gators. the inventions which have broughs
ships into close communication win lans
and with other ships, there are greater op'