The Red Cloud chief., 1912-04-25

A passengers to view OF one or
more icebergs when steaming
along a little to the south OF
Newfoundland. Tho spectacle really
Is a treat, though sometimes rather
perilous.
The chief fascination is the curious
shapes and the marvellous cOloring OF
the icebergs, no two Of which are
alike. says a writer in the New York
SIN. Some are like Arabs tents. 9th.
cru like cliffs, castles. cathedrals.
yacrts or even fcmiliar animals. Some
times the pinnacles rise 1000 feet up.
OH the water. while the base Tor water
line area) may be ten or twelve acres
In extent
The colors are beyond description:
at times pure white; at times Of q
greenish tint, caused by the reflection
Of light upon the mass Of ice under the
wafer being thrown back upon, the ex.
posed surface. The side In shadow
Is beautiful blue, the reflected color
Of the sky. Others are Of q darker
blue because built up Of ice formed
from fresh water that had melted on
the surface of the glaciers. or rain or
melting snow.
Beautiful cobalt blue bands are
sometimes seen running through bergs.
and these are the streams Of fresh wa
ter frozen before the berg Is formed.
Invaluable as the fresh water supply
Of arctic ships. Crews from the sail.
Ing ships In the arctic regions are Oft.
en- forced to land on icebergs for a
supply OF fresh water. and It Is pretty
exciting work.
The men approach in small boats.
clear away the snow with their oars
and then land. II the berg is big
enough all may 60 we'll. But some
times tho smaller ones with the addi.
tional weight of three or four men viii
suddenly settle to one side, or even
turn turtle, throwing the sailors into
the icy waters. Not only do these
sailors get water from the bergs. but
they often find seals upon them and
occasionally a polar bear. There are
often water fowls and many arctic
birds.
It has generally been believed that
for every cubic foot Of Ice above water
there are seven below. and a berg,
therefore. that towers say 100 feet
above the ocean level HIS q total
height Of 800 feet. Lieut.. Peary, the
conqueror Of the north pole. declares
that this Is not always the case. 1T
Is true." he says. that the heaviest
part of the berg is submerged. but It
is wrong to say that seven-eighths OF
Its height Is under water. have not
ed several instances where only two
thirds OF berg was submerged"
ohshoots Of Greenland Glaciers.
II is known. Of course. that icebergs
are merely chips from the great gla.
ciers. 1t was thought at one time that
a. the glaciers pushed themselves into
the sea II was pressure from behind
that caused masses to become detach.
ed from the main body. II 10 now
known that the calving Of icebergs. 40
tho breaking on OF blocks from the
parent glacier IL called. 10 produced
solely by the action Of the tide. Up.
ward and downward pressure. exerted
by water at the rise and fall of the
tides. on submerged portions OF the
glacier front forces OF q strip Of ice.
which floats away a. q berg.
Those seen In the North Atlantic
BY ships passing to and from the Unit.
ed States and Canada represent the
wastage from the glaciers OF Green.
land. There is found one of the very
largest glaciers In the world. the Hum.
boldt glacier. discovered by DR.. e. X.
Kane only as late a. 1853. Il is 60
miles in length and has q perpendicu.
lar face Of 800 feet. How many ice-
bergs are sent on their career through
the ocean by this glacier It 10 impos-
sible to say. though several explor.
ers declare that the Humboldt 10 70.
sponsible every year for at least half
Q million icebergA