Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1912-06-27

The bergS from Greenland are car
ried down toward the middle OF the
Atlantic by the Labrador current
They travel right down the coast OF
Labrador, passing Newfoundland. un'
til they reach the warm waters OF the
gulf stream, when they disappear
melting completely away. 1t Is only
the largest bergs that reach the mid.
die OF the Atlantic before they disap'
pear. On one occasion berg l00
feet in height and nearly 200 feet In
breadth was found In latitude 81 de-
grees 40 minutes, or nearly In line
with southern Spain.
Generally speaking icebergs travel
at the rate OF three to five miles an
hour They are carried forward en-.
tirely by the strength Of the currents.
The distance they cover is enormous.
Thousands do not get further than
the coast OF Labrador. where they be-
come stranded. AS they have come
from the Greenland glaciers they have
covered at least 1900 miles while
those that reach the warmer waters OF
the Atlantic make Journeys OF from
$500 to 5000 miles. Steamers traV'
cling northward from st. Johns are
often in view of bergs all day. passing
an endless procession OF fantastic and
beautiful shapes AS many as fifty or
sixty bergs are sometimes In view at
one time.
The captains Of these vessels often
witness a wonderful sight, All alons
the coasts OF Labrador there Is what
Is termed sheet ice-that is, miles OF
stationary ice, caused by icefioes hav.
Ing frozen solid over open water. and
varying from ten to fifteen feet In
thickness Dowl- through the center
of this frozen field will crash mighty
iceberg, tearing along at speed OF
three miles an hour, right through the
Ice, SO strong Is the current that 10
carrying 1t forward.
After 1t has passed steamers Will
make their way into tn Channel and
sail along It. Instances have happen
ed, indeed In which even sailing ves-
sells have followed In on icebergs
wake, and st. Nicholas printed years
ago an incident of a Norwegian bark
that was actually towed for some dis
tance by berg
Near Death In Notre Dame Bay.
The captain of a steamship that ar.
rived in Glasgow recently from st
Thomas reported that some 1870 miles
west of belle Isle his vessel steamed
right into great ice foe field. which
he estimated at "a miles long and
about as many broad. The steamship
was held fast In the Ice for 30 hours.
Some OF the icebergs that passed were
from 500 to 600 fee, In height and
threatened at times to crush the steam,
ship. As 1t was blocks averaging
ton In weight frequently fell on the
deck.
One OF the most striking iceberg
adventures is that which befell the
steamship Portia In Notre Dame bay
last season. In clear daylight an ice
berg was sighted. and passengers and
crew begged the captain to approach
nearer In order that they might inspect
and photograph 1t. The Portia there
fore was steered close to the towering
sides Of the mighty berg. whose high.
est pinnacle glistened several hun.
dred feet above the sea.
Then the unexpected happened.
There was an explosion like the shock
of a volcanic eruption. and the mighty
berg was riven asunder. One Of the
pieces grew to- heavy and toppled
over, it's base, far under water. catch
ing the Portia and lifting her high and
dry soma ten or twelve feet above the
sea-
The mighty overturning Of the berg
created enormous sw ellis, and these
huge waves were the only thing that
saved the ship from destruction The
weight of the ship caught on Its shelf
of Ice, Kept the berg from turning a
complete somersault. and huge swell
picked " the vessel and launched her
again, stern frst In the sea