Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-04-24

1
greatly, but according TO the reports OF
the photographic office an iceberg
from 50 to 100 feet to the top OF its
walls, with pinnacles and spires reach
ing from 200 to 250 feet in hight, are
not unusual in the Arctic sea- These
measurements apply only to the mass
of ice above the surface OF the water.
1t would be futile to seek TO render an
Festimate of the depth of an iceberg be-
low the surface of the sea because this.
depth varies with the weight OF that
part which Is above water. A few
years ago an iceberg which had a.
pinnacle of about 100 feet in hight did
not ground until it reached is fathoms
of water in the Belle Isle straits, near,
st. Johns n. F. 1rS
Thousands OF such fragments drop
off every year AS they reach tho
water they are caught up by the polar
currents. Nansen,- during his eA-
petition with the Fran; AlnundseIl.
during the Arctic trip he undertook nxs
1901, and the duke Of the 4Abrpzzi in
lao5 made study of polar e5eaf,physies,z
The course of the. currents. is, pretty.
We'll known from the published result
Oh their observations, = i tsat ssssss
Along The northerpf part of. the. vest
Greenland coast, where, most, of, tho.
icebergs are created, there IS current.
setting off shore and toward the pole
This current carries the icebergs soma
distance northward. until a junction
IS made with what is known as tho
Labrador current This sets in a due.
snutherly direction along the coast oc
Bafiins Land and Labrador. While at
times 1t ceases entirely, and while its
ri ts-Ar
near the coast after winds from the
northward. it has been estimated by
scientists that usually an iceberg liz
carried south by this current at a rate
of from 10 to 30 miles in "a hours
1t is not by any means smooth. sails,
ing. All along the Labrador Coast are.
rugged spromonteries and numberless is-s
lands and cliffs Surrounded by .reefs
and shallow water. Some of the ice-.
bergs are crushed against the rock
hound coast, others are caught in tfa
deep fords OF Greenland before they,
reach the open sea at all. Others
again ground in the shallow waters
along portions Of the coast, until only,
q small percentage Of a years output.
of icebergs ever reaches far enough
south to bring misfortune to transat-
lantie shipping.
According to the reports issued by
the photographic Office at Washington.
the ice in such bergs is of extraordi-
nary brittleness. There is authentic
Information showing that a blow with
an ak, the concussion of a gunshot, the
heavy blast of a steamship whistle has
had the effect of splitting huge
mountain of drifting ice. They are
more readily broken in warm weather.
on the coast of Labrador, during the
short summer that prevails there, when
it is packed with icebergs, there Isl a
constant and almost deafening crash
as ieebergs collapse in collision With
the coast or with other bergs. af%
They assume the greatest variety OF
shapes, from those approximately to
some regular geometric figure to 9TH
ers crowned with spires, domes, mifi-
arets and peaks while others still are
pierced by deep indentations or cavesssss
says the report of the hydrographioF
office. Small cataracts precipitate
themselves from the large Ibergs,rrhiiH .
from many icieles hang in clusters
from every projecting ledge. They free
quently have outlying spurs under VIA -,
ter which are as dangerous as any
other sunken reefs. For this reason it.
is advisable for vessels to give them q
wide berth. for there are a number 81
cases on record where vessels were SEE
riously damaged by striking when .ar-
parentIy clear of the berg. "a
"A,,onr tho.s 4. 49, - ~ t,rs,ist,
steamship Nessmorc, which ran into u
berg in latitude Al degrees SO minutes.
north, longitude So degrees west, and !,
stove in her bows. On docking her a
long score was found extending FROM
abreast her forerigginig all of the way
aft, Just above her keel Four frames
were broken and the plates were al,
most cut through The ship evidently
struck projecting spur after her
helm had been put over as there was :
clear water between her and the berg
after the first collision. ssvA'
TT is generall,- best for vessels TO "a (
to- windward OF them. because the disc
integrated fragments will have q ten$
dency to drift to leewara, while e!Hsn 4
wafer will ne found Ia, ~ ind yyafd Sd4.3 =