The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1912-04-19
. MAKE STEAMSHIPS
ICEBERG-PROOF, SAYS
EXPERT NAVIGATOR
DR.. Arthur Selwyn-Brown
Writes on Graveyard of
the Atlantic
HE POINTS OUT LESSON
Declares Titanic Tragedy Should
Emphasize Great Need
For Reforms
HE POINTS OUT LESSON

TIE following article on the destruction Of
TIE Tttanfc pds Vrtttsn by DR.. Arthur SeIDvH-
BroVn. the noted A merican scientist and trdr-
eier. Who 70 thoroughly ydmfttdr tofth the Gee
conditions and navigation among north Allan
&c iceberg fleets and also with vessel construc
ton as related 10 the perR ofice.
BY DIR. ARTHUR SELWYN BROWN.
The disaster TO the Titanic must
attract attention of the civilized world
to the dangers presented TO Atlantic
navigation by icebergs, and also to
the means steamship builders must
take TO minimize the dangers.
The disaster teaches some stern les
, sons, and IL they are not needed there
will be more severe penalties to pay.
Atlantic navigators have experienced
trouble from Ice from the earliest
. ties, hundreds OF vessels have been
known to founder after colliding with
icebergs and II Is probable that hun
dreds OF other vessels posted as miss
ing met similar fates.
The majority OF icebergs found In
the Atlantic originate on the western
coast OF Greenland between Cape
Farwell and Disco bay. The whole
of the interior of Greenland is COW
These spreading ice packs are known,
as glaciers. One is 1880 feet wide
and $40 feet deep. II produces enough
ice to supply 10O, zoo. 900 people with
FIVE pounds OF ice daily for cen
fury. g
Icebergs float with field ice some
times alone, sometimes In neets.
Sometimes there are seyeral hunoreu
icebergs in a fleet. The Arcuc anu
East Greenland currents are the prin-
cipal transporters OF the Ice and Ice
bergs. They bring the Ice around
Cape Chidley along the Labrador
coast Near Cape st. Charles II Oh
vides. Some Of the ice runs into the
Strait of Belle Isle, and the east
coasts OF Newfoundland and spreads
>into the Atlantic or follows the New
England coast. 1t is estimated mat
-4eebefgs travel at Average rare OIL
~ miles per day But II the wind Is
blowing with the current the speed
may reach 20 miles day or more.
Icebergs can be easily seen during
the day, except in foggy or stormy
weather, but at night vessel can
sail quite close without the Ice being
: detected. Science has not, up to the
present, devised any certain means
OF locating the presence OF Ice. Bar
ometric and temperature changes are
not certain indications. The greatest
help the mariner has at present Is al
forded bys the Ice and meteorological
charts issued by the United States
government each year.
II Is possible for ships to be so
constructed as to suffer little or no
damage In ice collisions. The pres
ent whalers, sealers and other Arctic
vessels, are practically Ice proof. One
of them can crash into an iceberg at
full speed and steer off or back away
almost unframed.
n the Atlantic passenger vessels
continue to use the present sailing
tracks means must be taken to SINH
larly safeguard them.
Little attention was given to this
important matter by the builders OF
the Titanic; they wanted to construct
a gigantic floating palace of great
speed They succeeded but, the fate
OF the vessel indicates serious defects
that win, perhaps, never be told,
Although the Titanic was provided
with 10 water-tight compartments she
had a double bottom which was not
divided up. With her enormous mo-
mentum she would simply telescope
on colliding with an iceberg. The
bottom would give way and permit
water to run into all her compart-
ments. Something of this kind must
have occurred.
From the meager facts at present
known, It would seem that an made
uuate lookout was kept and that a mis-
take was made by the officers in going
full speed at night where they were
we'll aware Of the presence OF Ice.
The terrible accident! II will cause
marine constructors to strengthen the
framework and shells of steam YES
sells, paying more attention to that
feature OF shipbuilding than they have
done before.