Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1912-04-27
|CEBERCS HAS /
To MANY VESSELS /
Accidents Happen Despite the
Great Precautions Taken
to Guard the Ships.

expert mariners. an iceberg Is rarely
seen at this time of the year-or at any
season. indeed farther south than az
degrees north latitude. The Titanic's
wireless operator gave the position of
the steamship when the collision came
as Al degrees 40 minutes north, or JOG
miles TO the north OF the southern
boundary of the Atlantic region where
the danger from icebergs Is an ever
present one.
The photographic office OF the navy
department from time to time has sent
out much detailed and reliable informa-
ton regarding the formation and trav-
els of the icebergs and ice fields in
the north Atlantic.
Until within a comparatively recent
period 1t had been presumed that the
icebergs that infested the Atlantic dur
Ing the spring and early summer
months had broken off from the border
Of the great arctic ice fields. This. ac-
cording TO the light of later research.
Is I'm erroneous theory. The iceberg
that drlfted directly in the path OF the
u
small fragment of a huge glacier that
years ago had disengaged itself from
the Interior Ice cap of western Green
land, sliding with irresistible and dew
astating momentum toward the coast
and finally plunging into the deep sea-
1t is when the edge of such huge
glacier reaches a steep coast that from
, time to time fragments are broken of
by their own weight caught up by the
ocean currents and carried Off.
The size Of these fragments varies
greatly, but according to the reports
of the photographic office an Iceberg
from 60 to 100 feet to the top of Its
walls, with pinnaces aud spires reach
ing from 200 to $50 feet In height, are
| not unusual In the arctic sea. These
/ measurements apply only to the mass
of Ice above the surface of the water.
This constitutes from one-eighth to
| one-ninth of the whole mass 1t would
| be futile to seek to render an estimate
of the depth OF an iceberg below the
surface of the sea because this depth
varies with the weight of that part
which Is above the water. few years
ago an iceberg which had a pinnacle
of about 100 feet in height did not
ground until 1t reached sixteen fathoms
OF water in the Belle Isle strait, near
| st. Johns, y. f.
/ Carried South by Labrador Current.
Thousands of such fragments drop
off every year. As they reach the
water they are caught up by the polar
currents. hansen, during his eXpedi
tion with the Fran; Amundsen, during
the arctic trip he undertook in 1901.
and the Duke of Orleans in 1905, made
study Of polar sea physics. The
course of the currents is pretty well
known from the published result of
their observations.
Along the northern part OF the West
Greenland coast. where most of the ice
bergs nre created. there Is a current
setting off shore and toward the pole
This current carries the icebergs some
distance northward until junction Is
made with what Is known as the Lab
rador current This sets in In a due
southerly direction along the coast of
Baffin bay and Labrador. While at
times 1t ceases entirely, and while its
speed varies greatly. being greatest
near the coast, after winds from the
northward it has been estimated by
scientists that usually an iceberg Is
carried south by this current at a rate
Of from ten to thirty miles In twenty
four hours.
1t is not by any means smooth sail
Ing. All along the Labrador coast are
rugged promontories and numberless
and shallow water Some OF the ice
bergs are crushed against the rock
bound coast, others are caught in the
| deep fiords OF Greenland before they
reach the open sea at all. Others again
are aground in the shallow waters along
| portions of the coast until only a small
| percentage Of a years output of ice,
bergs ever reaches far enough south to
| bring misfortune to transatlantic ship
| ping. According TO the reports issued
| by the photographic office at Wash
ington. the Ice In such bergs is of eX
traordinary brittleness. There is authen.
| tic informal ton showing that a blow
! with an ak, the conclusion OF a gun
shot or the heavy blast OF a steamship
whistle has had the effect OF splitting
the huge mountain of drifting ice. They
are more readily broken in warm wea
Their. On the coast of Labrador dur
ing the short summer that prevails
there. when 1t is packed with icebergs.
there is a constant and almost deafen
ing crash as icebergs collapse In col
lision with the coast or with other
| bergs.
Modern Safety Devices.
In these days OF progress In marine
architecture. when the up to date liner
is a floating hotel, with every device
| for the safety, comfort and amusement
| of the passengers, the loss Of such u
/ bo L.