Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1913-09-05

IA
"a between vessels of the United
A States revenue cutter service
~ ~ and the icebergs of the North
Atlantic steamship lanes,
which has just been brought to an
end, has resulted in contributions of
great value to the mariners store of
knowledge about ice movements and
their dangers to the great fleet con-.
stantly passing between Europe and
America. The ice patrol itself was a
direct result of the tremendous shock
suffered by both Europe and America
In the loss of the giant liner Titanic
year ago last April, when more than
1000 persons were drowned when that
vessel collided with an iceberg in the
same waters searched this year by the
revenue cutters.
The vessels engaged in the ice pa
troll were the cutters Seneca and Mi
ami, commanded by Capts G. b. John.
ston and A. S. Gamble respectively.
Captain Johnston was the senior Off
Ger in command of the ice patrol, and
In his final report are conclusions
which ought to form the basis of study
by all commanders and navigators of
steam vessels in the North Atlantic
ship lanes. The Titanic disaster
brought to every ocean traveller, with
shocking vividness, the reality of the
danger to the transatlantic fast liners
from the presence of ice in their
tracks during the spring months. To
al passengers on such steamers Cap
tain Johnston's report may serve well
as an index to the measure of care
Ind precaution necessary for any ship
in the vicinity of the annual path of
icebergs, and it has therefore definite
value for the travelling public as well
as to mariners
Make Daily Reports.
The mode of procedure in the Ice pa
troll maintained by the Seneca and the
Miami was for the two vessels to take
turns In securing the ocean for ice in
the waters bounded by the fiftieth and
forty-fourth parallels north latitude.
and the fortieth and forty-ninth merid-
fans of west longitude All passing
troll vessels any ice they had en-
countered in those waters, while the
vessels in turns transmitted to the
naval photographic Office at New York
daily reports of all ice either seen by
them or reported to them by other ves-
sells. In short time practically every
berg in those waters had been located.
identified and its general movements
ascertained. Thereafter the task of
OF the patrol vessels was to check up
on the known bergs at frequent inter-
walls, and by observation of their DO
sitions at each sighting, to learn the
rate and direction of their movements.
1t is this secondary phase of the patrol
that yielded the general observations
of greatest permanent value to mari
time interests.
1t was found that the icebergs were
brought south along the coast of New
foundland and the Grand Banks by
what is known as the Labrador cur
rent. The southerly drift was found
to vary from practically nothing to as
high as 80 miles day, depending
upon wind and tide in its fluctuations.
At the junction OF the Labrador cur
rent, accelerated by the flow from the
Gulf of st. Lawrence, and the north
ward moving Gulf stream from the
Gulf OF Mexico the direction of the
drift OF icebergs is changed from
southerly to north and east The Gulf
stream is more powerful than the Lab
rador current and dominates it. taking
along in Its course whatever ice may
be brought into it. This change usually
occurs In April and May, and those
months become then the period of
greatest danger to transatlantic liners
from ice The tracks of the liners
hardly touch the Labrador current, but
dc lie along the path of the Gulf
stream. The area of the ice danger is
at the same time restricted, because
bergs coming into the Gulf stream do
not last long in she warm water Of
that currant