The Washington times., 1913-07-21
OTHERS MUST HELP
KEEP UP ICE PATROL
United States Will Abandon
Protection If Nations Do Not
Share Expenses.

Either the great maritime powers Of
the world will have to share the ex-
penses of an ice patrol on the grand
banks of Newfoundland during the
spring, in the protection OF the great
commerce that moves over the North
Atlantic routes, or the patrol will be
abandoned by the United States. No
tice to this effect. in polite terminology.
Is to be served on the European powers
by Secretary OF the Treasury McAdoo.
For two years now the United States
has conducted an ice patrol, giving val
liable information and warnings to the
nations commerce. This was done fol-
lowing the Titanic disaster, but a pro-
posal for cooperation in the future Is
to be made at the coming international
conference on safety at sea, TO pc neid
in London next october. The confer
ence will be asked to take action look
ing to cooperation by all interested ma
tions for the protection of this great
shipping. II il fails to act, the United
States will abandon the patrol.
Secretary McAdoo takes the position
that the United States has just SIX yes
lanes in European commerce, whereas
the other nations have hundreds. The
patrol was started, because vast ma
jority of the International travellers are
Americans.
Dispels Temperature Bugaboo.
Last spring the British government
had the whaler Scotia on ice patrol, but
the work of this vessel was of scien-
tific nature, and, 1t Is understood, viii
not be permanently continued. When
the United States first Undertook the
ice patrol, the scout cruisers Birming-
ham and Chester were assigned to the
task, but this year the Revenue Cutter
Service took up the burden. capt Z.
T.. Johnston, Of the Seneca, OF tnis
service, N his report on the patrol this
year, makes some trite observations and
throws scme light on possibilities In the
Titanic disaster. He gives many OBJ
servations of scientific valne.
Captain Johnston says II would De I'M
possible for a lookout, high up upon
one of the great modern liners, to see
an iceberg that sat low in the water.
He also dispels the bugaboo that mas
been accepted as scientific fact that
could be told by the temperature of the
water. Captain Johnston made OBJ
servations and tests that prove there Is
no change In the temperature OF the
water until a vessel Is right upon a
berg. He explains this by saying that
the waters chilled by the berg gravitate
to the bottom, and that warm water
consequently flows in toward the berg
on the surface.
The greatest distance at which the
Seneca observed ice, he said, was eight
cen miles. and this was on a clear day.
with a tendency toward mirage. The
Ice seemed suddenly to jump into view
and could be seen from the bridge as
soon ss it could from the crows nest.
Two Hundred Yards in Fog
In dense fog a berg cannot be seen
farther than 200 yards away. he said.
On ordinary clear days the average
berg can be seen from the bridge twelve
or fifteen miles away, from the crows
nest a mile farther and from the signal
yard another mile farther; on cloudy
day, with good visibility. deduct two
miles from each of these figures. In
clear weather, with haZy horizon, it
can be- seen eleven miles; in light fog,
two miles. and in drizzling rain two and
a half miles.
With respect to night observations
Captain Johnston gives these distances.
In bright moonlight with naked eye,
21H miles; moon shining through thin
mackerel clouds, miles; starlight,
mile with naked eye, miles with
glasses; overcast and dark, but with
horizon visible, II mile with glasses.
In the last case the berg looms up
dark; in the other cases its effulgence
shows lighter than the surrounding
space. In using the searchlight look
ing for bergs, an observer standing
behind or under the beam can not
see one. He must stand at least If
teen feet to either side. with the
beam turned on a berg abreast the
ship and two miles away, l could
see it plainly as an Illuminated store
front" says Captain Johnston. AN
other point to be noted is that the
beam must be drawn to a fine focus.
A flaring beam blinds the observer.
Owing to the binding effect Of a
searchlight on an observer. l should
not recommend its general use for a
vessel under way"
Berg May Give an Echo.
Captain Johnston says that a berg |
may or may not give an echo; that |
those with a flat front TO the ship |
would reflect the sound. and that |
those with n sloping front to the |
ship gave back no reverberation. |
Ninety per cent OF attempts to OBJ |
tain an echo. he said. were futile. |
With respect to destruction of bergs |
by firing upon them. Captain John |
ston said that the Seneca fired upon |
one, and that the only result was to |