The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1914-03-09
witt PATROL SEA
IN SEARCH OF ICE
United States Revenue Gutter
to Locate Danger Spots.
WAR ON BERGS IN SPRING.
Maritime Nations Join In Bearing the
Expense of Movement Looking to
Protection of Thousands of Lives and
Millions of Property From Arctic
Menace of the Atlantic Ocean.

Menace of the Atlantic ocean,
Active military operations are about
% begin i'm the war declared by Tue
nations of the world represented al Tue
London conference for safety IT sea
against the frozen elements. whose ice !.
berg hordes, like the viking freebooters
OF other days. make annual descent
| from their northern Businesses INTO
southern waters 10 be terror inspiring
peril Of the Atlantic ocean.
| The REVENGE cutter Seneca. the first
ship in the world III international sery-
Ice, has been ordered on scout duty.
/ Not yet are the invading icebergs
| expected to leave their northern cline,
| but the Seneca is directed TO go right
! into the midst Of their Arctic camp to
observe their preparations for the
spring movement southwark.
A Hazardous Mission.
/ The scout duty is attended with dan
ger The Seneca will be required to
risk the crushing force Of the enemy
relying upon swlftness ana craft 10 es
cape and report observations
When the scouting assignment is
| brought to an end with the start of the
| invaders toward the south, then the
campaign against the iccber@s viii on
ter another phase. ratrol duty Will he
Gin AMI the Seneca Will have tile aid
Of n sister ship The enemy'S move
ments will lie under constant surveil-
lance ana their force ana progress sub
iect 10 unintermittcnt report TO the ma
tons warning upon them
1t was a bic compliment paid t. the
revenue cutter service of the United
States. says the Washington Star. when
the nations in conference awarded to
II the duty Of fighting the iceberg peril
If came about because the iceberg
II patrol had been conducted hy the rcve-
nue. cutter service With splendid re-
suits in providing safety for ships at
sea.
Based upon an estimate nf the COM
parative value of national shipping in
tercstS. Il division of the expense Of
maintaining an iceberg campaign was
| established England agreed at once on
its own initiative 10 bear 30 per cent
Of the expense. Germany considered
herself obligated To pay only l. per
cent France was determined 10 pay
ITO less than Germany. The United
States share of the expense was csti-
mated at the same proportion. other
nations agreed to bear the rest Of the
cost. ranging from ) PER cent up.
The advance guard Of the iceberg in
vaders is not expected 10 march until
the first days Of May IN the mean
time the Seneca will conduct observa-
tions and prepare the maritime world
for the exact moment of the descent o.
the icebcrgs from the north
Besides being the only ship aioat al
over anoat in international world serv
ice. the Seneca is thc only dcrclict re-
stroyer in the world She Is almost the
largest boat in tho revenue cutter >crv
Ice is we'll designed ana fully equipped
! FOR dcrcligt destroying AMI the specia
task now assigned 10 her and has on
2ines to drive her that any ~cagoine
vessel would Ice proud OF.
Scientific Observations.
e Methods of observation for obtaining
u results Which il is hoped will aid III de
e featng the menace of floating ice arr
? set down III the orders. Observation.
are 10 be taken 1T recorded times. ex
: tending from the surface to the bottom
Of the sea. These observations are E
be made nj We'll defined geographical
positions Throughout the region pa
J. trolled
= While the practical work Of the Sen
aca as outlined IN the orders is not t
: he Snbordinated 10 the work of ScieI
tific investigation. the derelict destroye
j. 10 take aboard ut Halifax i detai
of scientists with their instruments
Captain ANhnston is required to al
; ford these scientists every facility 70
and assistance in making their observa
= tons. He Will collect what data the
, may desire 1t is believed that mos
, valuable information can be collecte
from the observations of the scientist
without in any way interfering Wit
the primary duties OF the Seneca.