Mansfield mirror., 1914-10-29

safeguarded on sea as much as,
If not more than. on land. For
Ia this purpose the ocean patrol
has come into being. On the
waste OF waters there is every danger
which taxes the best OF human skill,
foresight and carefulness to combat
1t. At certain period Of the year
this danger Of the deep increases and.
therefore. emphatic measures have
been. taken to escape It This most
dangerous time Of the year is that in
which the icebergs occur, when great
masses break away from the parent
glaciers In the north to float down In
their frozen might into the lanes Of
travel traversed by the steamships
plying between European and Ameri-
can ports. This period Of utmost dan
ger lasts from the beginning Of March
to the last Of July. In some years the
ice drift begins as early as February.
and by March some Of the bergs are
SO far south as to get in the way Of
the northerly course Of vessels enter
ing Canadian and New England ports,
says writer in the Christian Herald.
As the season advances the floating
masses get in the main track Of the
big liners. and 1t is then that the
greatest danger is to be apprehended.
To avoid them as much as possible
the principal companies engaged in
north Atlantic transportation between
the ports OF New York. Boston. Fast
net and Bishops Rock direct their
captains to take the most southerly
course consistent with the time al
lowed for the voyage, from the begin
ming Of February to the end Of August
but even this does not preclude the
possibility Of coming In contact with
the ice mountains that at any moment
may loom up on the horizon in the
very path Of the vessel. "a
Region Of Danger.
This southerly course, as II u
termed. which Is pursued during the
spring and summer months, takes the
vessel across the flftieth degree OF
longitude (the region Of danger) In lat
itude Al degrees 80 minutes on the
westbound passage and In latitude 40
degrees 30 minutes on the east-bound
passage. Yet icebergs of immense
size are frequently encountered on
this track. The Inflated Titanic was
on the southerly course when she
ecxv.,cl< khn Inrxv chat ~cok Aa~ - ~.
battom OF the Atlantic. Many a state
ly bark which left the home port in
high hope has come to grief In this
dreaded section OF the north Atlantic.
The icebergs float down on the Labra-
dor current and skirt Newfoundland.
bearing south until they enter the
warm watsrs OF the gulf stream,
where they gradually disappear. What
adds to the great danger OF these
frozen dreadnaughts is the fog in
which they are often enveloped when
OF the Grand Banks. Though the
sharpest lookout may be kept II
sometimes happens that bergs ahead
may not be sighted until too late for
the vessel to veer her course.
It was the appalling catastrophe Of
the Titanic that woke the nations to
the fact that no ship. however stanch.
is immune from accident. and that the
problem Of elemental danger still re.
manned unsolvcd. The Titanic was
thought to be practically unsinkable.
Proudly she steamed along ON her
maiden, trip, defying winds and
waves, a floating palace full Of life
and light. when. loi out Of the dark.
ness Of night came the grim sea mon.
ster which sent her to her doom. The
news Of her fate shocked the civilized
world. The boasted science and skill
OF man were baffled, beaten. sunk be-.
meath the waves by the might Of the
ice king. #
(, Navy Takes Hand.
Then It was that thought was taken,
not how to overcome, but how to avoid
his Irresistible power In the future,
Our navy department. In the interes,
OF life and property ct sea. set aside
two cruisers for patrol duty: that Il.
to scour. the steamship track for Ice
bergs and give warning OF their loca.
tion and approach.
This year precautions have been u.
ken earlier In the season than usual
to safeguard transasfantic travel. Ths
Ssnecs has been dispatched to the Ice
J. ~. T. .