The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-01-05
Birth Of an Iceberg 10 strikins'y De-
scribed In Report Made to 4
the National oeosraph-
icai Society.
ARE MILES IN LENGTH
~ eight Sometimes Three Hundred
Feet Above the Water Line and
Distance Below Extends
Unknown Depth.

/
! birth of an iceberg Is strikingly de-
scribed in report made to the Ma
tional Geographic society by R. s.
Tarr and Lawrence Martin, who head
ed the expeditions OF the society to
Alaska for the study OF the behavior
OF glaciers there.
| "The front OF Hubbard glacier,
measured in straight line, is 31s TO
miles wide; but since the ice clin
has sinuous form with projections
in the center, it is in reality much
longer than this, the total length De-
ing between Az and 5 miles. This
cliff rises between go and 300 feet
above the water and extends an I'M
known distance below 1t. One usual
ly needs to wait but few moments
to hear from some part OF the cl1n
the thunderlike rumble Or roar which
| Is the first announcement OF an ice
berg fall, followed few moments.
later by the appearance of great
swell which, on reaching the shore.
forms line OF white breakers even
at a distance OF severa' miles from
the ice cliff BY watching the Ice
cliff. one may see the huge masses.
fail from the ice front and fountain
OF water dash perhaps even to the
top of the glacier, and then. in rev
seconds. hear the report which the
rending of the glacier sends out. One
lis fascinated by the performance:
sometimes it is only a small piece
that falls and then sharp single re-
port, Hike the crack OF a pistol. goes
/ through the air; again part OF the
front crumbles and the devastating
ice, broken into small pieces, seems
| from q distance like fountain OF
water while the report Is only low
rumble; at other times huge masses
break away. forming large icebergs,
and the noise then produced IL like
the heavy rumble OF distant thunder;
/ and at rare intervals one may see q
huge mass of blue or black ice thrust
itself up from below the ford, some
distance from the glacier front, as a
part Of the submerged Ice loot Is
broken OF. and then no report II
heard, but the wave that follows Is
far greater than usual
"The water waves which follow
the discharge of dcebergs from the
front OF Hubbard glacier are OF great
magnitude. In September. 1913, for
example. the steamship Princess Ma
lquinna was aground on reef just
west OF Osier Island with the mem
| bers OF the international Geological
congress who visited Yakutat bay I'M
der the guidance Of the junior author.
TIL. ship lay over mile from the
glacier, and yet the water wave fol-
lowing the discharge OF icebergs from
Hubbard glacier caused the steamer
to roll until she took in water On the
main deck, as first one side and then
the other was tipped far down by the
| iceberg waves.
There are periods when for an
hour or two there is very little dis
/ charge, and then periods, fully as
long, when scarcely moment elapses
without the sound of ice-falls from
some part Of the glacier front. 1t is
possible that these differences are in
some way related to the state of the
tide. but we have not determined
whether the periods OF quiet and &C
Itivity form part OF a regular cycle or
are merely irregular intervals due to
accumulation OF strain and relief
from strain or to expansion and con-
traction under sunlight While there
are periods OF relative quiet, they are
not periods OF absolute repose, and
they occupy far less time than the
periods of activity. Day and night
the ice falls and the reports that
pass out through the air are so fire.
quent that 1t is fair to speak OF the
i glacier as almost ceaselessiy active
The noise disturbs ones sleep at first
and sometimes, when an unusually
heavy fall occurs, wakens one even
after he has grown accustomed to the
/ ordinary rumble. A sense OF nervous
relief is felt when camp Is removed
to a part of the ford to which the
iceberg roar and the breakers on the