The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-05-31
Frederick Ffaskin's Letter
CHARTING ICEBERGS
Especial Correspondence Of TAe ARR

( where drifting icebergs often are
! located, is shrouded with thick fogs
on many occasions. But the lee
must be found and shipping warn
ed. Despite hardships and handi-
caps, this is so well done that there
has been no repetition Of the II.
tanic horror.
The work of the ice patrol has
served to shatter many old tradl-
lions of the sea regarding icebergs
It has long been favorite belief
of seafaring men that the presence
fof icebergs could be detected be.
cause the floating ice iGvariably
echoed distinctly any sound within
a considerable distance of it. This
has been found to be untrue except
in the case of iCebeTgs presenting
fat wall to the sound waves. and
even then the echo is disCeruible a.
such short distance that this warn
ing is of little or no value.
Another tradition that has been
shattered is that an iceberg ChiEs
the surrounding water and air. The
facts do not bear out this supp9si-
ton. Once in a while, if the wind
is blowing from an iceberg toward
a ship, the air may seem slightly
cooler, but the water does not an
pear to be affected at all, exceRt
so close TO the berg that no ship
could reach the cooler water with
cut practical certainty Of destruc-
ton.
Still another mariners belief
touching icebergs has been that
birds, flying about and roosung on
the ice, disclose the presence Of
bergs by their cries, but the ice pa
troll has blown up this tradition
along with the rest. II has been
found to be without any founda-
ton. Many bergs have been iocat-
ed without any birds about them al
all.
Give BergS Wide Berth.
Collision with icebergs is not the
only danger to shipping. Another
menace is from movement of the
great mass of ice in the water As
the berg drifts farther south, the
air and water become increasingly
warm, the ice is melted in various
ways. A current of warm water
will melt away the under part Of
an iceberg so that the disturbance
of the center of gravity viii cause
the whole thing to roll or turn
over. When this occurs, as it fire.
quentIy does, great waves are sent
out. An ordinary ship, il close to
an iceberg when this happened,
would certainly run grave risk Of
being Swamped. Sometimes, due
to the attrition of warm waters AMI
the suns rays, an iceberg will split
into two or more pieces, with ter
rife disturbances of the surface OF
the sea for long distances in every
The speed with which an iceberg
in the water in nearly every
case is due to the current in which
it is moving along, and it moves no
faster than this current. Occasion
ally, though, the exposed top of tie
berg may have surfaces which
readily catch the wind, and thus il
may sail along. getting farther
than the ordinary iceberg does be
fore it is melted and made harm
less.
Luckily for shipping, the great
ma jority of icebergs after drifting
for $500 or 1000 miles,
strand and break up on the shores
Of Labrador. 1t is the small num-
her that escapes this fate that con-
-inUe southwark until they reach
he steamer paths Of the North At
.antic, a distance of from $500 To
; 900 miles from the mouth of the
glacier where they originated.
In the late summer, and through
)ut the autumn and winter. the
steamer lanes are free from the
nenaces of iceAergs. Then the far
North has frozen up tight again,
md the bergs do not break away
rom the glaciers. The areas in
which icabergs may be expected ID
he spring and early summer
months are now fairly well known
O the coast guard, but sometimes
me of the bergs with sail-liEe sur.
aces, will be found blown far out
# this area before being destroyed
" the elements.
An iceberg often is a thing OF
Deauty. The rays of the sun re-
lected from the thousands IF faces
# ice. and shining through lae nat
IraI prisms formed. are a sE-rta-
lie well worth Seeing. IceHargs il
he moonlight. once seen. VIII naT-
T be forgotten as examples OF
-h0st-like beauty.