The Coolidge examiner., 1932-05-13

the North Atlantic ship lanes, are
on their annual migration from
the Arctic TO their doom in the
warm waters of the gulf stream. AL.
ready North Atlantic traffic lanes
have been moved GO miles south
ward by order of the ice patrol
which reports that some $50 bergs
will move southwark during the
1882 Ice season of April, May and
June
Icebergs have always been the
dread of transatlantic navigators.
They drift hither and yon. They
give no warning of their presence.
They are propelled now by ocean
currents, now by tides. and now by
winds and waves. Fog is their con
stant companion.
A vessel speeding through an area
infested with moving ice. during
night or in fog. plays game of
chance. Even on a starlit night a
berg cannot be seen beyond q halt
mile; but when the position of the
ice is known 10 the navigator, the
danger is eliminated; he can alter
his course to avoid the menace.
The Ice comes down every year,
as IL has for centuries; but now
every berg that follows the eastern
edge of the Grand Banks into the
steamer lanes is kept under surveil-
lance by the international ice pa
troll. From this service navigators
can learn the answer to the ques-
ton which each asks: Where Is
the ice?"
Not single ship has been lost
through collision with an iceberg
since the patrol was inaugurated.
Greenland's icy mountains" alone
are the source of the icebergs thar
come as far south as the steamer
lanes, journeying about 1900 miles
approximately the distance from
Washington. D. c.. to Denver-be-
fore they become white specters'
to shipping.
With the exception of small
strip of coast line. Greenland is
completely covered with a vast ice
cap. Its estimated thickness is 5000
feet.
'g Always the Ice mantle Is moving
down the slope of the land toward
the sea. in great glaciers pushing
out through the valleys. AS the ice
reaches the seas Ii noses out into
the water until buoyancy lifts IL up,
and then the front of the glacier
breaks off at weak spot.
There Is deafening roar and
thunderous crash. and with a tidal
splash the glacial fragment plunges
heavily into the sea. almost sub
merging. The water Is churned into
creamy waves as the newborn berg
shakes off the sea, regains its equi-
iibrium. and settles itself comfort.
ably for long journey southwark.
Come From Greenland.
There are eight principal berg,
producing glaciers in Greenland.
The worst offenders are those of
Disko bay. Jakobshaven. and Tor
sukatak, Karajak. and Umanak on
the west coast.
Bergs are discharged In vast
numbers from these and other
Greenland fiords. Yet few come
south of Newfoundland. Many are
too small to last long.
Only the fittest survive the buff
fetings of the sea, TO be carried south
on the flow of the Labrador cur
rent and along the eastern edge of
the banks of the gulf stream. This
warm current gives them short
shrift; but until they have dwindled
TO the size of an ample library desk
they are capable of staving in a yes
sells plates.
The Labrador current, although q
danger carrier. has it's usefulness.
Ii teens with all kinds of marine
4. tLS. dhOtu ulhs biSCdiAS anu lceuius
grounds for our best food fish.
The berg danger period comedies
with the heavy flow period of the
Labrador current each year-that
is. from March TO July l. 1t is
during this period that the cutters
patrol the ice-endangered areas.
Two cutters are assigned TO the
Ice patrol. with a third cutter held
In. reserve. The cutter on duty is
a, busy place every day. To carry
out the orders, ito locate the ice
bergs. and ice fields nearest the
transatlantic steamship lanes and
20 determine. the southerly. easterly
and westerly limits of the ice as ii
moves TO the southward. and keep
track of all ice seen or reported. is
not an easy task.
The Oceanographer's day begins
before the break of dawn, because
he must get star sights for position
if the fog permits. the first of the
series to be made and checked ali
during the day.
At six O'Clock the first ice broad.
cast goes out 10 the ships with mod
ern equipment Patrol vessel near
two bergs-iatitude. ~ degrees 80