ATLANTIC ICE PATROL

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12249, 22 September 1925, Page 9

ATLANTIC ICE PATROL

INTERNATIONAL SERVICE DRIFT CHARTED BY WIRELESS PROTECTION OF SHIPPING The work of the International Ice Patrol on the North Atlantic ceme to an end for the season at the beginning ot August, and the seamen who for five months had kept a keen lookout for icebergs which threatened the safety of shipping will have a respite from their arduous duties until the icebergs begin to drift southwards again next March. That part of the Atlantic in the neighbourhood of the Nefoundland Banks Has always been a sourep of anxiety to ship commanders during the spring and early summer months, when icebergs were liable to be met with at any moment. WATCHING THE DANGER AREA After the Titanio disaster in 1912 the United States Navy Department organ ised a patrol of the ioe regions, and in 1913 the International Conference on Safety of Life at Sea arranged that a patrol, manned and directed by Iho United States of America, but financed by the 14 signatories of the Convention, should do established to 'watch tue danger area south and east of the Newfoundland Banks during the ice period of each year. This international patrol began its work in 1914, two vessels of the United States Coastguard Service being detailed for the purpose. With the exception of the years 1917 "and 1918 this duty has been carried out each year since then, and many ocean travellers owe an uneventful voyage to the watchfulness and skill of the men engaged on this service. The work is organised in much the same way as the meteorological service, reports on the position of ice being collected by wireless from observation ships throughout the ice region, collated with the observations taken by the ioe patrol boat, and broadcasted fat the information of all ships which may require it. After several years’ experience it has been possiblo to judge tho probable drift of ice and to draw up charts showing danger areas and information in regard to the probable-be-haviour of icebergs under various conditions. The ice patrol boat, therefore, is able to log and keep track of practically every dangerous iceberg which comes down from the Arctic, and there is little chance of any. ship coming upon ice unawares. • WIRELESS EXTENDS VIEW The two boats engaged in ice patrol work in the Atlantic are based on Halifax, Nova Scotia, and take_ duty in spells of a fortnight each. Wireless has extended their view far beyond the horizon, and each ship passing through the ioe area reports its position to the patrol boat from time to time. The commander of the patrol boat is able, therefore, to keep a chart of each ship and of the relative position of dangerous ioe and so to ■ watch the vessels under his charge in the same way'that the control officer at the /London Air Port is able to watch the progress of airplanes on tho Continental air routes. ... Ships hound for Canadian ports are further assisted by an additional ioe patrol which has been established by the Canadian Department of Marine and Fisheries,' This consists of two icebreakers, which are stationed in Cabot Strait at the entrance to the Gulf of St. Lawrence and patrol between Cape Breton and Newfoundland. The Canadian organisation also includes a number of wireless land stations which report to the icebreakers, and so enable them to keep all ships approaching the Canadian coast informed of conditions in that area.