TRACKING ICEBERGS.

Waikato Times, Volume 100, Issue 16800, 19 May 1926, Page 8

TRACKING ICEBERGS.

WORK OF THE ICE PATROL. NERVE AND EXPERT SEAMANSHIP. It is not generally known that right through iDo spring and early summe” irionlhs vessels of tlie American Navy regularly hunt for icebergs in the North Atlantic. The object is to prevent a recurrence of the terrible disaster wliicli happened lo Iho Titanic, which was sunk on tier maiden trip through striking an iceberg. By an international agreement between tlie, Powers it was arranged that Ihe North Atlantic should be patrolled and tlie presence of ice and icebergs lie reported. The United States Government undertook the task, and ihe Hydrographic department of tlie United States Navy formulated a special service, known as llic Ice Patrol. Hence, when spring approaches, and icebergs come floating down from the great glaciers of Greenland, a number of vessels of Ihe American coastguard service go out in search of them. 11 is work that calls for nerve, hardihood, and expert seamanship. Storms, fogs, and eold weather arc of constant occurrence off the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, and even in late spring iee in vast quantities and dangerous shape is frequently encountered, and is a serious menace to passing ships. The patrol search out this ice and wireless its presence to the vessels of all nations in (lie immediate,neighbourhood. Bergs ano Echces. ! It is a little io I lie south of Newfoundland where ships crossing the Atlantic sight icebergs. The. fascination about tliem lies in llieir curious > shape's and llieir beautiful colouring. ! Some look like. Arab tents as they glide I along, while others resemble yachts j and castles, and perhaps a well-known animal. Tlirir colours are almost beyond description, ranging from a pure while in a dark blue, caused by tlie reflection or light from the submerged portion of the ice. , ■ Some of the information gathered by llic Ice. Patrol is exceedingly interesting. it is a tradition among mariners that an iceberg will give off an echo, but this is not the experience of the officers of the patrol. The other winter the coastguard cutter Androsboggin encountered eleven large bergs in rapid succession. Although she sounded her whistle on each occasion no sound was given off, and from this ancl other experiences the conclusion is that air cohoes arc erratic and not lo be relied upon. Tlie only bergs from which echoes have been obtained have a perpendicular or nearly perpendicular face. Echoes from such bergs have been ticarcl at as great distance as 1000 yards, but the majority were inaudible at distances greater than 400 yards. Dangers Through Collapse. Another tradition of the sea in reference lo icebergs which tiie patrol has smashed is lliat, contrary to the'belie! of most mariners, there is no appreciable change of temperature in the air or watdr when approaching a berg, if a fresh wind lie blowing and a ship gets within a'hundred yards or so to leeward the crew experience a sensation of cold, but the thermometer may not register any drop. Birds, as some sailors"affirm, do not indicate tlie presence of ice. They arc more numerous around vessels where they can lind something to cat. Again, there is no ice-blink over a berg. brief, in hunting icebergs llic mariner must to a very great extent depend on his eyesight alone. In the late spring and early summer tlie bergs become very unstable, owing to Hie corrosive action of tlie sea on their submerged portions and tlie action of the sun upon their upper parts. Large chunks of ice are continually falling off tliem, while frequently the entire bergs roll over and over again, and are thus constantly changing formation. When tlie bergs roll over they creak and groan like an old wooden ship labouring in a heavy sea.

The collapse of an iceberg is dangerout on account of the sudden lingo waves it sets up. The oilier season a large berg anchored itself outside the harbour of St. John’s, in Newfoundthrough Hie bottle-neck entrance of the narrows and brought up close to the glittering ice. Just at that time the sun had almost completed its work. As the bovs watched, the pinnacles slid apart and fell tumbling into the sea. The waves they raised rushed into Hie harbour and tore boats from their moorings. The boys did not return, and friends set out with little hope of finding even a fragment of Hie boat; they returned to mourn. The following day a fisherman leaving the harbour thought lie hoard weak shouts high up on the face of Signal Peak, and, looking up, saw a waving arm. Away up there they found boat and hoys, and a man had to lie let down the face of ttic cliff by a rope lo lake the lads lo safety. The wave that had created such havoc within the harbour had lifted the boat and deposited it high and dry on a ledge of Hie bOO feet dirt. Not infrequently for diversion tho patrol vessels fire their twelve-pound-ers at the big bergs, hut their shots are usuallv as effective as they would be against tho Hock of Gibraltar. Occasionally, when the ice is growing soft, the shots will sink in for a foot or [wo but have no other effect. True, Hie’other month they did succeed in smashing an iceberg up with a mine. Tlie be eg was 350 feet long and one of its spires was i’TO feet rigli. J lie patrol ship sent a boat towing two mines towards it. The mines contained tho high explosive T.N.T. They were put down in C> feet of water close to Hie great precipitous face of Hie berg, which the men could hear snapping and crackling with a sound like rillcshots above them, while great fissures were spreading in the berg’s icy lace. Blown to Bits. Tho men sank the mines, drew off. and waited at a safe distance. They could not see much, because a fog sidlled down, but presently they heard crashes like thunder. Next day they saw the berg again. It was smaller, hut by no means done for, and it was not, till they had attacked it again and again with mines 1 hat on the fourth dav it broke in half. Then, with an explosion that sent Hie water 100 feet into I lie air, it blew into fragments Ml ice information collected by the nai.ro l vessels is sent out broadcast bywire less twice a day. if the conditions are unusually serious messages are sent more frequently, sometimes as .Often as once ail hour. The cost ot the natrol is borne by all the nations using the Atlantic in proportion to the number of ships sailing under their respective flags.