NO. 15.] ORIGINAL ACCOUNTS. 13 



East Arm 1 . Then, it generally occurs below Vaterland, on the Single Fjord, Sceken, 

 Leret, and all the way to Torbjbrnskjcer and Fcerder (see the map, Fig. 1, PI. III). The 

 smaller the vessel so much the farther out, will it run the risk of being caught by dead- 

 water. On the other hand, only deep vessels stick very fast in it. In sea-water we are 

 able to draw at least four times as much as in brackish water (dead-water). 



"On both outlets of the Glommen it may be very prevalent, and if I cannot tow the 

 ship at 5 knots or more, I run the risk of falling into dead-water. On the river and its 

 outlets, however, we do not fear dead-water except when going up-stream; for when going 

 down-stream we are always carried along with the current. Near Krosnats on the West 

 Arm, it once happened that a 200-ton pilot-steamer got into dead-water; she was of about 

 GO H. P. and was able to steam at about 4 knots. On the East Arm the dead-water is 

 still stronger than on the West Arm, and sometimes sailing-vessels may there be seen 

 stuck fast in spite of a breeze brisk enough to keep the sails firmly strained. The worst 

 place in this respect, is the sound between Krager Island and Kjogo. 



"Sometimes it happens that one vessel gets into dead-water and another not, though 

 it is impossible to discover any reason for it. Once, for example, — it was flood-tide — I 

 had to move a vessel of 400 tons from one place to another in the channel between the 

 East and the West Arms. The vessel took dead-water, and 3 hours were spent in going 

 a distance of 3 cables' length (600 m.) 2 . Immediately after, I towed a vessel of 800 

 tons the same way without any similar difficulty or trouble. Another time, in the Fre- 

 drikshald Fjord, I towed a lighter of 120 tons and drawing 4 - 5 m. The lighter took dead- 

 water, and the tug of 12 H. P. could not get it loose. Nevertheless a ship of 400 tons 

 drawing about 5 or 6 m. and towed only by three men in a boat had no experience 

 of the dead-water and easily passed us. There was no wind to be seen on the water, and 

 the stream was with the ships. Twice, when I have towed a lighter in dead-water and have 

 not been able to get her loose, it has happened that she has run aground and then she 

 has got free from the dead-water and has been towed further without any difficulty. 



"It is an easy matter to perceive if a vessel has got into dead-water. From the stems 

 and sterns of the tug and the ship in tow, there are then formed 4 pairs of streaks or 

 "dead-ivater waves" 3 (see Fig. 7, PI. IV) indicated by very small and short wavelets. They 

 stretch far away to the sides and, when the distance is not too great, even reach the 

 shores. In the Lrammen Fjord beyond Svelvig I have seen such streaks, extending half 

 a naut. mile on each side. There are not always "dead-water waves" formed from the tug. 

 And if there are, they may fall astern and disappear, and then, a while afterwards, new 

 streaks may be formed. It often happens that the streaks issuing from the stem of a ship 

 in tow are missing, or that they first disappear, and then recur again. The streaks from 

 the stem always remain the longest, especially the streak on the side opposite to that to 

 which the tow-rope is directed. The ship is also followed by a train of similar streaks 

 moving on at the same speed as the ship 4 . 



"Around and aft the stern the water follows or even overtakes the ship, so that a 

 boat which is following in tow is drawn close to the ship's side and cannot be kept clear 

 of it. The water is likewise pushed before the stem, but along the sides it runs astern at 

 great speed — faster than if there were no dead-water. For example a cutter of about 70 

 tons lay in dead-water on Leret in spite of a SW. wind which under ordinary circum- 

 stances would have probably given her a speed of 3 knots. The cutter could not be 



1 According to Mr. Larsen, dead-water has been observed beyond Vaterland, during the 

 summer of 1901, which was very dry with little water in the river. 



2 It may be remarked that this does not give the velocity through water, because the 

 vessel was tugged upstream. 



* The sign of quotation is due to the present writer. 



4 At the author's request Mr. Labsen has made a sketch (Fig. 6, PI. IV) illustrating this 



matter. This figure upon the whole, gives a better idea of the streaks than Fig. 7. 



The two horizontal lines denote the banks. 



