SCIENTIFIC RESULTS 171 



March 15, 1883, tlie bark General BtreJi was found fast in pack 

 ice in latitude 45° N., lonoitude 48° 30' W.. witli bows stove in and 

 the vessel abandoned and full of water. 



January 2. 1884. steanisliip Nottiiia Hill collided with a ber<2: 

 and was so seriously thinia^ied that she had to be abandoned in 

 latitude 46° N., lon^ntude 40^ 20' AV. 



May 7, 1885, the brio; Annie Christine struck a bei<!; on the Grand 

 Jiank and foundered. 



February IT, 1890, the bark Meteor spent nine days in a larfje 

 ice field south of Cape Race. The ice crushed in her bow, opened 

 her seams, and she sank. The crew were rescued in an exhausted 

 condition. 



The majority (d' the trans-Atlantic traffic, however, continued to 

 follow courses through the ice longitudes (forty-five to fifty-two 

 jueridians) despite the added safety that it had brought to the 

 C'unard Line and a few others navigating farther to the south. The 

 increase in distance caused by following the safer route of about 

 100 miles has always been the incentive for the navigator to " cut 

 the corner." 



Noting the insurance of safety inherent to circunmavigating the 

 ice regions, the United States Hydrographic Office in 1891 urged 

 the .several jjrincipal steamship companies to meet and discuss fur- 

 ther lane route reconmiendatioiis. In 1898 the trans-Atlantic Track 

 Conference was formed with all of the established passenger com- 

 ])anies agreein*:: to the present svstem of prescribed tracks (see fig. 

 112. p. 1T5) ; ^ 



Lane route A runs between the United States and Europe. It 

 is effective only during ice seasons when bergs are numerous south 

 of tlie Grand Bank. Tlie eastbound route crosses meridian 47 at 

 latitude 39° 30' N. ; the westbound route crosses meridian 47 at lati- 

 tude 40° 30' N. 



Lane route B runs between the United States and Europe. It is 

 effective normally February 15 to August 1, unless severe ice condi- 

 tions require lane route A. The eastbound route crosses meridian 

 47 at latitude 41^ 30' N. ; the westl^ound route crosses meridian 47 

 at latitude 40° 30' N. 



Lan< route C runs between the United States and Europe. It 

 is effective normally August 1 to February 15. The eastbound route 

 cros.ses meridian 50 at latitude 42- N. ; the westbound route crosses 

 meridian 50 at latitude 43° N. 



Lane rout< I> runs between Canada and Europe. It is effective 

 noi-nially February 15 to April 10. The eastbound route crosses 

 nieri(han 50 at latitude 42° N. : the westbound loute crosses merid- 

 ian 50 at latitude 43° N. 



Lain route E runs between Canada and E^urope. It is effective 

 normally Ai)ril 10 to May 15, or until the Cape Race tracks are clear 

 of ice. The eastbound route crosses meridian 50 at latitude 45° 25' 

 N.; the westbound route crosses meridian 50 at latitude 45° 55' N. 



Lmw route F runs between Canada and Europe. It is effective 

 normally May 15 to July 1. or until the Strait of Belle Isle is navi- 

 gable. After the strait becomes closed vessels may revert to route D. 

 The eastbound i-oute ci-osses the mei'idian of Caj)e Race 25 miles 

 south of tlie latter: the westbound i-oute ci'osses the meridian of Cape 

 Race 10 miles south of tlie latter. 



