DERELICTS AND ICEBERGS 41 



carries out a very elaborate system which is 

 most interesting. Each wreck and derelict 

 reported is at once given a serial number and 

 its position is plotted on a blackboard and 

 if it cannot be identified by name the de- 

 scription is compared with other reports and 

 frequently in this manner the unknown wreck 

 is recognised. In order to trace the complete 

 track of a derelict, whose name is unknown, 

 and to facilitate finding it on the register, each 

 report is registered with an "identification 

 number" in addition to its serial number; 

 while each derelict, whose name is known, has 

 a separate place or page in the register de- 

 voted to that vessel alone. When a wreck 

 or derelict is reported within striking dis- 

 tance of an available naval vessel a memoran- 

 dum of the report is sent by the Hydrographic 

 Office to the Chief of the Bureau of Naviga- 

 tion and proper orders for a search and de- 

 struction of the wreck are issued. Quite fre- 

 quently, however, the wreck is reported in 

 some remote part of the ocean and before a 

 naval vessel can reach it the derelict drifts 

 far away and is lost for some time. The work 



