40 



At 3.35 p.m. stood on course to rcacli point for beg;inning scouting 

 at daybrortk to-morrow. Fog set in after sunset, and at 9.50 p. m. 

 we stopped and drifted for the night. Ice information was furnished 

 the steamships Alexandra and Baltic. 



May 18: Liglit easterly airs and breezes: foggy at intervals. At 

 4.50 a. m. under way for starting point of search. At 5.50 a. m. 

 stopped on account of fog. At 8.20 a. • m. fog partially clearing, 

 stood east. true, scouring area south of Trail of the Bank and investi- 

 gating drift of berg sighted by the Modoc on the 17th. beheved to be 

 the southernmost berg. At 11.20 a. m. sighted berg, bearing 139"^ 

 true, distant 12 miles, and identified it as the one sighted by the 

 Modoc on the 17th. Estimated that it had drifted 162°. true, at the 

 rate of 1 mile per h<nn'. Scouting was resumed in a southerly direc- 

 tion. At 2.45 p. m. received the following radiogram: " Western 

 Spirit on fire. lat. 40° 22'. long. 54° 26'. course 271: trying to get 

 fire iHider control: not succeeded as yet." Headed for position 

 given and sent following radiogram: ''We are heading toward you. 

 course 239 true. 150 miles distant, 13 knots. Advise how serious 

 emergency. If you desu'c our assistance, suggest you head toward 

 us." At 3.35 p. m. received the following radiogram: "Thank you 

 very much. Have fire under control now. Expect to have it out 

 in half an hour. Think we can manage by ourselves now." Changed 

 coui"se to return to southernmost berg for the night. At 6.30 p. m. 

 stopped and driiied for the night in den.se fog. at an estimated distance 

 of 4 miles from the berg. Ivittiwakes and stormy petrel were seen 

 this day. Ice information was sent to the steamsliips Loriston, 

 Atlanta, a,nd Pearl more. 



•May 19: Liglit easterly airs to light and gentle southerly breezes. 

 Dense fog over water of Labrador Current: qlear in Gulf Stream. 

 At 8.35 a. m. stood at moderate speed through fog area, to occupy 

 southernmost station. Emerged from fog when well clear of Labra- 

 dor Current at about 10.30 a. m. At 12.45 p. m. sighted two bergs 

 bearing 18° true. 14 miles distant, the changing visibility conditions 

 having brought them into view well abaft beam. Stood for bergs 

 and identilied the larger as the southernmost berg last seen on the 

 18th, its present position being lat. 41° 28', long. 50° 38'. The 

 second berg, a small, low-lying one, had manifestly calved from the 

 first. The lii-st berg was hollowed in center, -with a base, partly 

 submerged, approximately 450 feet square. A pinnacle about 170 

 feet in height stood toward one corner. A horizontal egg-shaped 

 mass, some 50 feet high, was on the opposite side of the base from the 

 pinnacle, to whicli irregular, vertical walls, about 100 feet high, were 

 partly attached. Stood around the larger berg and photographed it. 

 A water temperature of 00° F. was found at a depth of 750 meters. 

 At 5.50 p. m. stood f<.r southernmost oceanographic staticm. No. 309, 



