60 



was taken of absence of ice from steamer tracks for a most instructive 

 trip to Belle Isle from May 27 to 30, partly for oceanographic work 

 and partly for ice observation. Opinions of mariners long experi- 

 enced on this coast, confirmed by circumstances this year, indicate 

 that the mild winter and consequent reduced local field ice has per- 

 mitted a larger percentage of bergs to drift ashore on northeast 

 side of Newfoundland, thus removing them from sphere of possible 

 drift further south. Advantage was also taken of conditions for 

 search by patrol vessel for derelict west of banks in this month. 



Weather conditions for the month of June were normal both as 

 regards percentage of gales and fogs. There was no essential change 

 in the ice situation. Only two bergs came south of latitude 48° 

 00', these being the bergs reported on May 27 and 28. Of these the 

 smaller was last seen on June 6 in latitude 47° 58'; longitude 52° 

 37', when it was rapidly disintegrating. The larger was tracked 

 from May 26 to June 23, when its remnant was mined by patrol 

 vessel in latitude 46° 58' , longitude 51° 18'. 



The collision on June 19, off Cape Race, between the Canadian 

 Pacific steamship Metagamn and the Italian steamship Clara Gamus^ 

 the former vessel having 700 passengers and 312 men in crew, indi- 

 cated how readily a tragedy might occur in the foggy season in the 

 vicinity of the Grand Banks. Both patrol vessels were in the vicin- 

 ity, one being 60 and the other 100 miles away, and both made all 

 speed for the scene. Fortunateh' favorable weather enabled both 

 damaged vessels to reach St. Johns and the patrol vessels were only 

 required to search for missing boats. But the value of patrol along 

 this line is illustrated. 



The contrast between the season of 1924 and that of 1923 is most 

 striking : From March 15 to April 1, 1923, there were 20 bergs south 

 of the forty-fifth parallel. Only one was reported south of this paral- 

 lel in March, 1924, and only three south of Newfoundland. In April 

 1923, 24 bergs were reported south of the forty-fifth parallel. In 

 the same month. 1924, only one berg was seen south of this parallel. 

 In May, 1923, nine bergs were seen south of the forty-fifth parallel. 

 In May, 1924, there were no bergs south of this parallel, or south of 

 parallel 48. In June, 1923, there were 12 bergs south of the forty- 

 third parallel. In June, 1924, but two bergs were south of the forty- 

 eighth parallel, and only one south of the forty-seventh parallel. 



The Strait of Belle Isle opened on or about June 20, this being 

 markedly earlier than usual. 



During the season 15 vessels were warned of the presence of ice on 

 or near their tracks : 92 were furnished special information ; approxi- 

 mately 4,794 water-temperature reports were furnished the patrol; 

 38 reports of ice sighted were received. Two steamships were given 



