17 



10 feet deep, shaped to fit the curvature of the hold of a small vessel, 

 was located in latitude 45° 42' N., longitude 46° 58' W., and destroyed 

 hy riilo lire. At 9.40 p. m. received Coast Guard headquarters' 

 (lispatoh discontinuing the ice patrol and ice observation for the 

 season. The Tampa and General Greene were directed to proceed to 

 Boston at their discretion. 



The Fontcharirain on July 1 proceeded down the eastern slope of 

 the Oiand Banks in dense fog. At the tail of the banks a course 

 was laid to the westward. In the morning broadcast of Juh' 2, 

 shipping was informed that the ice patrol for the season of 1932 had 

 been discontinued. The Pontchartrain arrived in New London, 

 Conn., at 9 p. m. July 5, 1932. 



During the cruise no ice was sighted by the patrol vessel. Thirty- 

 eight bergs were reported along the "F" track in widely scattered 

 positions from the Newfoundland coast to longitude 46° 13' W. 

 One vessel proceeding northward along the Newfoundland coast 

 reported six bergs between latitudes 49° 14' N. and 49° 46' N. 

 Vessels used the Belle Isle route throughout the cruise and reported 

 only five bergs. Fog accounts partly for the scarcity of reports in 

 this region. As these vessels passed from five to seven hundred miles 

 from the ice patrol vessel a failure of communication may have 

 occurred. 



On June 29 the Pontchartrain completed the search of that area 

 south of latitude 47° 00' N., little frequented by vessels at this 

 season between the 50 isotherm and the 50-fathom curve. The 

 Tampa had just completed a search of the area just south and south- 

 east of the tail of the banks at the end of her last patrol. No ice was 

 sighted or reported during the cruise south of a line from Cape Race 

 to 47° 25' N., 46° 00' W. The current map completed June 19 by 

 the General Greene indicated that the cold current curved to the 

 northeast at latitude 45° 00' N. While drifting in fog on June 27, 

 28, and 29 the Pontchartrain experienced no southerly set. The 

 above conditions clearh' indicate that no more ice will drift south this 

 season. 



The weather was generally mild and foggy. For the first five 

 daj^s of the cruise a low pressure area was stationary over the ice 

 regions, being held there by high pressure on all sides. This low pres- 

 sure was accompanied by gentle to moderate northeast winds and 

 fog. Then a family of "lows" passing over the Great Lakes and the 

 Gulf of St. Lawrence crossed the ice regions in rapid succession. 

 During the passing of the "lows" south and southeast winds with fog 

 prevailed. For about 12 hours between each "low" we had west 

 winds and clear weather. For 73.1 per cent of the time the visibility 

 was less than 2 miles. 



