10 



undoubtedly part of the same ice which the Modoc located to the 

 northeastward on the last cruise. 



The fog cleared up for good on the morning of the 27th and gave 

 us an opportunity not only to locate all the bergs in this region south 

 of the Tail but also permitted of securing accurate sights. We had 

 been without a definite fix of the ship 's position for nearly four days. 

 Ten bergs were sighted during the day, five in the dead water di- 

 rectly south of the Tail, latitude 42° 27'; two lay to the westward on 

 about the same parallel but in longitude 51°; and three more bergs 

 were observed grouped together at the farthest point south for 

 the year, viz, latitude 42° 13' longitude 50° 29'. The distribution of 

 this last lot was in agreement with the oceanic circulation as deter- 

 mined May 18-20 by the Modoc. The bergs in longitude 51° 00' had 

 drifted as far west as was possible on account of the counterset in 

 that region, while the three southern ones had become caught in the 

 inshore edge of the easterly flowing water and they were drifting 

 east-southeastward at the rate of 0.5 of a knot per hour. 



On May 28 a message was received from the steamship Chicago 

 reporting a berg in latitude 41° 51', longitude 48° 33'; this being 

 the southernmost ice and only about 20 miles north of the west- 

 bound steamer track, the Tampa was headed on an easterly course 

 in order to get in touch with this ice as soon as possible. At daylight 

 on the 29th we sighted the berg for which we were in search. It was 

 not a very large berg, in fact it was medium to small and it showed 

 signs of rapid disintegration. During the morning and afternoon 

 demolition operations were carried on, making use of 6-pounder gun 

 and 238-pound TNT mines. Considerable ice was shaken down 

 but it is questionable whether the expenditure would be justifiable 

 in continuing such a practice on a greater scale. That evening we 

 spent close to the ice warning all approaching ships of its location. 



The next day our berg was only about half of its former size. The 

 rapid disintegration was due without doubt to a heavy swell which 

 continually washed the ice and broke off growlers one after another. 

 The temperature of the water, 56°, of course also materially assisted 

 to speed up the melting processes, and so May 31 witnessed the entire 

 removal of this menace to navigation. This was the most rapid 

 disintegration of which the patrol has record, to the best of our 

 knowledge, and it is of interest because it was due in a great measure 

 to the swell and sea which continually lashed and strained the berg. 

 At 12.30 p. m. there was no longer any reason for remaining in the 

 locality — latitude 40° 45', longitude 47° 38'— so we steamed ahead 

 on course 310° toward the group of five bergs which we had left on 

 the 28th instant. 



About 7 o'clock the morning of June 1 the steamer Stadsdijk 

 reported seeing two bergs about 30 miles to the westward of where 

 we were searching and this ice was believed to be the same that we 



