10 



Miquelon. Shortly after this vessel was left a fog bank to the west- 

 ward was entered. Immediately the Modoc stopped, to drift for the 

 night, further searching being useless. 



The three days of high barometer and fine clear weather were 

 followed by a falling barometer accompanied by southerly winds 

 and dense fog. This was plainly due to the passage over Newfound- 

 land of the cyclonic disturbance that had been noted on the weather 

 map for several days, making its way across the Mississippi Valley, 

 the Lakes, and the St. Lawrence regions. It was so far away that the 

 strongest winds experienced by the patrol were only force six from 

 the south. These occured on the night of the 8th a little after the 

 lowest barometer reading of 29.83 was noted. Up at Belle Isle at 

 this time the barometer read 29.24. The patrol vessel had escaped 

 another storm almost untouched on account of being well to the 

 south of the storm track. 



During the fog on the 9th four oceanographic stations were taken 

 between the forty-eighth and forty-ninth meridians in latitude about 

 44° 30' N. The patrol vessel steamed at slow speed, about 50 revolu- 

 tions per minute, to the westward between stations. It was thought 

 that the westernmost station would be in the shallow waters over 

 the Bank, but, due to the easterly drift during the night of the 8th 

 while ofl'shore, it was found that the fourth station was located on the 

 1,000-fathom curve. After it had been taken the vessel was forced to 

 drift by the approaching darkness. The stations served not only to 

 indicate the dividing line between the cold and warm current, but 

 also to familiarize the boatswains mates and the seamen of both 

 watches with what was expected of them during station work. 



On the 7th and 8th, reports of ice were received from vessels on 

 the westbound C tracks in the neighborhood of 44° 30' N., 46° 10' 

 W. These tracks were considered dangerous in consequence, and a 

 special broadcast so stating and giving the reported positions of the 

 bergs was sent out several times. 



During the night of the 9th the fog cleared as the wind hauled 

 more to the westward. An area of high pressure was noted on the 

 weather map off the Middle Atlantic States, indicating a short spell 

 of good weather for the ice-patrol area. 



At sunrise on the 10th the patrol vessel began standing due north 

 up the heart of the Labrador current. At noon the course was changed 

 to 44° true in order to run along about 10 miles outside of the 100- 

 fathom curve of the eastern edge. In spite of vigilant lookout and 

 good visibihty no ice was sighted until 3.30 p. m., when a large berg 

 was observed nearly dead ahead and about 10 miles off. 



This berg was the first glacial ice that many on board the Modoc 

 had seen. It was a stable looking berg with old water lines and 

 much mass. There was one pyramidal pinnacle that was separated 



