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Glaciers and Icebergs.
RESEAECHE'i ON THE GREENLAND
COAST.
Exp'ioraHfln* by L'eut**nant Eaumer, of the
Danish Navy—Ioebergs of Stupendous
6iio—Cunos’liea of the UrSeulaud
Language.
An expedition sent out to Greenland
by the Danish Government in the fall
of 1879 to explore the great Jakobs-
havn glacier has recently made an in
teresting report to the Royal Commis
sion for the Exploration of Greenland.
Its chief purpose, to determine thf
speed of the great glacier’s progress
toward the sea in the winter months,
was accomplished under exception
ally discouraging circumstances by R.
Hammer, a Lieutenant in the Navy,
who commanded the expiditron. Pre
vious investigations by Rink in 1850,
and by Helland in 1875, had shown
that the Jakobshavn glacier in the
summer moved seaward at the rate of
fully sixty feet in twenty-four hours,
while the Swiss glacieis trayel only a
few inches in that time. The discovery
that in the depth of the Arclic winter
its speed fell very little short of this
was, however, an unexpected conclu
sion ; the measurements made by Mr.
II iiurner, nevertheless, fully prove
this.
The Jakobshavn ice-fjord (69° 12 /
north latitude) was chosen as the point
of observation, because the glacier
which through it reaches the sea from
the unexplored interior is the greatest
and sends forth the largest number of
icebergs that crowd the Polar Sea.
Th^belt of coast land that is not cov
ered with perpetual ice is at Jakobs-
havn about twenty miles wide. Be
yond it the inland ice covers hills and
valleys and feeJsthehugeglacier which
packs the inner fjord at all seasons.
The mouth of the fjord in Disco Bay
is closed by a bar of mud, upon which
the larger icebergs ground as they
break off at the end of the glacier,
Choking up the fjord and preventing
all communication between Jakobs-
havn and Claushavn, at the south side
of the fjord, except by beat outside the
bar. When large icebergs from time
to time slip over this bar, an opening
Is made through which quantities of
ice push out into the bay, to the great
danger of any boats that happen to be
there, as the occurrence is always sud
den and unforeseen. But when the
glacier “kalver”—i. e., when the outer
end breaks oft and forma icebergs that
turn over aud over in the effort to
attain their balance—the disturbance
of the waters extends far out into the
bay *nd at times may be traced many
miles down the coast. Ice three or
four feet thick is broken miles away
like fragile glass. The Danes in
Greenland understand well the cause
of this commotion, though the actual
process of the “kanel” has only been
observed by a European once ; but the
natives believe that it is the work of
the spirit of the glacier, whose fast
nesses are far in the unknown interior
of the country. During the winter of
1879 this phenomenon occurred thrice.
Hammer started for the glacier from
Claushavn In September, expecting to
make his base of observation in the
little inlet Kongerdlukasik, which in
1875 had been passed and entirely shut
off by the glacier on its seaward
marc 1 ’. He reached it after great
hardships only to find that the glacier
had receded up the fjord so far that it
could not even be seen fronBthat point.
The mountain sides of the inlet were
too steep to cliiiid, and in an attempt
to do i-o the explorers were surprised
by a terrible snow-storm and had to
spend the night in a ravine in imnii
nent danger of being frozen to death.
After ascertaining that the glacier
since 1850 had moved back fully four
miles, they were compelled to return
to Jakobshnvn to spend the long
Arctilc night. It was on January 13: b
that half of the sun’s disk appeared
above the horizon again, and travel in
dog-sleds became poetible. Several
attempts were made to reach Konger
dlukasik, and the trip to Umenak, a
distance of 160 miles over mountain
ranges 2,000 feet high, was made in a
sled with one team of eight dogs in
three days and a half, with the ther
mometer at—40°O., but the ol ject was
npt attained till the middle of March.
The glacier hud pushed ahead and was
again visible from the inlet, but this
was so closely packed with ice screwed
up in all sorts of shapes that twenty-
four hours’ hard work only brought
the party 400 feet nearer the Ice-fjord,
and another way had to be found. It
was noted by measurements, as accu
rate as the distance would permit, that
In that night the end ef the glacier
advanced perceptibly, though the
thermometer showed—39° O. On
March 21st the main ice-fjord was at
fast reached, and from that day until
the end of April nunie r ous m* a*u re-
uieEts were made from both ends of a
fixed base to ascertain the speed with
wh cb the glacier was moving. As to
get upon the moving mass was im
possible, the tall peaks and Hocks of
ice that projected from its uneven sur
face were used as landmarks; quite
frequently these would suddenly tum
ble down and disappear a; d the work
would go for naught.
Movements of a Glaoier.
The glacier at this point was three
miles wide, and its end was a perpen
dicular wall 200 feet abo/e the ice sur
face of the fjord. The roughne ss of its
surface was greatest nearer the sides;
toward the middle it disappeared en
tirely. Although the observationa
were made at a time w hen the winter’s
frost was most severe aud had lasted
long enough to penetrate as far into
the glacier as Ls effect might be felt,
the whole mass was found to be mov
ing steadily ahead. Its velocity in
creased greatly from the edges of the
g’acier towa-d its middle. On account
of the lack of projecting points near
the middle, the spee 1 of that portion
could not l»e as accurately measured
as that of the flank section?, but was ;
est'mated to reacli at least fifty feet in
twenty-four hours. The average speed
of a point in the glacier 1,790 feet from
the edge of the fjord was 39.8 feet in
twenty-four hours. Constant detona
tions, sometimes like the firing of
heavy guns but more frequently like
pistol shots, accompanied the move
mentof the glacier. It was faster on
some days than on others, and appa
rently without regard to time of day or
night, or to the temperature of the
atmosphere. From the top of the ad
jacent hills two lines could be observed
running lengthwise on the glacier,
dividing it into three nearly equal
parts; they marked the lines of fric
tion where tno central part moved
independently of the flanks. The
natural conclusion was that the latter
drag on the shore and on the rocky
bottom and that the resistance they
meet with makes them move more
slowly and causes the roughness on
their top, w’hile the central part of the
glacier, floating on water, preserves
its even surface and moves along
faster. The fact that the middle of
the glacier seemed to lie higher than
the rest supported this theory. Float
ing free, the end of the glacier is
buoyed up at last by the tidewater
until it breaks off in huge masses.
These are the icebergs ; the largest are
from the solid middle of the glacier,
which in spate of its greater Bpeed
always ends in a concave arch. The
flanks that drag on the rocks are not
exposed to much to the action of the
water aud therefore “halve” much less
fr* quently.
During the summer of 1180 the ex
pedition made geological researches
and explored Waigatted and Disco
Island, the west coast of which had
never yet been trodden by aEuropean.
In several places pure iron was found
in the organic basalt. Everywhere
on the coast, even on the highest
mountain tops, abundant evidence
was found that the ice had once cov
ered all in a solid mass—one huge
glacier. Erratic boulders were scat
tered about, and on the top of the
mountain Jonarsnak, 1,624 feet above
the sea, the characteristic groov.s
worn in the rock by glaciers were dis
tinctly recognized.
During his long stay among the
natives at Jakobshavn, Hammer en-
dt uvored without much success to
learn something of their language.
He fouud that it possessed astonishing
capabililies in the direction of express
ing a whole or any number of sen
tences in a single word by merely
hitching on extra syllables. The fol
lowing may serve as examples: “Hali
but,” the chief food of the Esquimau
dog, is In the Greenland language
Kaleralit. From it may lie formed
the following senteBces: “Have you
any halibut ?” — Karleralekarpit f
“Have you no halibut whatever?”—
Ka’erahkangidluinarpuohit? “A dog”
— Kir>f/nuk; “he buys a dog”—King-
morsivok; “he strives to buy a dog.”—
Kinyruorainiarpok; and so on until
the sentence, “1 would certainly very
much like to buy some dogs from
you,” is expressed in the one euphone-
ious word, KinamtrslttiarJijiumayul-
narpavkit.
The idea that the Chinese can land
A School Committee Cornered.
Stirring One’s Ris bles.
How Light Affects the Blind.
At an examination of a public school
on Staten Island, the teacher
justly proud of his scholars, ad lresa-
ing the audience, said: “Ladies aud
gentlemen, to prove that the boys arp
not crammed for the occasion, I will
direct oue of the n to open the arilh
metic at random aud read out the first
problem. Then I shall invite a gen
tleman of the audience to votk out tiie
sum on the board, and to commit in
tentional errors which, yc u will ob
serve, the boys will instantly detect.
John Smith open the book aud read
the first question!
The scholar obeyed and read out:
“Add fifteen-sixteenths and nine-
elevenths.”
The teacher turned to the audience
and Maid: “Now, Supervisor , will
you step to the blackboard aud work
it out?
The supervisor hesitated, then said,
“Certainly,” and advanced a step,
but paused and asked the teacher, “is
it fair to put the children to so diffi
cult a problem?
“Oh, never fear,” replied, the
teacher, they will do it.” ‘ Very well,”
said the supervisor,“ go on.” The boy
began the question ; “Add fifteen-six
teenths—”
“No, no !” said the supervisor, “I
will not be a party to oyertaxing the
children,s brains. I l ave conscien
tious scruples against it. This forcing
system is ruining the rising genera
tion ! and gave back the chalk and left
the room.
“Well, Judge Castleton, will you
favor us? asked the teacher, tendering
the chalk. “I would do so with pleas
ure,” replied the Judge, “but l have a
case coming on in my court in a min
ute or two,” and he left.
“Assessor Middletown, we must fall
back on you,” said the teacher, smil
ing. “Oh,” said the assessor, “I pass—
I mean I decline in favor of Collector
X.” “Well that will do,”’ replied the
teacher, “Mr, Collector, will you favor
us? “I would, certainly—that is—of
course,” replied the collector, “but—
ahem I I think it should be referred to
a commit—why, bless me! I’ll never
catch it. Good bye ! Some other time!”
And he left.
“I know Justice Smithfield will not
refuse!” said the teacher, aud the jus
tice stepped promptly up to the black
board amidst a round of applause
from the audience. The scholar again
began to read the sum. “Add fifteeu-
sixteeuths!
A dozen hands went up as the jus
tice made the first figures.
“Well, what is it?” asked the teach
er.
“lie’s got the denominator on top of
the yne!” cried the boys iu chorus.
“Very good, boys, very good : I see
you are attentivesaid the justice as
he rubbed out the figures, turned red,
and began again, but, was inter
rupted by the class calling out:
“Now he’s got the numerator and
denominator under the line!”
“Aha! you young rogues! You’re
sharp, I see!” *aid the justice, jocosely,
and again commenced.
“That ain’t a fraction at all! It’s one
^thousand live hundred and sixteen!”
was the cry that hailed the Justice’s
new combination of figures,
“Really, Mr. Teacher,” ejaculated
the justice, “I must compliment you
ou the wonderful proficiency of your
scholars In algebra! I wou’ttire their,
patience any more.”
“Oh, go on, go on, Baid the teacher
aud again the justice wrote some fig
ures in an off baud manner.
“That ain’t a fraction ! It’s six thou
sand one hundred and fifty-one! yelled
the hoye.
“Mr. Teacher,” said the justice, “it
would be ungenerous ou my part, and
simply an unworthy suspicion as to
your efficiency, to put these extraor
dinarily bright children to additional
tests; I would not—I could not—Oh !
excuse me! There’s Brown! I have
important business with him ! Sheriff !
I want to see you,” and he left.
Some days afterwards a hoy was
brought before Justice Smithfield for
throwing stoues in the street. ‘ ‘John,”
said the justice’ sternly, “ware you the
hoy that laughed in school on Mond ay 1
while I was working that problem?”
“Yes, sir!” was the reply. John got
thirty days.
oil British soil, foot it into our terri
tory, and so evade the anll-L’hinese
act, is au error. The law plugged up
that hole.
The Canadians have naturalized
“bulldoze” and “gerrymander,” arid
are using tin ni as freely and as indig
nantly as any political paper on this
side of the lino.
A philosopher pry?: “The man
who laughs is the sympathetic man.”
It is astonishing how many sympa
thizers a man lias when he falls down
and hurts himself.
A Scotchman, having a warm dis
pute with a London cabman about
his fare said : “I’d have ye ken I am
a Mackintosh,” To which the Cock
ney replied: “You may be a liuiu-
brellar for all I knows, but my fare is
eigliteenpence.”
A young man wi f h an umbrella
overtook an unprotected lady acquain
tance iu a rainstorm, and, extending
his umbrel:•» over her, roq ie.-ted the
pleasure of acting as her rain beau.
“Oh!” exc aimed the young lady,
taking his arm “you wish me to be
your raindear.”
“I only want to show you one thing
more, professor; I have iuvented a
short way of boring mountains, which
I think will prove valuable.” “My
dear sir,” hurst forth the wearied lis
tener, “if you would only invent a
short method of boring individual?,
you would confer a lasting benefit
upon the race.”
A a Irish ostler wasrentto the stable
to bring forth a traveler’s horse. Not
knowing which of the two strange
horses in the stable belonged to the
traveler, aud wishing to avoid the
appearance of ignorance in his busi
ness, he saddled both animals, and
brought them to the door. The trav-
der pointed out his own horse, say
ing: “That’s my nag.” “Certainly
yer liouor, I know that very well;
but didn’t know which was the other
gintleman’s.”
“These rubber garments are such a
blessing,” remarked a fat man as he
brought into a street car a perfect del
uge of water. The lady at his right,
who mopped oue side of his coat with
costly dress,agreed with him perfectly;
the man at his left, who caught about
a | int of the drippings iu hi* shoe,
could scaicely conceal Lis admiration ;
while the youug miss to whom the fat
man gallantly offered his Beat a few
minutes later went into perfect ecsta
sies as she sat down in a pool of water.
Sberidan was once dining with
Peter Moore, when a servant, in pa-s
ing between Sberidau and the fire,
knocked down the plate-warmer with
a terrible clatter. Sheridan started
and trembled. Moore, provoked at
this, scolded tha servant, adding: “I
suppose you have broken all the
plates?” “No, sir,” replied the ser
vant; "net one.” “Not one!” ex
claimed Sheridan. “Then, hang it,
you have made the noise for nothing.”
Some of Buckland’s Stories.
Some interesting and successful ex
periments have been made receutly at
the labratory of the International
Ice Machiue Company, at Greenpoint,
N. Y., ou a new method of making
ice* This is called “the low-pressure
binary system,” aud its novel feature
is the liqu faction of the ammonia
employed at low pressure by glycerine.
The system is called “binary” because
two liquids are employed instead of
one.
The author goes on to tell a curious
anecdote of a child he met with when
inspecting tue Coquet iu Northumber
land, who, having been taken to see a
pantomime in which there was a scene
of a forest inhabited by monkeys, was
so impressed that “the next morning
he imagined himself to be a pionkey.”
He would not speak, would not sit at
table, but insisted ou eating out of a
plate placel on the ground, by which
he crouched on all fours. If anything
to eat was presented to him, he always
put it to his nose and smelt it before
eating it. “This curious monkey fit
fasted several weeks, but the idea
gradually passed out of his head.”
A following paper contains an
anecdote of Joe the chimpanzee, who
was living iu the Ziological Gardens
some twelve years ago. He used to be
let out iu the mornings for exercise,
and when the time came for going
back to the cage delighted in keeping
just out of reach of Sutton his keeper.
“No amount of bribery of fruit or
sweets would cause him to descend
from Ab perch. To what passion of
the monkey’s mind could an appeal
hs made, and in what form was that
appeal to be presented V” Mr. Bartlett,
the superintendent, had observed that
two weak points in Joe’s character
were curiosity and cowardice ; aud he
therefore approached the keeper in a
mysterious manner, and pretended to
point out to him some strange monster
in the dark passage underneath the
gas-pipe*, saying, “Look out, there he
is, there he is 1” This worked upon
Joe’s fear aud curiosity until ho
gradually came close to the passage,
crooning with agitation. Then Mr.
Bartlett uud the keeper, crying, “Ha’s
comlngoufc, he’sooming out!” fled as if
in great alarm toward Joe’s house,
with the t fleet of inducing Joe to rush
into It himself at top speed. Joe, Mr.
Buoklaud adds, never found out tho
trick, with which he was rejjjg^f^ly
taken in.
An interesting account has been
lately furnish*d by lit. Plateau, the
eminent Belgian physicist (who has
been blind nearly forry year.-) of the
sensations he experiences in his « y-'s.
Ha has no stn?e of obj ctive light
even when turning his eyes to the
sun. But his visual field is always
divided into spaces, some of which are
pre'ty bright and others sombre or
nearly dark, and which merge into
each other. Their general tint alter*
nates, in time, between gray and red
dish. The relative arrangement of
those different spaces is always the
same, but the intensity of their tints
varies. The central space seems now
rather bright, row very dark;
above and below, and on the left to
the limits of the field, there is some*
time* brightness, sometimes dark
ness, but on the right i here fa generally
a vertical band, nearly black, and
beyond this a space w ich i* nearly
always bright aud reddish. These
appearances follow all the movements
of the eyes, which probably do not
participate iu the same way in the
tints, but M. Plateau cannot distin-
gufah what belongs to one from
what belongs to the otlnr. No
connec iou of the general tint with
the work of digestion is observed.
Tho aut- or sta.es that he became
blind through looking fixedly at the
sun for some time, with a view to ob-
serving his after sensation-*; it was
not till about fourteen year-* after this
that inflammation of the chore id set
in, destroying vision, but, during the
interval, he often saw colored and
persistent halos round flames, etc.,
and he advises those who have such
vision to consult an experienced ocu
list
Driving a Hen.
O n e of th e min or d i fferen ces between
man and woman, which illustrates the
difforenca between tact and force, is
brought out iu the fo.lowing descrip
tion of nen driving :
When a woman has a hen to drive
into the coop, she takes hold of her
skirls with both hauds, shakes them
quietly to the delinquent, and says,
“Shoo, there!”
The hen takes one look at the object
to convince herself that it fa a woman,
and then stalks majestically into the
coop.
A man doesn’t do that way. He goes
outdoors and says, “It is singular no
body can drive a hen hut me,” and
p'cking upastlck of wood, hurls it at
the offending biped and ooserves, “Get
in there, you thief.”
The hen immediatt ly los°sher reason
and dashes to the other end of the yard.
The man straightway dashes af.er her.
She comes back with her head down,
her wings out, and fallowed by an as
sortment of stovewood, fruit-cans and
clinkers, and a very mad man in the
rear.
Then she skims under the barn, and
over a fence or two, aud around the
house, and back to the coop, and all
the while talking as only an excited
hen can talk, and all the while fol
lowed by thing* convenient for hand
ling, and a man whoso coat i* on the
saw-buck, and whose hat is on the
ground, perspiration has no limit.
By this time the other hens have
come out to take a hand in the debate-
and help dodge missiles, and th* man
says every hen on the place shall b9
sold in the morning, and puts on nis
things and goes down the street, and
the woman has every one of those
h«us housed and counted in two min*
ut<w.
Utilizing the Waves and Tides.
Engineering skill has not yet suc
ceeded iu utilizing as motive powers
the vast forces represented by the ebb
and flow of tho tides, and the action
of sea waves. Various attempts to ac
complish this have, however, been
made, and two recent schemes have
been lately described. In the plan
proposed by M. Victor Gauchez, a
large bell moves up and down Iu a
stone inclosure, and is connected with
a large float in the sea. Tue rising and
falling of this hell Is used to ttfree air
iuto a chamber, ami this compressed
air may be employed to drive machin
ery. In the scheme adopted by Pro-
feasor Welluer, of Brunn, there Is
fixed along a sea wall a sort of air-trap
—a metallic case, open below, now in
air, now in water, as the waves beat!
upon it^ At the top this communicates/
through valves and pipes with a resj
voir, in which tho air la compr*
the
izjd.
thus sup; lied in
pur i