A HUGE ATLANTIC ICE-FLOE.

Feilding Star, Volume III, Issue 1, 17 June 1882, Page 3

A HUGE ATLANTIC ICE-FLOE.

The c:\pt.iin of the French steamer St. Gemini n reports having encountered an ice-floe of vast extont during Ms outward voyage across the Atlantic. During tlie night of February 2-1-5 the vessel passed tli rough two fields of ice, estimated at from two to three miles in width. On the following morning there \<y in the course of the ship, an immense agglomeration of masses of ice, many of which resembled the debris of shattered icebergs to which no limit could be seen west, north, or south. At this time the vessel was in latitude -16 deg. N., and longitude 50 deg. "W. The ice was drifting from north to south, aiid for two hours the ship steamed in a southerly direction along the eastern side of the ice-flow, at full speed, without seeing any opening, its eastern face being perfectly level. Soon after eight o'clock a channel about two miles wide, and running north and south, opened out, which the captain entered, hoping to reach the open sea to the south, but after about an hour's steaming the channal narrowed into a deep strait, when he decided to continue its course slowly and push througk the ice, and, af tar three hours' perilous navigation, saw open water to the west, which he at last en-, tered in latitude 44deg. N., and longitude 52 deg. W., or about 120 miles to the south and 60 miles to the west of the point at which the ice-floe was first encountered. Even then the southern limit of the floe could not be seen, although the atmosphere was exceptionally clear.