A REMARKABLE DISCOVERY

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 77, 17 August 1912, Page 2 (Supplement)

A REMARKABLE DISCOVERY

ARCTIC CURRENT CAUSED TITANIiC'S LOSS. Captain l.\ C. Johnson, Dominion Government inspector of lighthouses, one of the most experienced of Canadian navigators, who was in charge of the expedition sent out on the Government steamer Montmagny 'in search of the Titanic bodies, reports a remarkable discovery made at the scene of the Titanic wreck which he believes accounts for the disaster.

This is a change in the Arctic current which therein- formed a great pocket of cold water within the usual course of the Gulf Stream. This change was not known to Captain Smith, of the Titanic, and. Captain Johnson says, explains why he did not avoid icebergs of which he was warned. The apex of this cold-water pocket where warm would ordinarly he found was at latitude 41 north, longtitude 30 west. Captain Johnson, who had the charts before him as he spoke of his discovery, said:

"After hiking a trip over this water and making a careful examination of the currents, 1 am convinced that Captain Smith, after receiving the warning of the ice, took precautions which ordinarily would have *aved the ship, but that from an unusual phenomenon she was lost. I say this from the facts I proved on 'board the Montmagny at the scene of the 'wreck. The Arctic current from some unaccountable reason, possibly prevailing winds in the vicinity of the Titanic, drove itself into the Glilf Stream for at least 1(10 .miles, forming a pocket of cold water.

"In approaching this vicinity from the eastward T found the temperature of the •water 62 degrees. Close to tliis pocket of cold water I found a temperature of ()0 degrees, and between the cold and warm water of the Gulf Stream a welldefined line was shown, evidenced by froth stretching as far as the eye could see. Directly after crossing this line we found a. temperature of 48 degrees and ten miles within this line was an iceberg, the water lieing 42 degrees within 1(1!) vards of it.

"My contention is that Captain Smith, some distance east of the position where he struck the iceberg found the temperalure of the water (itl degrees, and as lie was steering a course directly opposite to the Usual current, that he expected to be there, never dreamed that there was an iceberg ahead, and he took what he considered ample precautions to clear the ice reported to him by wireless. "The Titanic might therefore have struck the iceberg live or six miles to the westward o f a place where she would get a temperature of (10 degrees. Instead of following westward on the steamship lane which is used unless there is some great reason for doing otherwise, he changed his course when he received the ice warnings, going to the south and at the time of the accident was thirty miles south of the usual track."

Captain .lohnsou said the phenomenon was a 'big surprise to him. and that only one. visiting the scene and making the observations as he did can realise it.