University of Virginia Library

THE EFFECTS OF STRIKING AN ICEBERG
(1) Shows normal"trim" or balance of a ship with the dead weight centered midship. (2) Shows head-on collision with northern or steep side of iceberg. (3) Shows effect of head-on collision with northern side of iceberg. The bow is crushed in and off, leaving little or no dead weight at the stem, and affecting the "trim" or balance of the vessel only slightly, so that it may back off and keep afloat for a long time, perhaps even make port under its own steam, unless its seams have been opened by the shock. But even if its seams are opened, its powerful pumps can keep if afloat for a long time, as long as it is not "thrown out of trim." (4) Shows vessel running up the southern or sliding side of an iceberg. Though the shock of this collision is less than the shock of the head-on collision with the northern side of the berg, this latter collision is really by far the most dangerous, because it tears the bottom plates out without necessarily tearing off the upper parts. The captain of a ship in a collision of this kind may either make up his mind that his inner as well as his outer bottom has been torn open, and in that case his only course of safety is to hug on to the iceberg with his anchors, if possible, or by slow revolutions of his propellers in hopes of keeping afloat until his passengers are saved. The comparative ease with which a ship runs up the sliding side of an iceberg may, however, deceive a captain into the belief that his ship can be saved if he backs off quickly to prevent his inner bottom from being crushed in. (5) Shows effect on a ship after it has run up the sliding and submerged part of an iceberg, has torn her double bottom out, backed off, filled the fore part of her hold, which then becomes dead weight and throws the vessel two-thirds out of "trim" or balance. (6) Shows the two-thirds dead weight of the damaged vessel bearing the vessel down by its bow in its attempt to adjust itself to its new "trim" without finding its balance until its stern also is lifted out of water and also becomes dead weight, so the whole impulse of the ship is downward and all buoyancy is destroyed.