Shooting At Icebergs

It has been suggested that the men of war of the great fcavies should be employed in the destruction of the icebergs of the north Atlantic. Aceording to this plan the bergs are to be bomjbarded with great shells, which, penetrating deop into the great ico and exploding there, will shatter them to pieces. There is no doubt that this would be a far more profitable expenditure of ammunition than the uses for which it is designed, says Scribner's Magazine, for any target is bettei than the dear bought frame of 'man or tjhe producís of his skiil of hand and mind, but it is more tlian doubtful ii the end could be obtaincd in this way. In the first place, to aceomplish the desired result it would be nceessary for the men of war to watch the exit oi Baffin's bay in the springtime, and break up the bergs into relatively small bits, so that they woald nc longer float with their bases in the deep southward setting current, but, would drift with the floe ice. To do this with severalhundred great masses, averaging probably at least one thousand feet in cube, would require an enormous expenditurc of money. Including the wear and tear of guns, the shells from the great modern ordnanee cannot be fired at a less cost than five hundred dollars for each shell, and it would probably require many hundred rounds of ammunition to break up a single berg. Jt would not at all serve the purpose to rend the ice to pieces in the midatlantic district, for there the fragments would float about and multiply the dangers of navigation. Such work, if done, would ruake that región nearly impassable for a portion of the year, though from the readier melting of thelee the trouble would not endure so long. On the whole this interesting project does not seem practicable.