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Science Frontiers ONLINE No. 120: Nov-Dec 1998 |
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Miles Of Floating Forest
February 13, 1905. San Francisco.
"The Pacific Mail steamer City of Panama, which sailed from this port on Jan. 21 for ports on the Central American coast, had a strange experience, news of which has just been received here by mail from Acapulco.
"Through miles of sea covered thickly with masses of vegetation, tree trunks, and the carcasses of dead animals the steamer sailed, the debris at times being so thick that her progress was impeded. Some of the trees were five and six feet in diameter, and the dead animals were of all descriptions. The debris was encountered on Jan. 28 in latitude 16.58 north and longitude 100.29 west.
"The officers of the vessel were unable to explain the strange condition, and when they arrived at Acapulco no light was thrown on the subject. It is supposed that the floating mass was cast up by some gigantic volcanic eruption on the Central American coast."
(Anonymous; New York Times, February 14, 1905. Cr. M. Piechota.)
Comment. We have found no record of such a volcanic cataclysm for that time period.