The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1847-05-06
From the Boston Daily Mail.

The Gulf-Stream has long been an object
of great curiosity and profound scientific in
vcstgatoin. Philosophers, biologists and men
of science have taxed their powers and given
their opinions of the causes which produce
this mighty current in the ocean, but as yet
they have hardly satisfied themselves, much
less the world. Some suppose it is caused by
the " trade Winds y and others that it is pro-
duced by the waters of the Mississippi and
other rivers which flow into the Cult. These
opinions and others have been put forth, but
they have failed to produce conviction of their
truth.
A writer in the Knickerbockcr, Stuart
Perry, has recently published his opinion to
the world, and given some very novel and in
teresting reasonings upon the subject, which
we think cannot fail to please our readers, if
not convince them that he has given the
true solution. Mr. Perry thinks his solution
covers the whole ground both in fact and phi
losophy. And we must confess his opinion
appears to be the most reasonable and philo-
sophical of any yet given upon the question.
IN giving his theory he enumerates four char
acteristics Of this great stream in the Atlantic
Its Magnitude, Force, Heat and Color
First of its magnitude. lie says between the
Peninsula Of Florida and the Island of Cuba,
the stream is sixty miles wide and of depth
unknown; off Cape Fear North Carolina, it
is one hundrcd--of New York about two hun
dred and forty, and at the Banks of Newfound-
land its breadth is about fl We hundred miles
and its influence is felt on the coast of ireland
and even as far as Norway. This is indeed
mighty current and must have an adequate
cause It moves at the rate of one mile an
hour three degrees to the northeast Of Vera
Cruz-in the meridian of Havana two miles
off Cape Florida from three and half to
five, and between Cape Hatteras and Nan
tucket it has been known to run at the rate of
three miles an hour Whirlpools, indicating
great force, have been seen as far east as
longitude IS and latitude ~. Vessels have
been driven by it out of their course 25 or 80
miles day few degrees east of Newfound-
land.
The temperature of the stream in the me-
rid;an of Key West is about eghty-six de-
grees, and in the month of October off the
mouth Of the Delaware, it was found seventy.
five degrees Fahrenheit On passage across
the Atlantic, the stranger is surprised at the
extraordinary change from chilling GOODNESS
to an agreeable summer heat, even in the
space of a single night. 1t has been found to
be eleven degrees warmer than the sea through
which it WAS then passing. Its color is always
that fine blue which is characteristic Of the
Southern seas.
Mr. Perry says the trade winds cannot be
the cause Of this great current of the ocean;
neither its flood received into the Gulf Of Mex
leo through the Strait Of Yucatan-for this
strait is but little longer than that of Florida,
vet the force of the current in the latter is
double shat Of the former, and at times treble.
After long course Of novel, ingenious reason
ing he comes to the conclusion that this cur
rent lis too east to be produced by /" the trades"
lis .torce cannot be derived from the trade
winds from the fact that there is no war Of
elements, during severe norther, between
Cape Catouch and Cape Antonio at all to
compare with that which is ollDays run off |
Cape Florida during q severe casterly or north |
easterly gale. rs heat cannot be derived |
from the tropical wave, because it possesses a
greater amount of caloric off Key West, even
in the month Of October, than that possessed !
by any part of the sea within the tropics even
in the midst Of summer. And he concludes |
that its color is not produced by " trades" be- |
cause the waves which they propel are gen
orally those of shallow seas, which must neces-
sarily become more or less turbid, and could !
not possess that mild, beautiful blue which is |
one Of the peculiar features of that vast vol |
ume of water.
Now, if none of the above hypothesis be
correct, the question returns, what is the true
source of the Gulf Stream? To answer this
question, the writer goes over an extensive
field which our limits will not permit us to |
examine in detail In the report of the
French engineers sent to survey the route for
the Panama canal, it is found that the waters
of the Pacific are generally about eleven feet
higher than those on the Atlantic side, and at
spring tides they are some eighteen feet high
err. "Now this" Mr. Perry says, lis an OK
traordnary fact the very reverse of what
would appear, philosophcalIy, should be the
case because the earth travelling at the rate
of one thousand ana forty-fve miles an hour
eastward, it would seem that the waters on
the western side of the barrier would flow
away from it, and those of the eastern side
pile up against it." lie now comes to the in
quiry as to the cause of such phenomenon, so
contrary In known laws which 1vould nro