Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1856-01-29
For the Spirit of the Times.
Open Polar Sea-.Why it is 80.

ON the 45th page OF "ElemenlS OF Geology"
by Alonzo Gray and @. B. Adams, they say,
"The most remarkable current is the Gulf
stream, which flows past the eastern coast Of
South America, spreading through the Carib
bean Sea, enters the Gulf Of Mexico, when,
being pent up, it rushes through the straits Of
Florida 10 the banks of Newfoundland there
it is met by another current from Baflln's Bay
and DETECTED towards Iceland, Spitzbersen
and the northern parts Of Scotland" "ln this
great river Of the ocean there flows 30 million
cubic feet of water per minute, or $500 times
the amount discharged by the Mississippi. The
polar current from Baffins Bay is divided on
meeting with lhe Gulf stream, one portion be-
ing supposed to run under the latter TO the
south, and the other to flow on the surface be.
tween the Gulf stream and the coast Of North
America" Now as water is more dense and
heavy at about the temperature Of forty-four
degrees than water when either warmer or
colder than A degrees, it is reasonable to con.
clude that the Gulf stream, on arriving at high
latitudes north, becoming cooled down to A
degrees runs under the colder and consequent.
ly lighter water; keeping at the bottom Of the
ocean until as its course points out, it arrivesin
the northern sea between the northern coast Of
Russia and the Arctic Pole, where it is again
pent up where it must necessarily rise to the
surface dsplacing the colder water which makes
loom by passing southwark through Baffn's
Bay and probably through Behring'S strait and
other outlets; causing that flow Of ice toward
the sou tn observed by nearly all navigators Of
the nofthern seas. rt7 .~
! If any one will take terrestrial globe and
look at the Atlantic ocean, must see that even
without trade winds, the tides arrested in theil
westward course by the continent Of America
would, as is well known, rise several feel
higher in the Gulf Of Mexico than the Pacific,
and thereby furnishing an abundant supply ol
warm water for the Gulf stream, which enables
it first. by being warm and light, to pass over the
current coming from BafIins Bay, which, being
colder, passes part on first meeting and the
residue, as fast as it finds room along down The
coast, passing under the Gulf stream to the
south and secondly in passing northward II
cools until it arrives at the temperature which
makes water heaviest it falls to the bottom and
is propelled into the Northern ocean several
degrees warmer than the freezing point, and
much warmer than the atmosphere, giving rise
to immense fogs, clouds and SHOWS which, de-
scending south. assist in forming immense ice
bergs. glaciers, &C., encirclng this open SEE
and forming an almost unsurmountable barrier
in our attempts 10 reach the far north. Tn,
writer Of the above is quite confident that tht
Gulf stream is sufficient in quantity Of both wa
ter and caloric TO keep an open sea somewhere
lin the Arctic reg ion, but having no data or 9th
er guide at hand than that Of globe, cannot
with any degree of ceftainty, undertake to poia
out its locality; il We suppose that it pursur
a straight forward course in the Arctic region i
would meet with, and be thrown up by th'
shoals north of Russia and Siberia, but agail
its course can Be changed by deep channels o
by shoals or by both and rise in quite differ
ent locality. The above il written with th,
hope that some person having the necessar!
lqualiA will further siusidate this theory
OF show III utter fallacy. IS ~
ELIZABETH.