The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-08-31

subsistence os the bottom and invariably looked
on - The sign OF such subsistence Bus in Fix rda we
subsidence. We have here. therefore, new form OF
barrier reef This important fact did not sure, es-
cape the atenten Of Professor Agassz for my own at
tenton was hrst drawn TO II by him but have seen no
publication in which he has alluded to the fact far
as know has he ever attempted or even thought OF,
proosote expanauoh. Inc explanation which would
lisa well known condition of coral growth that the
water must be pure and transparent Coras will not
grow, therefore, muddy shores in water up
bottom Of which sediment is deposited. Now, must be
borne in mind that while the Gulf Stream bears sedi
ment in iw deeper strata, 1T is specifically
transparent, and We have already shown that
Suppose then that the matter held suspension by the
OF the Gulf OF Mexico be OF such degree fine
that sinks 70 the depth Of sixty feet by the
reaches the point Of Florida II Is evident that the
bottom within the cannot rise by deposit above this
level, for all the sediment ia below. stream bearing
sediment in all its strata from bottom TO top-such
river, for insance-w make land within the curve, but
stream will only make shoa water within the
In the supposed, where the bottom OF the
shoa rises 10 within sixty feet the surface will
10 receive deposit and the water will remain perfectly
transparent Here, then would seem we have the CON
ditons necessary fr soral growth must be recollect
tom-such As we have supposed always existed at the
the is rendered turbd by the chatting Of waves
against the mud bottom but At some distance from shore,
where the depth OF sixty seventy feet attained
and where the bottom is unaffected by the waves the
conditions favorable for coral growth would be formed
therefore,
the side by the muddness, and on the other by
The depth OF the water.
have said that stream running through sin water
and making would deposit most Of It's sediment on
the inner side Of the curve This is certainly true but
it is more general expression Of the truth to
say that a stream running through still water
will deposit sediment on both sides, just where
it comes in contact with the stu water,
and Is retarded by 1t. 1t would DO for the
son that rivers which habuay overflow their banks
form natural levees either side where the rapid cur
rent the river comes in contact with the compare
n m IL Ia well
that the natural evees OF the Mississippi continue out TO
sea in the form Of submarine banks, evidently formed
by the checking OF the velocity Of the either
side by contact with the still water OF the Gulf II the
current straight the deposit both sides will be equal
stream curved the deposit win be moetly the inner
side Of the curve. as already said Is not probable
that lie to the Of Florida. may have been formed
to great extent in the wayr That while the PENN
banks have been made on the oher? 1t win be observed
that tie great Bahama banks lie oil the eastern coast Of
Florida and that the Gulf Stream runs IN narrow chan
mel between them. At the point Of Florida the deposit
would of be on the inner side Of the and
would go, therefore, mostly entirely to the extension
OF that PENINSULA but after the stream turns northward
and becomes nearly straight the deposit would be also
on the other side and thus probably lave originated
these banks. Even If suppose that there originally
existed in this position islands or submarine hills which
turned the stream around the point OF Florida these
have doubtless been greatly mocned and extended ~
sedmentary deposit. Probably also even the general
form Of the Atlantic bottom-very sloping until the Gulf
Stream IL reached, and then plunging rapidly into an al
streanmay 10 extent at least be accounted for
in similar manner for certain IT is that a stream
ming through still water, less than running
land will make its bed only in the latter case by
abrasion cuts out its channel while in the former,
by deposit, it builds its own banks
This property Of streams, viz: that they form
banks ridges where they in contact with still
ter affords possible and az it seems to me, even pro
babe explanation of certain remarkable peculiaes OF
the Guf stream, Commencing at Charleston. The bed Of
tance Of so miles rem shore at.ans only the depth Of
20 aihons and then very rapidly 30 that rs miles more
tiona distance Of another rs miles e. 100 miles from
shorc the depth of 800 thoms Is found ridge rising
nom uniathomabe depth on one coasp side and 500
feet above the hollow the other side AT the distance
Of little more than 20 miles move Is found another ridge
500 feet high followed by st another hollow. Farther
observation shows that the Gulf Stream Is divided into
longitudinal bands streams OF and cold water,
and that the bands correspond to the bottom ana
Now al these ridges and hoows may be conceived to
have been formed in either Of ways, viz by gneous
or agency as upon land valleys are formed either
by igreous aqueous agency, may be valleys OF
elevation valleys Of erosion SO also in the ridges
may be formed by igneous or current agency, may
be rio OF elevation ridges OF deposit In either
there would be conformity between the direction OF the
ridges and the direction OF the current only in the
the current would conform TO the ridges and in the
other the ridges would conform TO the current.
In order TO account for these ridges by this curren,
theory, the only supposon which It Is necessary 10
mskc r that there exists the bed of the Guf stream
somewhere 10 the southwark OF the Charleston secoa
g. ut the southern extremity OF the ridges two or
submarine peaks or mountains-possoiy spur OF the
bahama chain II two such peaks existed In this POSI-
ton and rose so high TO part the lower strata OF the
Gulf stream there would evidently be formed bands o.
comparatively still water 10 the northward, aud evil
IDENTIFY there would be lines OF depos determined by The
discovered by the Coast Survey. We see the thug
q small scale in river currents. Every obstacle
which parts the determines the position Of sand
ridge the lower side Of the obstacle aud in the drec
ton Of the curregt There Is this remarkable difference
however, between river and ocean currents-that while
IN the case OF rivers the parted current quickly
closes again, and the resulting ridge Is therefore
very short in currents, such the Gulf Stream,
the pace between the two parts would be quickly filed
by the cold water OF ocean. The parted cur
would have therefore, disposition 10 coalesce, but
would continue ss bands Of warm Gulf water separated
by bands Of cooler and scr Atlantic water and the re-
suiting ridges would therefore continue fer great dis
arces know not whether there have been any ooser
vaons 10 the comparative velocity OF the and
cool bands, but seen 10 me that any conceivable
theory TO the formation Of the ridges the velocity OF
the cool bands would be less
Now, though IL may DO impossible In the present
diton Of tcence to determine with absolute certainty
tence Of tho Cult stream by gneous agency or whether
they have been formed 10y the sediment. carried BY
the stream tsel ye. w%e Iecollsc, that all the
sea bottom mainly reerabe to sedmentary deposit;
when reflect how simple and natural Is the only sup
position required and how easily II explains all the phe
nomena particularly the cold bands, which seem mex
plcable any other theory, unless suppose the
scncc Of lateral currents Il seems to me that the weight
Of probability VIII strongly incline TO sedmcntary depo
cit as she cause also Of these ridges In TACT everything
about the Gul stream seems 70 pon, TO the conclusion
banks and It's own conHguraon OF sea bottom.
There Ia other conclusion which, though not con
nected with any particular theory Of the formation Of
Florida, u.s. nevertheless, naturally suggested by the
subject Of this paper We have seen that the peninsula Of
Florida has been progressively advancing toSards Cuba
fixed point and The Gulf stream has been becoming
more and more narrow, IT. therefore, as s probable,
the quantity water carried by the Gulf Stream has
manned constant follows that the velocity with which
this stream emerges from the Straits OF Florida aud
therefore the distance 10 which penetratcs the still
water Of the Atlantic has been progressively ncreas ng
change the direction Of this current necessarily FL
lows that its warming influence upon the European
hIcnt ms also been progressively increasing Have We
here a sufficient cause at least OF the true
OF that great change which We know has hSen
place the climate OF Europe since the glacial period
Thus that the advancing point OF Florida has
been progressively warming the climate OF Europe aud
thus, perhaps controlling the destnes OF the hu
race. Can conceive beautiful instance than
this Of that sympathy which exists between the most dis
ant portions Of globe, and which BINDS all It's
bers together In one organic whole?