The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1857-09-03
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE GULF
STREAM.

olhEAM.
The general description Of the Gulf
Stream, npa.! from any present question as
to It's sources, Is that OF Il vast and rapid
ocean current, issuing from the basin Of
the Mexican Gulf and Caribbean Sea,
doubling the Southern Cape of Florida,
pressing forward to the northeast, in Il line
almost parallel to the American coast :;
touching on the southern borders OF the
Grand I;auks Of Newfoundland and at
some se;'>on, partially passing over them :;
thence, with increasing. wdtl, and diffusion.
travcr>ing the whole breadth Of the Atlantic,
with genital direction towards the British
Isles; and finally losing itself, by still wider
diffusion, i'll the Bay of l;iscay, on our
shores, and upon the long line of the Nor
wcS'an coast. It's identity in physical
characters Is preserved throughout the
many thousand miles of its continuous
How, the only change undergone is that of
degree. AS It's waters gradually commingle
with those Of the surrounding sea, their
deep Iluc tint declines, their liyl, tcmpcra-
lure dl'nInlslcs, the speed with which they
press forward abatcs. But takin~ the
stream III its total course, it well warrants
the vivid description Of CIR author, and the
hamc he bcstcws upon it Of "a river in the
ocean" This epithct is, in truth, singularv
appropriate TO this vast current, so constant
and continuous in its course: and so
strangely detached from the great mass Of
ocean waters; which, willie seemingly cleft
asunder to give path to its first impulse, are
yet ever pressing upon it, gradually impair
ing its force, and destroying its indvilual-
ty.
The maximum Of velocity, where the
stream quits the narrow channel OF Bcmini,
Which conprcsscs its cgrcss from the gull,
Is about four miles an hour; off Cape
lla'tcras, in North Carolina, where it has
gained breadth Of seventy five miles, the
velocity Is reduced to three miles. On the
parallel Of the NewfoundIan! BarkS, i! is
further reduced to one and a half miles an
hour, and this gradual abatement Of force is
Continued across the Atlantic. The tenn
pcratlrc OF the current undcrgoes similar
change. The highest observed is about s.
Fah. Between Cape Ia.teras and New
fo"ndand, though Icsscncd in amount, the
warmth Of the stream in winter is still
twenty live or thirty degrees above that of
the ocean through which it flows. Nor
is this heat wholly lost when it reaches and
is spread over the coasts of Northern
Europe. The waters thus constantly flowing
to lis from the tropical regions, bring
warmth, us well rs abundant moisture. TO
our islands; and Ireland, especially, upon
which they more directly infringe, doubtless
derives much Of its popularity of climate,
its moisture, its vereluro and abundant vcrc-
talions, from this source. But the Influenza
Of the Gulf Stream does not stop even here
The climate it may be said TO convey, is
diffused over the whole Norwegian coasts,
the aspects and produce of which sincuarly
contrast with those of the corresponding
Iatitudcs in North America, Greenland
and Siberia. Other causes, doubtless, con.
tribute to this effect, but none, we appre-
hend, SO largely or unceasingly.-Eain-
buryh Review.