The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1865-01-23
From the Alton releer,pb.l

~" on this continent By our Eng.
lish progenitors, it was known that . vee
Gel could return from this countrv - E.v.
.suu ia much less time than was necessa.
y Ior Its passage from England to thia
ouuery. Inns, though an incontrovsriible
..cs' remained an unsolved mystery, until
.eat great utiliarian. Doctor Benjamin
franklin directed bis attention to tha a..
luton. and by actual experiment demon.
strated the fact, that q current in the
ocean passed from this continent to the
] British Isles.
Science has since taken the matter IN
for investigation and lsboriously traced
out step by step, the wanderings of tina
errstic body of waite {.
Ice discovery of Franklin, though lay
ing open the field as did his electrical
discovery, yet like that was but link in
tbs great chain.
BY your permission, Sir, we will trace
this current.
Let US get into the stream. Mr.. Editor,
q that point at which it leaves the Indian
and enters the Atlantic Ocean--for our
purpose We need not follow its meauder-
ings through the Pacific, and Indian
Oceans, and different seas of that distant
part of the world
We will take passage at the Cape of
food Hope and sailing to the Northwest
rurup to the Cape Verde Islands; but
here We find detection and separation
half of the stream passing Southwest
ward along the BRAZILIAN and Patagonian
coasts, through Magellan and around ra~. !
Horn into the Pacific Ocean; while the
other halt carries our vessel directly west
into and through the Carribesn Sea, and
passing out between Yauca,an and Cuba,
we circle the Gulf of Mexico, running into
the Atlantic between Cuba and Florida.
Passing Northeast up the coast of the
United States we encounter the banks of
Newfoundland and portion of the same
stream returning FROM the Attic Ocean.
These distractions cause an other detour,
which throws the stream nearly Eastward
and directly across the Atlantic upon the
coast Of Ireland. Here il is again divid-
ed-half OF it passing Northeast towards
the Island OF Spltzoergen, where there is
again detortion and taking Southwest
direction it passes by Iceland and Green
land to Labrador, and down to Newfound-
land where it enters the main stream as
We have just noticed. and assists in caus-
ing those tremendous fogs which hover
that region. Now lei US return to Ireland.
We have seen the half of the Gulf Stream
at this point passed Northward. The
other half going southwark passes the
coasts OF Spain and Portugal to the mouth
fthe Mediterranean, and here il is again
divided-one half Of it entering the Med
iteranean, while the other portion passes
down the west coast of Africa, encounter
ing the main, and irst mentioned portion
of the stream 10 the vicinity of the
Island Of St. Helena-she grave of Napo-
leon.
At this point there is vast eddy in the
ocean caused by the meeting of these
streams, and the surface of the water be-
tween ST Helena aud The coast of Africa
is constantly covered with large aquatic
plants. which grow without any connec-
ton with the land at the bottom, and a
vessel moving there appears 10 be sailing
over a vast prairie covered wilh luxuriant
vegetation,
Bsueslh the space occupied by this eddy
geology points out a vast Prospective coal
field. The enormous amount of vegetable
matter produced here In cotj luction with
the tremendous quantities accumulated
by the stream 10 it's passage through the
ocean, and deposited herr, will furnish
the material for field OF coal, wioh if By
internal d,etu bance of the earth, should
ever b. uphcavsd, will supple fuel to Eu
rope for centuries,
Indulge me in on episode, Mr. Editor,
while | point out what was tor cenIuri, Q
mystery aud a marvel to the good peu-
pie OF Europe
AS we have seen, portion OF the Gulf
Stream enters the mouth of the Mediter-
ranean Sea, filing it with a strong cur
rent Into the eastern end of this sea,
the Black sea pours Its waters through
the Bosphorus from the North and 'from
the south the Nile brings down its foods
to the same r ceptacle. Notwilhs andiog
this great inhux of water, there is no Wis
ible outlet, and no percepnble increase in
the sea. What becomes OF the surplus
water ? was the query.
By experiments at the mouth Of the
Mediterranean, it has been ascertained
that at a considerable depth beoeath the
surface the water pours out into the At
lantic in an irresistible flood, so that here
we have two tremendous counter currents
lying one Immediately above the other.
requested you to accompany me, Mr.. Ed
itor, while tracing the course Of thi:
stream, that we may the better understand
the force and propriety of the question l
now ask:
Did not the Gulf Stream deposite the
material from which the coal fields o
Wales, England and Scotland, and The
peat boys OF Ireland were formed?
Geology determines the fact that differ
en-. parts Of the surface of this globe hav,
been elevated, while others have been de-
pressed. And this process, perhaps, is il
constant action. S1mAtimes the chang,
is effected suddenly with great force, a
Others gradually-imperceptibly... Al THU
vnamanf tho enast IF ahroJor q l.,