Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1872-01-04
The Gulf Stream does not Influence iii.
mate.

/ se'HA sASAAne 0pdkCO CUuuOG u6 nc
counted for otherwise-a circumstance
due partly to lack of observations
which is natural enough since scientiti,
exploration is yet in its infancy. anG
partly to lamentable poverty 81 lnven
ton, which is not usually the fault Of
theoriets.
Among these questions in which the
Gulf Stream is held accountable, is the
climate of the North Atlantic region
Now we claim that there are no facts to
to show that the Gulf Stream has an,
influence upon the climate of the ORTIZ
Atlantic region whatever. It's waters
are to those of the great body of the
North Atlantic basin as the insignificant
rlvulet running through a farm is to the
farm itself, and its effect upon the tenn.
perature not greater; and as for i'm
aging, as Apoll0nia in ''Lothair" is
made to do, that change in the direc.
ton OF the Gulf Stream would change
tho character of mankind, It is the mos,
arrant nonsense ever uttered-eyen by
Prime Minister.
We have repeatedly heard and seen
it written, that the Gulf Stream has an
influence upon the climate of Newport.
and that to this cause We must attri.
butte the soft and delicious climate OF
that most lovely OF all lovely watering
places: Now, the nearest point of the
Gulf Stream to Newport is t55 miles.
the prevalent winds are westerly. and
how temperature is, in sailor phrase,
to beat to windward all that distance,
we are quite at loss to see. It is As
miles nearer Nantucket than it is to
Newport, and only IS miles further
from Boston, where an easterly wind
OF q summers day gives you the shi-
vers.
The simple truth is. that the Gulf
Stream loses its temperature steadily
as it progr esses beneath more rigorous
airs than those which caused it's birth,
and tl:nt every trace of it is lost, as we
have seen, in mid ocean, SO far as dis
tinctive temperature or distinctive flow
is concerned: that the temperature of
the water is that of the general temper
allure of those regions, and the set of
the water to the east is the general set
of the North Atlantic, as we have be-
orc stated.
Its alleged effect upon the climate of
the British Isles, and on Norway, Por-
tugal and Spain, is as remote from the
truth as its alleged effect upon the eli
mate of Newport. In relation to this
matter Dr.. Stork makes the following
observations in referring to his expert.
ments upon the t -mperature of the air
and sea about the islands and coasts of
Scotland. ''This whole investigation"
says DIR. Stork, '1eads to the conclu-
sion-indeed, seems to me to prove
that the climate of Britain is in no re-
spect influenced by the heated waters
of the Gulf Stream, which do not ap.
proach our islands within thousands OF
miles. It also confirms the conclusion
that the mlldness of the winters in Bri
tain is chiefly due to the s. w. or anti.
trade winds. which are the prevalent
aerial currents in this latitude during
winter :" and this conclusion is con.
frmed by the observations of Professor
James Glaisher, F. r. s.. chief of the
meteorological department of the
Greenwich observatory.
The accord of Temperature of sea and
air is due, as we shall have occasion to
show, to the fact that the air gives heat
w VIC Wog081 SauU III uO CiSS6 receives
heat from the water.
The Gulf Steream does not reach
Britain but everywhere it does reach,
and is best known and most frequently
traversed, its waters have no appreci-
able effect upon the atmosphere even
in passing over it. And this is in OBJ
edience to ageneral law of nature which
may be thus briefly stated; air when
unconfined receives no perceptible &C.
eession of heat from water.
Applying this to the air above and
the waters beneath throughout the
globe, we can truly say that the air is
the general giver but is not q receiver
of heat. It gives temperatures high
and low to all and everything it touch
es. Water speedily assumes the tenn
perature of the air above it. A warm
wind heats it, cold wind freezes it :;
but on the other hand, it must be OBJ
served that cold water does not chill
the air nor does warm water heat it.
The air which sets the water of the sea
in motion throughout the globe, that
grand circulating system whose infiu-
ences are so benefcent, likewise i'm
parts to it the heat with which it sus-
tains the life of its inhabitants. or
changing it's heat drives them to seek
more congenial quarters all of which
is susceptible of proof: Real
Cuff Streuna," by Dr.. l. l. Hayes, III
January GQLQai.