The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1874-06-12
Athcus Cost.
Athens, Friday, June IL, 1874.
The Gulf Stream and its Functions.


The Gulf Stream and its Functions.
The most important Of all The cur
rents which traverse the waters Of the
globe is the Gulf Stream of the Allan
tic Ocean, so-called from II, origin In
the Gulf oe Mexico. Ii issues thence as
a stream OF hot water, originally set In
motion by causes not fully understood,
Sweeping through the pass of Florida,
1t continues it's journey nortbwards
along the shores Of America until il
reaches Newfoundland, where it turns
east and throws its summcr-laden wa.
tiers towards the shores of Europe
At this stage Of the journey one part
turns downwards, skirling the west
coast Of Africa, while the other contin-
ues its Journey northward in the dircc-
ton Of The British Isles, along the
shores OF Norway, and ultimately loses
itself in the Arctic Ocean. The great
functions OF this mighty "l,iver in the
Ocean," as tho late Commodore Maury
called it, is that of bearer of tropical
heat. II sets out on its journey with a
temperature of Sc degree, and only loses
from l3 10 Is degrees in its progress,
thus leaving a vast supply Of heat TO
battle the shores OF Europe. The effect
OF the heat carried by the Gulf Stream
TO Europe Is equal TO many degrees OF
latitude. Thus Ireland. in latitude So
degrees, has the same mean annual
temperature as that OF New York in
latitude AZ degrees. What then could
be Of more advantage to the inhabi-
tants of Great Britain than the Gulf
Stream? One writer on Physical &C.
ography says stop the Gulf Stream
to-morrow--if that were possiblc--di-
vert ii in some other direction, SO that its
influence should never be felt upon Eu-
ropean shores, and then poor John Bull
would soon become national pauper,
aud the oft-anticipatcd ruin Of tho Brit
ish Constitution would assuredly en-
sue.'
The Gulf Stream would run directly
along the eastern shores of America il
the earth did not rcvolve upon its axis.
But owing to this astronomical ar
rangcment, it is diverted across the
Atlantic, and made to lap round British
shores before ii is allowed to carry its
now considerably decreased heat to tone
down the rigor Of the Arctic circle.
Maury lkcned the Gulf Stream to a
pcnant, ono end of which is fast and the
other free. Thus represented, this stream
is made fast in the Gulf which gives to
it its name, and the free end terminates
somewhere in the arctic regions, wav-
ing about 10 and fro, as the penant
would in gentle breeze. 1t would
seem as if those movements of the free
end were not indeterminatc and acct
dental, but the result Of certain physi-
cal agencies which repeat themselves,
and thus produce cycle of disturb
ances which eventually right them
selves. Any how, it is very certain that
the moving and shifting about of the
free end Of the Gulf Stream affects En-
glish summer and winter. Let it be OPP
Grating among the ice-ficlds, and the
latter arc broken up by the extra
warmth and drift southerly, and absorb
heat from the air and water that meet
them, filling tho atmosphere with the
vapor resulting from their dissolution
In that case the English summer
would be cold, cloudy and perhaps wet
and the skies overcast by the mists that
drift from the Atlantic. But should
the free end of the current impinge or
European coasts more than. usual, and
remain in neighboring ATTITUDES longer
then British winters would be green.
BY the influence of the Gulf Stream
The North Capo is freed from ice even il
the depth Of winter, and its effects arc
felt as far as Spi2bcrgen, where its in
terfusion with tho ocean becomes com
plete; the warm air and heated hoot
combine to raise tho temperature ant
give to high European ATTITUDES thu
amenities Of southern climate, and thu
Britons fully receive the benefits of it
influence. We find that, whilst the mar
atime borders Of Europe are verdant
the coasts of Labrador although in tn,
Same latitude, are frost bound and bar
rem, and that the regions of the intcns
est cold on the globe arc in the Russian
dominions.