New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-07-17
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a.. GULF STREAM STUDIES. Boa
THE RETURN OF AN AMERICAN SHIP AFTER OBJ
sERyAuoSs IN THE GULF-CURIoUs DISCOVER
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WASHINGTON, July 16.-The United States Coast
Survey steamer Blake, which returned three
weeks ago from dredging operations in the Gulf OF
Mexico, is now reftting for another expedition in
November.
Captain Patterson, of the Coast Survey. says that
the extensive and accurate soundlngs of the Gulf
taken by improved scientific methods in the recent
expedition, do not tend to confirm the belief, long
held, that the equatorial current after rushing from
the Caribbean Sea through the channel formed
by the West India Islands and the northward pro-
lection of Yucatan, makes the whole tortuous cir
cult of the Gulf close by the shores of Central Amer
lea, Mexico, and the southern coast of the United
States, before emerging into the Atlantic between
the point of Florida and the Bahamas. The obser-
vatons tend rather to prove that the force of the in
coming equatorial stream expends itself in one di-
recton against the mass of the Gulf long before it
reaches the Texas coast and then turns directly to-
ward and reissues into the ocean. The former
theory however is that elaborated in the very lat
est maps of the German geographers, who have
hitherto been accepted as the highest authority on
this subject.
The pet theory in regard to the current being I'M
settled, the expedition to be made will proceed
to repeat certain experiments, and TO make Others
with the view of either confirming or destroying
the latter hypothesis. Exhaustive observations will
be made Of the region of ocean in and around the
Eastward islands of the Caribbean Sea, through
which the equatorial current makes its entrance as
through a sieve, from the Atlantic into the long
channel 1900 miles long formed by the West Indies
on the one side and Central and South America on
the other. and leading to the Gulf of Mexico. From
the experiments and observations of this expedi-
tion Captain Patterson hopes for results which
will 60 far toward laying at rest all
merely speculative theories relating to the Gulf
Stream. The trouble with European scientists in
dealing with this subject is, he asserts, that they
have all specialized with too few data. assuming
the problem 70 be one which could be solved by
hypothesis He assumes that the question OF the
direction aud influence of the Gulf Stream in its
whole extent is one which can only be answered by
the most minute and exhaustive observations Of
facts, aud furthermore that il is question which
peculiarly belongs to the American Government
and 10 American science TO answer.
In connection with the Investigations hitherto
Gulf Of Mexico, it has been ascertained that the
vast current of water pouring from the Gulf into
the Atlantic, through the Florida aud Bahama gate
has neither the same velocity nor the same temper
ature It's believed by Captain Patterson and his
associates that further attention 10 this curious fact
may develop results having an important bearing
upon the science Of climate and meteorOlOgy, max
ing predictions possible as 70 changes IN the
seasons of the European countries affected by the
Gulf Stream from the observed quantity and tenn
peratuTe Of the flow through the Florida Straits.