The New York herald., 1878-09-10
THE GULF STREAM.
Particulars of the Discovery Made by
the DirigO's Captain.
ABOUT THE SOUTHERN EDGE.
Sixty Miles Difference Between the Chart
and the Current

Drgo, relation TO the position OF the Cult Stream,
bids fair TO be OF great service all vessels plying
between the coast of the United States and Mediter
ranean ports The velocity OF the ulf Stream. al
though varying considerably, averages between two
and three miles hour In its track
tho ocean from this continent TO Europe. Hence
is an important aid vessels travelling TO Europe
Hhich get into s track, ana to those coming this
way 1t Ii equally hindrance, tho current setting
Against them between two and three miles an hour.
Tho exact position Of the stream, therefore, becomes
matter of supreme Importance In navigation AS far as
The general track OF plying between this coun
Try and ports In France, England the North OF Eu
rope is concerned the position Of tic GUT Stream and
The variations to which it is subject have deter
mined with scientific accuracy. But the south
ery limit Of the stream in midocean
has only been approximately ascertained. The
discovery by Captain CONN sets at rest all
doubts on this point and when the southern limit of
the stream, as ascertaned by him. shall have been
marked upon the charts, 1t will prove, 1t is claimed,
very valuable assistance to vessels coming from the
Mediterranean. enabling them to avoid it's contrary
current and to those returning showing them how to
take advantage OF it.
THE COURSE AS KNOWN.
Tho course OF tho Gulf Stream carly received the
attention OF navigators. Flowing from the Gulf OF
Mexico in northeast by easteriy direction 1t trav-
States far Nantucket Shoals Thence it
takes more easlerly course toward tho Brit
isa Isles apd continues far into the Arctic
Sea- Its inner edge very we'll marked, but the outer
edge Is not so well defined account Of the dispcr
sion or overflow OF Its waters along its eastern limits
The origin OF tho stream Is generally attributed the
trade winds Of the Equatorial regions OF
the Atlantic, which blow conlinually toward
the shores of the American continent,
heapng up vast volumes Of water and
driving them into the Gulf OF Mexico Their
only outlet thence is through tho narrow Florida
channel where the With OF the stream Is narrowest
aud whero consequence it moves with tho greatest
velocity. 1t induces counter currents from Ba1ln's
Bay, running between and tho deposilipg
cooler water on the inside as far south
Gulf Stream are thus kept at distance
from the coast by this inner current, which gives
VOL defined bank OF cooler water to u distance OF
twenty 10 100 miles from the coast. Tho influences
OF the Gull Stream the climate OF the United States
Than through direct contact with the waters Of the
Gulf Stream The Spanish pilot, Antonio Alaninos,
who VAS, was sen. by Cor'ez n 1918 to annoYneo
Of tho velocity OF the current OF the Gulf Stream In
travelling 10 Europe He sailed from Mexico July
28 1919, passed through tho Florida STRAIT and
reacned San Lucas In October OF that year, Sebastian
Cabot discovered the OF cooler water
which flows from tho Arctic regions along the Of
America.
EARLY CHARTS
The FIRST chart OF the Gull stream mado by Dr.
Bepjamn Franklin, in 1769-70. The English packet
ships sailing from Falmouth to New York laok four
teen days longer reach this port than merchant
vessels sailing from London to the settlements
Ia Rhode island, Complaints were made OF
and petition VS. frumed to transfer their
landing place to Khodo Island. franklin, VINO
Investigated tho matter and found that tho merchant
vessels avoided the Gulr Strcam, while tho packets
hour The matter was Investigated, and ut the
instance OF tho Post Office Department franklin
directions how TO avoid IT, Tnis chart expresses
very correctly tho inner limits OF the Gulf Stream a.
they are known to-day. Two distinctions between
It's waters ana the surrounding ocean that
limo observed. Its waters were always warmer than
those OF tho sea each side and they did sparkle
night. II was soon after discovered that the limits
OF the Gulf Stream were sli.ntly variable
nccording TO tho prevailing direction Of tho wind
Tho width OF the stream also found to be variable
AT times these changes would be sudden hut IL was
always observed that tho northern limit changed less
than tho southern. Mr.. a. d Bachc. Who took charge
OF the United States Coast Survey In 1s44 con-
tinued ut The head oil the department for SIX
the inner eagc Of Tho Gaii Stream ana OF that pop
tion Of tho outer edge lying between oi
United States and the north OF Europe rhc
southern parts OF this outer edgc were not however,
determined with an equal degree OF precision. The
present observations oi Captain Ccin Will, 10
certain oxtcnt II Is claimed, fill up this blank In
nautical science.
KNOWN AND UNKNOWN.
Loss than two years ago Professor w. p. Trow.
bridge wrote OF this portion oil the Gull Stream
foliows:-"Ihe part Of tho Gulf Stream, 500 rnilos
IN extent, between 50 degrees and O0
longitude, Is almost wholly unknown, neither
lie direction, velocity nor temperature having
been observed" Now, this the exact track twice
and on each ocsason ho iound no southern edge Of
the Cult Stream to lilo about sixty miles further south
than the southern limits marked down tor it In the
government charts Of the North Atlantic.
HERALD reporter yesterday afternoon called upon
the Captain BOARD OF his vessel, which lying
at the foot OF Eighth street, East River. Captain
Collin Is short, wry oil gentleman, with a iace
Ca lltnr Ha wal
coined tue reporter kindly, and on learning tue
object Of his visit At once brought out his
charts and proceeded to explain. The bark Dirleo
which he commanded, had sailed from Marseilles on
July and Gibraltar the 26th ballast, consigned to
Messrs. i. Talbot Il CO., OF this city Captain Coin
was dcsrous OF finishing hts voyage In as short a
time as possible, and as he had TO cross tho Gulf
Stream with Its antugonstic current, no desired
do at narrow part possible without going TOO
much out OF his Somewhere about lon gituue
30 or ca degrees would have best suited him. From
Gibraltar his course was nearly due east lie wanted
TO take advantage Of all favorable winds yet
clear OF the southern edge Of the Cult Stream which
was put down on The charts running nearly along
The thirty ninth parallel vi north latitude, from 40
degrees west Longitude to about 60 degrees. Here
It's course takes sudden souiheasterly beud
10 latitude 30 deg north aud longitude &C deg west
What was his surprise to aud that, although he had
strictly followed the chart, the 25th OF August at
noon he had got within the limits OF the Gull Stream,
With a current Of two miles hour against mimi
THIS was IN longitude 90 deg wos,. OF course
hc tried to got out OF the predicament,
aud the wind SO far favored him that tho
next oay hc was free from the influence
s"o "io""su oNe"'"' ihc uay "itet, HoWeVei thc
a7th Of August, no found himself Just tho edge
hgnin, with very littic wind by iackinV. however,
no managed to get Tree, but made very little hcad-
way. The next day, still following his chart, nc found
himself again within the sweep CT the Gull Streams
waters. By this time he had made up his mind
that the chart vas wrong, ana, steering moro south
crly, he got wind that brought him Of the Gulf
Stream on the 3oth. On tho morning OF the I'd OF
September he decided to cross the stream. This he
nld and camo directly to Now York. Having met
with The same trouble on a previous voyage no de-
termined TO report the iacts hc had noticed.
TnE CAPTAINS THEORY.
fou see," he sad after relating the history OF lis
voyage, making Of his CHART "horo about longi.
tudc "a deg-ths dotted lao represents the southern
edge OF the Gulf StrcdIn-s course suddenly vcrgos
10 tho northwest, and alter little whiie runs on
straight wcstwardIy again TIL 1t reaches about iongi-
tude " deg. 30 min. west Now, my opinion Is that
~ does not verge this way at all, but
that the inc OF tho truc southern limit leaves that
marked town on the the chart at about latitude 30
ucg. 30 min. north and Longitude 81 deg west, and
mat Instead oil curving around II straight to
lnllluuo Us ueE. 10 lnuclluln AZ u.