Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1883-04-10
Tho Present Idea of the gulf Stream,


hcation in minor details hereafter: The
north equatorial current of the Atlantic
striking against South America Is de-
hected northward, and as much of Il rs
can passes between Grenada and the
north shore of South America along the
Spanish main. Much more of It, how
ever, is DETECTED by the islands in a
more northerly direction between Bar
BADGES aud the Grenadines. A part OF
the water which thus enters the Carib-
bean emerges again between Guada-
loupe and Hayti, with n higher temper
ature than it had before. a large por-
ton of equatorial water proceeds west
ward between the Bahama banks and
Hzyh. and enters the western Caribbean
through the Windward Passage. An
other portion continues on along the
northern shores of Cuba TO the Straits
OF Florida. The temperature at tbs
Windward Passage Is several degrees
higher than IL Is when the equatorial
water reaches the Windward Islands,
from Trinidad and Barbados to Guada-
loupe- This is because 1t has been
passing over a series of shoals and
banks, and has been thoroughly warmed
by the sun. 1t is TO be borne in mind
that tho bottom water (at :, 900 fathoms)
In the enclosed basins of The Caribbean
aud Gulf is no colder than the water of
the outside Atla-ic at level with the
rim Goo fathoms) of these basins q. E.,
SS-5 deg Fah.), while at 8, 600 fathoms
outside, the Atlantic waters are two and
half degrees colder This suggests =
Speculation as To whether If the enclosed
water had once been anE colder II could
have become warmed to its present tenn
perature, which seems improbable, and
leads TO the inference that the rim of
these basins has perhaps existed ever
since the 2 neral temperature of the
colder Atlantic water was much higher
than now As has been pointed out by
Superintendent IIilgard, the current
eu'ering the Gulf of Mexico from the
Caribbean does not make the circuit of
the Gulf IS formerly supposed, and has
no necessary connection with other cur-
rents around the Gulf. On the contrary.
1t passes tn the northward and eastward
in the same general trend "a the Yucatan
plateau, and issues from the Straits of
Florida with such reinforcements as IL
may receive from between Cuba and the
Bahama Biuks, rs above mentioned.
The temperature of the Gulf Stream,
now indiVidualized and defined, in the
early part of its course, according TO
most careful observations by Bartlett,
rarely exceeds IS degrees in June and
' hOb sun FeTH
calm weather. The temperatures of
tho streaE1 at corresponding depths arc
the same as those found between tho
Windward Passage and The Gulf of
Mexico. The width of The Straits of
Florida between Jupiter Inlet and Mem
ory Rock on Little Bahama Bank is
forty-ciSht miles. the greatest depth 439
fa.hOns: the area of the cross-section
about 4SO,OJO,0o0 square feet, and at
three knots (tile average velocity the
delivery here would be abont 436, ,0U0,-
600, ,0G0, ,000'tons per diem. This is evi-
IDENTIFY mach less than the amount
called for by the volume of warm water
which spreads over the greater part of
the Atlantic Ocean, from Cuba to Nor
way, and which by certain philosophers
is aScribed DO The outpour from the Gulf.
The width of the stream varies from
fifty to nearly one hundred miles, tho
velocity and temperature of the axis be-
ing greater than that of The lateral
part. It's average rate may be two and
4 half miles au hour, in many places Is
less, and in some reaches five miles an
hour. & dclineaiion of the stream in
Irts corresponding to its varying sur
facc-velocitieS shows that broad-of
TS5ee Light and Okacroke the velocity
of the whole stream over a considerable
area is diminished, and in each case a
| tile !a'er lof Charleston and Hatteras)
is suddenly increased. The inference
from this would be that in these locali-
'ies the current receives n temporary
check of some kind, overcoming which
At starts with renewed yIgor. At Hat
teras this check is due to the Labrador
current, which is met and overrun, but
The observations do not show any water
of Labrador temperature off Charleston.
Instead of running over trough, the
stresm passes over a tolerably even pla-
ward, hich extends off the coast from
the Bahsmas to Hatterls, narrowing
nOrthward. The "trough" was due to
the rapid current running away with the
slack of the sounding line when in its
grasp, and consequently registered too
great depth-an error common to all
oundings with ropes in u current, not
excepting those of the Challenger
lu=tcad of having cushion of other
wafer to glide over, Bartlett found the
h 'tiom of hard coral rock in the path of
~ t.eam, at 400 faihoms, swept as
clean of slime, ocze, OF living things as
TIE bed of a mountain torrent. Instead
OF bounding "cOld walls'' and interca-
] tod ''cpld banda," the water inshors
appears to be mere overflow of Gull
oIedLu WdIeTs anu lnS beIuferhIureI from
the stream landward or seaward is but
little cooler than the stream itself, which
is known chiefly by its motion. Indeed,
a two mile per hour southwesterly cur
rent of nearly equal warmth was OBJ
served east of the Gulf Stream off
Charleston on several occasions. The
''coId bands" appear to have been due to
rain-sq=allso or other causes producing ac-
cidentalinequaltieso softemperature, which
disappear few feet below the surface.
The Guh Stream. in passing over the
continental plateau. has its inner edge
near but not vigorously continuous with
the line of 100 fathoms in depth, and
extends to about the curve of $50 faith
oms. The edge of the continental plateau
drops suddenly 10 about 8, 200 fathoms,
and makes its nearest approach to tho
coast at Cape Hateras- The cold Lab
rador current runs outside of and along
this bank, and, when the Gulf Stream
pours over it, causes tumult in the
waters. Whether TIE entire Labrador
current underruns the Gulf Stream, and
follows the 1900 fathom curve TO the
equator, or whether q portion of It passes
over the continental plateau inside, ris-