The Hazlehurst signal. (Hazlehurst, Miss.) 1883-1885, 1884-01-10
.sweltor,'" broke in his irrcprcssIblo

spcVCu, WIS tuo uuHlONtu uHSWVi'
but to continue. This sun-warmcd cur
rent, following tho shore line at a dis
lance, passes through and carries with
II tho heated waters from what some
scientific person has called the two
great caldrons tho Caribbean Sea and
the Gulf Of Mexico. II then enters tho
Florida Straits, where some say that
the Gulf Stream proper fairly COM
mences, because here arc It's first two
definite boundaries Sable on tho
one hand. and the Island OF Cuba with
the Bahamas on tho other"
"But whereabouts docs IL begin to
run up-hil,p"
mot far from Cape Sable" Jack re-
piled, "though perhaps the expression
that l used was rather too strong.
What l meant was that the Coast Sur.
vey soundings have shown gradual
rise from this point, whore tho stream
l. about thirty miles wide, clear up to
Cape Hattcras. whore II il moro than
twice that width"
"And why does the Gulf Stream al
ways run To the north and eastp"
SWELL" replied Jack, slowly, "thcrc
are different theories on that point.
The daily motion Of tho earth from east
to west has something to do with it,
Then, again. IL is claimed that the
waters Of the Gulf Stream and its tribn-
taries arc saltcr than the sea which
hens IL In. consequently evaporation
takes place faster. so that the water In
always hurrying in to take the place OF
that which the thirsty tradc-winds are
tapping up. And perhaps the trade
winds, blowing steadily from the NORTH
east, help to force this moving body OF
water in tho direction of the Caribbean
Sea-"
And then. by the aid Of diagrams,
Jack showed his brother how this
wonderful river in the sea, after follow
ing our own coast-linc for hundreds OF
miles, splits in sundcr above the forti-
eth parallel Of latitude.
This branch runs up TO tho north
ward aud eastward" said Jack, point
ing ont the tiny arrow-hcads marking
its course, "whilc the other, tending due
east, at last ovcrilows its banks of salt
sea, and il spread out over thousands oi
square miles along the European shores.
Then describing u grand sweep, OF
which mid.occan might be called the
middle, il helps form the great equalo-
rial current which in turn is swept to-
ward the Caribbean Sea-"
"But, Jack" said his brother. with .
puzzled look. "why don't the Gull
Stream water mix with the oceans"
"Wcll." Jack slowly replied, that
Is pretty hard for me To explain, be,
cause don't fully understand II my
self. But rs nearly rs do understand
it," he continued. "it's something on
the same principle rs the fact that he,
and cold water don't unite in dish till
they're, so to speak, stirred up together
pretty thoroughly. And then they say
that bodies of water of different dcnsi'
ties won't mix readily. which is another
reason, for the Gulf Stream is consider
ably saltcr than the ocean which hens
it in. But Just sec, Syl," Jack went
on, warming with his subject" just
see how beautifully the Creator makes
everything pull together. 50 to speak
Now the earth Is conductor OF heat,
you know"
Sylvester didn't know, but nodded his
assent. and Jack went on:
well. ifthc Gulf Stream flowed dl'
rectly over the bottom of the sea. II
would soon loose its temperature. Blu,
! the Almighty has so arranged IL thai
away up in the Northern regions polar
current is set in motion, and comes
sweeping down To meet the Gulf Stream
somewhere near the Grand Banks
| When il strikes the warm current II
sinks Ia the bottom. and 80 puts Itself
between the stream and the bottom o
the ocean, SO that the water is kept n
exactly the proper temperature.
but what's the use of the Gull
Stream. anyway persisted Sylvester
Use of it, echoed Jack; 81 guess
this would be pretty uncomfortable
country To live i'm II there was no Gull
Stream. Only for this current to carr,
away the heated water from the Gulf %
Mexico and Caribbean Sea, the whole
region down there would BIO n parchcd
sun-baked. dricd-up desert, where nj
one could live nor anything grow. AM
/ the same excess Oh nttt tutt ~ DIHIr'
away from the torrid zone is spread on
where il is most needed further north
Ii tcmpers our own climate to n Sigh
extent. but its greatest power is fcl
across the ocean. hut for the warmth
il scatters broadcast in Its eastern
sweep. the British Islands, which arc II
tho same latitude as Labrador. woult
freeze up solid, and France might have
sleighing all tho year round. for augh
| know. Then. again, vessels bount
from Southern to Northern ports get thu
advantage of its two and three knot cur
rent, and in winter, when they are 'icet
up on our own coast, few hours sail
ing brings them into warm water. which
melts OF the ice and thaws out the sail
ors. Oh, | can tell you. Syl." sale
Jack. drawing his lecture to close, a
he caught his brother hiding yawn
"the Gulf Stream is n great institution
And as Sylvester came TO think 1t al
over afterward. he was OF the same
opinion.-F'rdnk n. Conrerse, ia Hdr
Dcr's YOung PcOpic.