The Portland daily press., 1885-12-09
THE STRAITS OBJ BELLE ISLE.
Some Suggestions by Capt. Smith OF
the Allan Steamship Sandman.

To the Editor of the Press:
In the October number of the Scientific
American there is an article from the pen Of
]. C. Goodridge, Jr., entitled Scan the Tenn
perature of the Atlantic States be ChangedP"
advocating the closing up of the Straits of
Belle Isle whish separates Newfoundland
from Labrador, and is sixty-one miles in
length; the writer inferring that by such
blocking up, the waters of the Polar current
which come down from Davis Straits and
Baffin's Bay along the coast OF Labrador,
weald not be able to penetrate or pass
through the straits at all, but be forced
along the shores Of Newfoundland with in
creased volume and cross the>entrance to the
Gulf of ST. Lawrence, which lies between
Cape Race, the S. E. point of Newfoundland
and Scatari Island, off the N. E. point OF
Cape Breton, which latter point is only
twelve miles from the barber of Louisberg,
This project is not new one but was sug-
gested twenty years ago by Capt. John Gra-
ham of the Allan line, and so persistent was
he in bringing his pet idea before the public
and the British government that CORE
spondence has been going on with the Colo
NAL department of the government since
1876 to that end. This correspondence was
commenced by General Smythe, who was for
some time at Ottawa, and held the position
of General officer commanding the militia Of
Canada. In January 1877 several articles sp-
peared in the Liverpool Daily Post, some Of
which were reprinted and commented upon
in a Montreal paper q think the Gazette),
since which no further notice has been taken
of the scheme except in passing converse
ton between passengers and officers of the
steamers. At some future period you may,
perhaps, permit me to produce lew facts
bearing upon this subject, as consider there
are many errors in the article written by j:
G, GoOdridge Jr. may, however, state tnat
the views of this gentleman in reference to
climate and temperature in these regions are
not wholly borne out by the results OF our
observations, for during many weeks In the
summer Just passed the the temperature OF
the water in the straits was So and 60 de-
grees, and at this time the current was actu.
ally flowing out to the eastward at the rate OF
two or three miles per hour, and kept on In
this direction for fully sixty miles from the
coast, but at a diminished rate of speed.
Here then is a problem to be solved. am
endeayOring to obtain some data from the Of
ficials of the United States government to
enable me to trace this current OF warm wa
ter and the source whence it comes, but so
far as l am at present able to judge, and from
observations that have been taken for many
wears am inclined to believe that the great
current of the Gulf Stream was actually
changed from its usual course to the East
ward, and diverted up the Gulf of st. Law
renee, then passing round Cape Ray was
borne in direction along the north coast Of
Newfoundland, and so, finally passed out
through the Straits of Belle Isle as surface
current. The strong indraft into the bays
on the south coast of Newfoundland, and
the discoloration of the water will, | trust,
be sufficient evidence to bear me out in these
differences. The climate this year in the
straits during the latter part of the summer
| has been delightful and enjoyed by all who
| have sailed through them.
l remain yours faithfully,
w. III. SMITH.