The Rugby gazette and east Tennessee news. (Rugby, Morgan Co., Tenn.) 1884-188?, 1885-10-24
THE GULF STREAM.
An Interesting Topic Interestingly Dis
cussed by the American Minister to
ArUentfna.

An Interesting Topic Interestingly Dis
cussed by the American Minister to
Argentine.
The most interesting subject pre-
sented on the voyage this way, is the
Gulf Stream. 1t forms never ending
topic of inquiry and speculation. 1t
seems to be created and sustained by
the constant trade wind in the N. L.
portion of the Atlantic, DETECTING due
west and by being united to the S. Z.
trade wind of the South Atlantic, rum
ming to the N. w. where it Joins the
current formed by the N. L. trade wind,
making what is called the equatorial
current, increasing In velocity as it
nears Cape St Royne, the N. E. point
of the South American continent. This
current is then supplemented by the
flow of the immense Amazon, the larg-
est river in the world, which empties
into the sea about twenty-siX miles
South of the equator. There the
Orinoco flows in this equatorial current
already having acquired a temperature
almost of equal warmth with the air,
concentrated in Its course through the
Caribbean Sea, reaching velocity of
from one and half to three miles per
hour and temperature of eighty-seven
degrees Fab. This velocity increases
as it passes Cape Catoche in Yucatan,
on one side, and Cape st. Thomas, in
Cuba, on the other. This mighty ocean
stream is here again supplemented by
our own majestic Mississippi, and rushes
with still increased velocity through the
Gulf of Florida, where at last it as
sumes the name of the Gulf Stream,
and acquires velocity of from
two and q quarter to five miles
an hour. The width of the
Gulf Stream, after leaving the Florida
Gulf averages thirty-tive miles, and
passes Savannah at a distance of about
ninety miles off shore. At this point il
begins to widen and defect, and so its
velocity decreases. The distance be-
tween the Gulf Stream and our coast,
is what is termed the cold belt. 1t re-
tains this average distance of between
seventy and eighty miles, until reaching
Cape Hatteras, where the average dis
lance, from the inside limit of the
stream, is only about thirty five miles.
1t is proper to say here, that the Gull
Stream, constantly running in N. N
E. and N. Z. direction, meeting vino
in the opposite direction, accounts fol
the heavy swell off Hatteras, which sea
men dread so much, and where sc
many wrecks mark the spot of danger
The stream here debouches further of
shore, tends more to the f. N. Z. anC
so perceptibly widens it's distance from
the shore, that at Cape Henry, below
Fortress Monroe, the inner edge of tn,
stream is an average distance of 12(
miles off shore, still moving in an L. N
E. direction, until at Sandy Hook, the
inner limit of the stream, is 1870 mile
off shore, the reader of this crude ant
and limited outline will understand
that from Cape Hatteras, where tn,
distance of the inner edge of the Gul
Stream is only thirty-five miles off shore
till abreast of New York harbor, wher,
it is $50, the cold belt becomes wider anC
wider, SO that the inilowing counter
current from the cold north, running
inside between the Gulf streams and tn,
shore, accounts for the severe winters
of our eastern sea-board States.
The stream, taking as before stated
an E. N. E. direction, crossing thu
banks of New Foundland, has now at
tanned width of some three hundred
miles, but still retaining its characte
of river in the sea, warmer than tn,
surrounding ocean, and having an in
itial velocity of from two to three mile
per hour. On its approach towards TIN
English and French coasts this grea
Gulf Stream splits, and it is said, thu
northern portion running partly on tn
west of Ireland to the north of Scot
land-the other portion diverging in
s. W. direction around the Bay of Bis
|, cay. where the operating cause, as o.
Hatteras-the stream running againS
the wind-causes high, confused sea
the perpetual vexation and fear G
navigation. 1t is thought part of tn
current dives under the straits at Glib
! raltar, but its main course is southeas
along the coast of Africa between 81
= Helena Bay snd the river Congo
; After it passes that river, it becomes
; stream current, formed of waite
brought from a cooler region by tn
prevailing southerly winds. -Bayli.
w. Hanna, in Indianapolis Sentinel
Curious Hindoo Prejudices.