Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1885-10-22
THE GULF STREAM.

A. Istsressiax Topic Interestingly Dls-
cassed By the American Minister to
| Argentine.
The most interesting subject pro.
sented on the voyage this way. is the
Gulf Stream. 1t forms q never ending
topic of inquiry and speculation. 1t
seems to be created and sustained by
the constant trade wind in the n. /.
portion of the Atlantic. DETECTING dus
west and BY being united to the s E.
trade wind of the South Atlantic. rum
ming to the N. w. where it Joins the
current formed by the N. E. 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 ANA .on, the larg-
est river in the world, which empties
into he sea about twenty-siN miles
South of the equator. There the
Orinoco flows in this equatorial current.
already having acquired 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 cighty-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.
end acquires a velocity of from
two and . quarter to five miles
an hour. The width of the
Gulf Stream, after leaving the Florida
Gulf averages thirty-ive miles, and
passes Savannah at distance of about
ninety miles off shore. At this point it
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 Gulf
Stream. constantly running in N. N.
+. and N. E. direction, meeting wind
in the opposite direction, accounts for
the heavy swell off Hatteras, which sea-
men dread so much. and where SO
many wrecks mark the spot of danger.
The stream here debouches further off
shore. tends more to the E. n. E. and
so perceptibly widens its distance from
the shore, that at Cape Henry, below
Fortress Monroe, the inner edge of the
stream is an average distance of 12O
miles off shore, still moving in an E. n.
E. direction. until at Sandy Hook, the
inner limit of the stream, is $50 miles
OFT shore, the reader of this crude and
and limited outline will understand.
that from Cap. Hatteras, where the
distance of the inner edge of the Gulf
Stream is only thirty live miles off shore,
till abreast of New York harbor. where
it is loo, the cold belt becomes wider and
wider, SO that the intlowing counter
current from the cold north, running
inside between the Gulf streams and the
shore, accounts for the severe winters
OF our eastern sea-board States.
AHS 'eAS1hA, 90 OCA'iO claCCbs
an f. n. Z. direction, crossing the
banks of New Foundland, has now at
tanned a width of some three hundred
miles. but still retaining its character
of river in the sea, warmer than the
surrounding ocean, and having an in
itial velocity Of from two to three miles
per hour. On its approach towards the
English and French coasts this great
Gulf Stream splits, and it is said, the
northern portion running partly on the
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 oil
Hatteras-the stream running against |
the wind-causes . high, confused sea.
the perpetual vexation and fear of
navigation. 1t is thought a part of the
current dives under the straits at Glib |
rala:, but its main course is southeast |
along the coast of Africa between St. |
Helena Bay end the river Congo.
After it passes that river, it becomes q
stream current, formed of water |
brought from q cooler region by the
prevailing southerly winds. -Bayliss
W. Hanna, in Indianapolis Sentinel