The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1888-01-26
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GULF STREAM ANTICS.
Matters which Influence tho Flow Of the
Great Ocean River.

matters which influence tho Flow Of the
Great Ocean River.
The recent experiences of steamers In
not being able to find the Gulf stream
current just where they fancied they
had ever reason to expect astrong and
favorable set serve to emphasize the
lack Of knowledge By the world at
large Of this most mighty of rivers
Notwithstanding the fact that thou
sands Of vessels annually pass through
the straights Of Florida, there are al.
ways some mariners fully prepared to
be surprised II they do not find cur.
rent Of the maximum strength set
iown on the charts. The influences
which tend to lessen this force are just
those which would make the actual po.
sition OF the vessel uncertain, 40
stormy weather initiates greatly
against determining the exact position
Of . vessel in reference to the axis OF
tho stream. and q few miles
either way places her where she meets
not only greatly reduced current
but actually = counter set to the vest
ward. This fact has been established
beyond all doubt by the accurate OBJ
servations conducted by Lieutenant
Pillsbury and his party Of observers
aboard tho coast survey steamer
Blake. at present refitting for con-
tinuaticn Of herscientific research In
this direction.
The westerly set along tho reefs
west Of Carysfoot Lighthouse Is well
known. It probably begins at what
10 called the Elbow" or near it. At
the starting point it is extremely mar.
row. but it increases to . width OF
twenty miles or more of Rsbecca
shoals. we'll outside Of tho Ono
Hundred Fathom curve. This clears
the coral reef by fairly safe distance.
This space or zone. SO to speak. is .
variable quantity as the current II
governed by the tides. as well - By
barometrical pressure and the
declination Of the moon. Ere.
qucnt reports from authentic
sources have shown how vessels
in attempting to make Sand key light
when running from Cape San An
tonic. at the western extremity OF
Cuba. have. toward morning. found
themselves in among the shoals, with.
out having sighted Sand key, when
there was every reason to have ex.
pected an easternly current of from
one to two knots and half per hour.
Lieutenant Pillsbury has the honor
of being the first to discover the effect
of the diurnal tides on the strength Of
the Cult stream. His conclusions are
that the strength Of the stream is
greatest three days following the time
Of the highest monthly declination Of
the moon. and that Just before the rise.
which begins on the day Of greatest
declination. there is drop or slack
ening up Of the speed. In applying
these rules due regard must naturally
bo paid to the effect severe northeast
storms have on the surface currents.
impeding them and backing up tho
water in the Gulf of Mexico.
from which it rushes with tremendous
force as the gale subsidies. The ex-
perience Of the captain of the Eureka
10 . case in point, as he found the
westerly set until Carysfoot was reach.
ed. The day Of greatest dow OF the
stream ought not to have come until
more than day after the vessel had
passed Hatteras, up to which point
she should not have found the current
at any time at the maximum. at least
until after passing Charleston. as the
charts might have induced the captain
to think should have been the case.
When tho observations referred to
have been published there will be but
little left to speculate upon regarding
the actioas of the currents OF this
greatest Of ocean streams Years
have already been devoted to these
observ ations. and every thing that
science and an intelligent supervision
of the work could accomplish has Oeen
brought to bear to bring about a suc.
cessful result-M r Times