The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1890-07-03
GULF STREAM MYSTERIES.
An Old Sailor Gives the Results of His Ex-
periences and Investigations.

A correspondent of the Boston JOHr-
nal, writing bout the gulf stream. says:
From what source or cause Is its
origin? What are its peculiaritieS2
What does it follow? What is its
depth. width, temperature, velocity.
etc.9 Let me give You an old seaman's
experiences. Investigations and opin-
ions: but first a very brief description
of the wonder and the generally ac-
cepted opinions in relation to its origin.
Its source was supposed be from the
pent up water which from several
sources accumulated in the Gulf of
Mexico and made its exit into the At
lantic Ocean between the Florida reefs
and Bahama banks. This is undouht-
edly trt in great measure, but in
vestigators have long believed that
other yet unexplained causes exist. 1t
reaches the Atlantic Ocean, flowing il
a due north direction, at about q de-
grees latitude. thence following the
general coast line to Cape Hatteras,
where it is detected very much 10 the
east by the rocks and shoals which eS-
tend some ten or twelve miles east
from the cape-say in latitude 30 de-
grees. That the stream has in the
long ages of its existence gradually
worn away the outlying banks of Cape
Hatteras to their present limits. and
that the attrition is still continuing.
there can scarcely be a doubt: and
what will be the result of this gradual
approach of the stream to our immedi-
ate coast line we way conjecture, and
we may also quite reasonably attribute
our milder growing winters to the
change already effected ut Cape Hat
teraS.
At Cape Hatteras the gulf stream
meets the Arctic current which strikes
the western edge and passes beneath
the warm waters of the gulf, and pro-
badly mingles, and is, in = great meas
ure, lost in that great stream. which
here is about 100 miles wide and about
600 feet deep. flowing with Il variably
velocity from one to three miles per
hour with temperature averaging IS
degrees. Here the gulf stream loses
much of its strange blue color, while
its peculiar electrical waters produce
wonderful developments in the atmos-
phere and the almost inceSSant storms
continue in its course up TO and be-
yond the Banks OF Newfoundland. A
Ship in striking the current from the
west often plungeS her bow into "A
thunderstorm, while her stern is in
clear sunshine. and ut the same time Il
thermometer suspended from the ships
bow will register 20 degrees, while
another hanging at the stern shows but
40 degrees.
The gulf stream, rs it passes out be-
tween the Florida reefs and the Bahama
banks, is some 5000 feet in depth and
forty miles wide, with Il velocity vary
inc from two to five miles an hour, and
a temperature from II to So degrees.
1t has some peculiar attributes and diff
fers in many respects, aside from its
temperature and electric elements,
from the waters of the Atlantic.
through which it plows its way for
thousands of miles before its effect or
identity is lost. These singular char
acteristics have led seamen to believe
that from some subterranean sources
vast stream of heated water. strange
and peculiar in its elements, issued from
some oritce near the Gulf of Mexico,
and, mingilng with the outrushing wat
ers of the gulf, accelerated its rapid
course into the Atlantic. The United
States coast survey has devoted much
study to this theory, and It's investiga-
tons have added much weight to the
above explanation. The supposed
orifice may be comparatively small
may be oycrlapped i'll such II manner
that the deep sea lead may never find
it in 5000 perpendicular feet of water;
but that it exists is becoming very
marked belief and "A very interesting
phenomenon.