The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1890-05-31
GULF STREAM MYSTERIES.
Results of the Experiences and Invcstiga-
tions of an Old Sailor.


GULF STREAM MYSTERIES.
Results of the Experiences and Investiea.
tions of an Old Sailor.
A correspondent OF the Boston Jour.
| nal, writing about the Gulf Stream
says: From what source or cause Is it,
origin? What are its peculiaritiesf
What course does It follow2 What Is
its depth, width, temperature, velocity,
etc.p Let me give you an old sea.
mans experiences, Investigations and
opinions; but first very brief descrip'
tion OF the wonder and the generally
accepted opinions in relation to Its
origin. Its source was supposed to be
from the pent-up water which. from sew
eral sources accumulated in the Gulf OF
Mexico, and made its exit into the At.
lantic Ocean between the Florida reefs
and the Bahama banks. This is un-
doubtedly true in a great measure, but
investigators have long believed that
other yut unexplained causes exist. 1t
reaches the Atlantic Ocean, flowing in
due north direction at about2T degrees
latitude, thence following the general
coast line to Cape Hatteras, where 1t is
deflScted very much to the east, by the
rocks and shoals which extend some ten
OF twelve miles east from the cape, say
in latitude 35 degrees. That the stream
has in the long ages of its existence
gradually worn away the outlying banks
of Cape Hatteras to their paesent limits,
and that the attrition is still continu-
ing, there can scarcely be doubt; and
tph 1yil1 hn tho rncu1t of thic rr ~ n
approach of the stream to our immedi-
ate coast line we may conjecture, and
we may also quite reasonably attribute
our milder growing winters to the
change already affected at Cape Hat
teras.
AT Cape Hatteras the Gulf Stream
meets the Arctic current, which strikes
its western edge and passes beneath the
warm waters of the gulf, and probably
mingles and is, in a great measure, lost
in that great stream, which here is 100
miles wide and about 800 feet deep,
flowing with variable velocity from one
to three miles per hour. with a tempera-
ture averaging 7G degrees. Here tho
Gulf Stream loses much of its peculiar
blue color, while its peculiar electrical
waters produce wonderful developments
in the atmosphere, and the almost in.
cessant storms continue in its course up
to and beyond the banks of Newfound-
land. A ship in striking the current
from the west often plunges her bow
into thunderstorm, while her stern is
in clear sunshine, and at the same time
thermometer suspended from the
ships bow will register 20 degrees,
while another hanging at the stern
shows but 40 degrees.
The Gulf Stream, as it passes out be-
tween the Florida reefs and the Bahama
banks, is some 5000 feetin depth and 40
miles wide, with avclocity varying from
two to five miles an hour and tempera-
ture from ~ to S3 degrees. 1t has some
very peculiar attributes and differs in
many respects, aside from its tempera-
ture and electric elements. from tho
waters of the Atlantic. through which
it plows it's way for thousands of miles
before its effects or identity is lost.
These singular characteristics have led
seamen to believe that from some sub
terranean sources avast stream of heated
water, strange and peculiar in its ele-
ments, issued from some orifice near the
Gulf of Mexico and, mingling with the
outrushing waters of the gulf, acceler-
ated its rapid course into the Atlantic.
The United States Coast Survey has de-
voted much study to this theory; and its
Investigations have added much weight
to the above explanation. The supposed
orifice may be comparatively small; may
be overlapped in such manner that
the deep sea lead may never find it in
5000 perpendicular feet of water; but
belief and very interesting phenomena.