The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-02-13
Does the Gulf stream Warm Europes

Goldtwaite's Geographical Magazine has An
interesting article on this subject Twenty
two year. ago Captain Silas Bent read paper
before the 81. Louis Historical Society. claim
ing that the cutting of the Panama canal
would make the western part OF Europe un-
inhabitablo. His argument was that WHOM
the canal was opened the gulf stream would
be diverted into the Pacific ocean and
its warming influence would no more be ex-
erted upon the climate Ot western Europe.
Modern investigations. by the expeditions ~
the Challenger and other vessels, 60 20 show
that the gulf stream never reaches Europe AZ
ALL Some 300 miles % the coast Of NeWiound-
land the cult streams depth Is diminished
from 2. 400 t0 300 feet. and it, velocity SD re
duced that it would require 100 days 20 reach
the coast Of Europe Further ont az sen IL
seems 20 spread ont In the ocean ike water in
"A marsh and disappear. The belief Is that the
warmth OF the current is lost by contact with
the cold current and the icebergs coming down
from Greenland.
The present belief is that there is q general
drift of equatorial waters toward Europe and
these warmer waters exert the modifying III
huence upon the climate.
The LEM the ny does not seem satisfactory,
but The Geographical Magazine thinks 1t GETS
some support from the researches OF the Chal-
lengeT expedition.
The editor says:
The theory that professor LEM propoundet
i'm 1875 as the result of his Arctic Investigations
was almost forgotten until 1t was revived and
fortified by the deep-sea researches OF the
Challenger This theory. now supported by
considerable evidence. maintains that Polar
waters condensed by cold. lower the level OF
the sea, thus causing "a continual flow Of
equatorial surface water towards the poles
and producing q cold counter-current that
flows along the ocean bottom from north and
south toward the equator. 10 Is by this
doctrine of "a general oceanic circulation. con-
stantly though slowly carrying the Whole
upper stratum Of equatorial water toward tho
poles. that some of the leading photographers
now explain the mild climate Of Southwestern
Europe The northward flow of warm water,
detected toward the east, partly by the pre-
vailng southwest winds Of the North Attain
tic and partly the eastward motion which
the water derived from the earth's rotation in
equatorial ATTITUDES, heightens the tempera-
ture of the European coast This theory
make the gulf stream an incident OF the
oceanic circulation. rather than the direct
cause of the set Oi warmer water toward Eu-
rope
There seems now 10 be no doubt that the
true gulf stream h only one. and probably not
the most potent cause Of the high temperature
%. the waters that wash the Norwegian coast.
We cannot determine how much the gut
stream. the anti-tmdo winds. opposition +
temperatures, and other agencies have o. 10
with producing this result. until the whole
ly studied IL would tend however. to
clearness aud a..umcy If our maps would
no longer apply the name gulf stream to
that area in which the Florida current ceases
10 be "a stream and is merged in the gem
eral oceanic drift. II is confusion 10 be told IN
the same breath by Mr. Thoulet, for instance.
that after meeting the polar current, the gulf
stream no longer exists. its cool waters are
spread out. and in this condition the gull
stream is i'm the best condition % modify the
climate Of Western Europe. Mr. Agassz, IN
hi. work on the researches of the steamer
Blake. speaks Of the confusion Of ideas
which the abuse Of the name gulf stream Is
INJECTING upon students, and suggests that
some such term as Equatorial DRIFT be- APP
piled 90 the region where the gulf stream
ceases o. be- a distingushable current. II re-
mains 20 be seen whether, as the Royal Geo
graphical Society predicts, 1t will probably
take "A generation or two % eradicte the er-
rOue0us notions Of textbooks and treatises
concerning the gulf stream"
II should be mentioned that not few of the
best encyclopedias, physical geogmphes,
Textbooks. aliases and maps no longer indl-
cate the Gul, stream a., extending 20 tho
European coast After It's rapidly cooling
waters have passed the banks OF Newfound'
land. spreading out Ike fan instead Of mn-
ming. rs before. IN a deep. swift current, DO -
represented as the gulf stream drift.