Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1892-09-28
THE GULF STREAM.
Volume of Water 1000 Times That O
the Mississippi River

THE GULF STREAM.
A Volume OF Water 1000 Times That o.
the Mississippi River.
The currents of the ocean are the
great transporters of the suns heat
from the torrid zone to temper the
climate of the polar regions. It is
argued BY some that such stupendous
change IS that which occurred in
Europe and America at the glacial
period was caused simply by DETECTION
In the currents in the northern hemis-
pnere, whereby its share of tropical
heat was partly diverted towards the
south.
In the three great oceans, the Allan
tic the Pacific, and the India n. there is
to be found a similar circulation-a
general westerly movement in the
tropics, flow towards the poles along
the eastern shores of the continents,
an easterly set in the temperate zones
ana current towards the equator along
the ives tern shores. This system thus
becomes grand circular movement.
some parts be ing very slow, but still
quite constan t, and other parts very
swift There are offshoots here and
there, due to ocal causes, and perhaps
In the slowly-moving current there NAV
be temporary interruption, but taken
as a whole, the movement is continuous.
The part of this circulation flowing
along the eastern coast of the United
States is the grea test of all these cur
rents, and, in fact, is the most magnif-
cent OF all natures wonders This is
the Gulf Stream The name Gulf
Stream was first suggested by Benia-
min Franklin, because it comes from
the Gulf of Mexico. While it is a por
ton of the grand scheme of ocean cir
culation, and the Gulf of Mexico is in
reality only stopping place, as it
were, for its waters the name is gener-
ally applied to the current when it
reaches the straits of Florida, north of
Cuba. In the large funnel-shaped OPEN |
ing towards the Gulf of Mexico the cur
rent at first is variable in direction and |
velocity, but by the time Havana is
reached It has become a regular and |
steady flow.
AS it rounds the curve of the Florida |
shore the straits contract and the water
then practically fills the banks from
shore to shore and reac hes almost to the
bottom, which is at this point about
three thous and feet deep As it leaves
the STRAITS OF Florida its course is about
north, but it gradually changes its di-
rection, following approximately the
curve OF one hundred fathoms deep un-
til 1t reaches Cape Hatteras. From thi,
point it starts on its course to Europe
1t has lost something in velocity as well
as In temperature, and as it journeys to
the eastward it gradually diminishes in
Doth until it becomes gentle flow as it
Europe
People think the Mississippi river a
grand stream, an d it is so in truth. so
Tar as Land rivers go; but great as it is
It would requ ire two thousand such
'ivers to make one Gulf Stream. The
great ocea n river is an irresistible food
u water, running all the time, winter
and summer, and year after year. 1t is
Is d1f11oult for the mind to grasp its i'm
as 1t is to realize the distance
Of the nearest stars.
AT its narrowest part in the straits of
Florida it is thirty-nine miles wide. has
In average depth of two thousand feet,
Ind velocity at the axis-the point of
fastest how-ot from three to more than
i've miles per hour. To say that the
volume In one hours flow past Cape
Florida is ninety billion tons in weight
1oes not onvey much to the mind. If
we could evaporate this one hours flow
If water and distribute the remaining
salt to the inhabitants of the United
states every man, woman and child
would receive near ly sixty pounds.
1t is curious to note in the history of
The Gulf Stream how great its influence
has been on the fortunes of the New
World. Before the discovery of America
strange woods and fruits were frequent
y found on the shores of Europe and
'H-lying islands. Some of these were
'een and examined by Columbus. and
% his thoughtful mind they were con-
lrming evidence of the fact that strange
ands were not far to the westward.
These woods were carried by the Gulf
stream and by the prevailing winds
rom the Ameri can continent, so that in
part the Gulf Stream is responsible for
he discovery of the New World. {
Ponce de Leon, while on his famous {
earch for the Fountain of Youth, made
he discovery of this more practically {
beneficial phen omenon. The whalers g
u New England were the first to gain
! fairly accurate knowledge of the
limits of the current between America c
md Europe, by following the haunts of I
he whales, which were found north of c
me line and south of another, but i
lever between the two. This, they /
easoned, was the Gulf Stream current Q
Benjamin Franklin received this in a
from the whalers, and pub ?
ished it on a chart for the benefit of c
he mail packets ply ing between En- t
land and the colonies. The chart was II
irst issued about ITO, but was not b
ccepted by the English captains. Be- d
ore it came to be generally known and v
Ised the trouble between England and o
he colonies began, and Franklin, know n
ng the advantage the knowledge would
'e to the British naval officers, sup s.
'ressed it all he could until hostilities v
Tribune 81