Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-10-01
QUERIES & ANSWERS
SUPPOSE THE WORLD SHOULD STOP
TURNING ROUND
youid There BE Any Tidesf-The Gulf
streaw-Lsng and short sona-
toriai Terms, Etc,
FrycAsTLH, VA.

To The Editor Of the Dispatch
your discussion of tides in the DISPATCH
~ the 18th encourages me to ask the ioi,
lowing question: Suppose the woria
should stop rotating, would there De any
tides?
To make my meaning palmer l remark
"a follows; The centrifugal lnnuence or
the whirllng world is constantly throwing
the polar waters toward the equator, ana
these waters constantly return oy unosts-
currents. When these great oulks or
water meet the collision must cause rises
or sweIls ON the surface of the oceans, ana
perhaps these elevations have moro 10 90
with .idal-wayes than has the attraction
~ Tho moon. Take the Gulf Stream TOR
AN example. After flowing many miles
down the slope OF the GLOBE II turns anu
travels across the Atlantic; MAY not TINS
be owing TO the great weight 81 tue ss.ea'
cal influence until it gets to Newfound-
land and then only to resist enough 10
Gov across tho AtlanticI IL the earth
should stop turning the Mississippi would
foa porthward like the Cult Stream, and
in A little while all the equatorial waters
would collect at the poles, WheFe they
would stand STILL with perhaps no tides.
"'N' j. I. Is.
1.-The world should stop rotating"
the moon continuing its revolution about
II there would be two tidal-waves in each
lunation in All places where there are tidal
waves now, provided the conditions OF
depth and surface remained sufficient.
The moon would not cease TO attract and
raise the ocean under 1t. but the waves
would move eastward instead of westward.
The centrifugal force and that OF gravity
combined maintain the present curves or
the ocean surface keeping its water piled
up in lower ATTITUDES If all other
agencies than these forces were withdrawn
we think the ocean-every drop of 1t
would in short time become as fixed IN
place as if frozen from surface to bottom.
These two forces would produce hydro
static equilibrium, and no cause for change
in position for any particle OF 1t would re-
main so long as the two forces were con-
slant.
There would be no Gulf Stream or any
other current, nor any tendency for the
equatorial water to run down to the
poles. any more than there is now ten
dency for man walking the solid ground
TO go north rather than south,
So far as we are informed, any changes
in these two forces have been intinlteslmal
in centuries.
The attraction of tho sun and moon, the
unequal evaporation and precipitation,
and especially the prevailing winds, dis
turb this equilibrium. and the two forces,
gravity and the centrifugal force. are con-
stantly endeayoring to restore 1t, and thus
currents are produced.
With regard to the Gulf stream, we
quote from the report Of Lieutenant }. +.
Pilisbury, United States Navy, assistant
in the United States Coast and Geodetic
Survey, August 30. 1880. as a late authority
Of high character on this subject
Tho Gulf Stream receives its water
from the Atlantic partly by means OF
current driven by the forco Of the south
east trade winds along the northeast coast
Of South America and partly by current
from the northeast trade winds"
THE water accumulated in the western
Caribbean escapes into the Gulf of Mexico,
raising its surfaco-leyol Above that OF
tho Atlantic After passing
through the Florida straits this stream Is
iolned by another 20 the northward OF tho
West India islands, which, driven by the
trade winds, Is moving to the westward.
This il a slow current. but adds materially
TO the Gulf Stream on ITS way toward tho
northern seas.r > In latitude
about 40 degrees north the whole sur
face of the stream is slowly moving to the
eastward driven by the prevailing west
erly winds. Approaching the shores OF
Europe il meets tho obstruction OF the
Continent and escapes laterally, one
branch 10 the southwark. from the Azores
toward the coast Of Africa; tho other
| branch into tho Arctic, where il forces u
| cold return surface current TO escape
along the shores OF Greenland and Labra-
| DOR"
largo amount of information is still
lacking about the Gulf Stream, but the
| above extracts give a good reason for ITS
existence, and are supported by actual
measurements and accepted by those who
! have made il q study for many years. The
report includes q statement o. all theories
on the subject, fairly stated. and Is made
after a 5-vears survey of the stream
! and its feeders, including cross secNiOba Oh
its bed. by frequent soundings and mea-
surements of It's currents at various depths
and suudry points from vessel at anchor
| in it,
The fact that the tides occur at fixed
and regular intervals after the moons
transit following lunatlon, and no other
recognized period of time, should be
conclusive evidence that the attraction Of
this satellite is tho prevailing force origi-
mating them. even If it is not Queried,
What becomes of the disturbance which
bv the law of attraction should be made
in the ocean by 1t If it is not found in the
| tides?
| Terms OF senators.
| To ne Editor Of TIE DisDatct:
/ u tnrnop AVID A'ahNrt