The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1894-07-05
GREEN WATER IN THE GULF.
Believed to Come from Rivers Which Drain
the Underground of the Rockies.

Believed to Come from Rivers Whlch Drain
the Underground of the Rockies.
There has been considerable talk re-
Gently among the maritime men IN
New Orleans concerning an alleged
shoal in the gulf of Mexico, some dis
+ance off the mouth of the Mississippi.
There are, indeed, two separate shoals.
A match of green water has been seen
in the blue water of the gulf about
ten miles southeastward of the mouth
of the Mississippi river This green
water shows depth of nine tathoms,
fftv-four feet, while the water around
II is 100 to $50 fathoms, or GOO to 300
feet deep. The other report IS that at
point in q south latitude and sS.2o
west longitude from Greenwich, some
125 miles to the sOutheastward of the
mouth of the river, there is another
patch of green water; but there Is no
shoal, for the soundings show $50
fathoms. Green water at sea is com
monty associated with shadows, be-
cause it is usually seen near the mouths
of rivers, where the fresh water comes
into the blue, or where the sea water
is vellowed by the mud of the shore
Green water is generally fresh, or
largely mixed with river water, al
though not necessarily so, as there
are seas which are especially
green from immense numbers
of microscopic alg@ which
infest the water. But in the present
case, in all probability, these green
spots are fresh water boiling up from
the bottom of the sea. They are
doubtless the issues of subterranean
rivers which underdrain the Rocky
mountains and the western plains. 1t
has often been remarked that the
Missouri river, which is the principal
drain of the vastest of all North Amer
lean basins. is but small stream in
COMPARISON with the country which
supplies it, and the conclusion seems
irresistible that there are subterra-
mean channels by which its waters are
carried off.
The underground rivers of Dakota,
from which the extensive artesian wa
ter supply of that region is obtained,
are believed to be directly connected
with the upper Missouri river where it
passes through the canyons of the
mountains. 1t is known that there
are enormous subteITanean rivers flow
inc under Texas, for they have been
tapped by artesian wells at many
places, and notably at Waco. There
are in the heart of the continent sew
eral basins of great extent which re-
ceive large drainage from the sur
rounding country, but have no sur
face issues. There is good reason
to believe that enormous vol
umes of water find their way
into every sea by submarine debouch-
ments. and the conformation of the
continent makes the gulf of Mexico a
most likely recipient for such dis
charges If 50, the fresh water re-
ccived through such submarine vents,
being lighter than the salt water,
would rise to the surface and make it
self manifest, not only by its green
color, but by the connection such an
influx would produce. More than two
decades ago a mariner, who was well
acquainted with the navigation of the
gulf of Mexico, declared that he had
more than once secured fresh water far
out at sea, and this would go to CON
firm the views here presented. In all
likelihood the patches of green water
lately noticed by navigators in the gull
are the influx of fresh water through
these submarine mouths. They do not
mean that the sea is shoaling, or that
it is rendered more difficult of naviga'
ton; but that simply large part OF
its water supply comes from sub-ma'
rine sources. This assumption is not
only reasonable, but is in accord with
a large number of ascertained facts
There may have been some changes in
debouchment of these submarine riv'
ers in connection with a recent series
! of earthquake shocks in Mexico, but
/ that would be in harmony with the
views presented above.-New Orleans
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