Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-08-16
THE GULF STREAM
Captain Parker's Reported Discovery
Of Coast Of New Foundland.
PHOTOGRAPHIC OFFICIALS DOUBT II
They Believe He Was Mistaken in
Views and Observation.
THE REASONS ASSIGNED

omcials of the photographic Office at the
Navy Department do not regard the re-
port Of Capt. F. w. Parker of the British
steamship Prudential authentic, that he
found the gulf stream further north than
ever before known of the east coast Of
New Foundland. The captain recently ar
rived in Philadelphia from a French port,
ard sent his report to the photographic Of
fee here.
Capt. Parker stated In his report that he
observed the gulf stream from latitude
51.3O, longitude 43, to latitude $500, longi-
tude A. The water, he declares. had the
deep blue color characteristic of the gulf
stream. while the temperature was uni
formly at from 81 to IS degrees.
What struck him as peculiar, Capt. Par
ker says. was the fact that the belt Of blue
water occurred only between the Green
land current and the polar current, setting
down the Newfoundland coast. as laid
down on the charts of the locality. Gulf
weed. he says. was observed floating be-
tween the limits he mentions.
The photographers think that Captain
Parker was mistaken in his views and OBJ
servations. The strongest point he strove
TO make probably was the fact that the
waters temperature was as high as IS de-
grees. Reference to the charts of the 10
cality show that the normal temperature
for this season is from 50 to 81 degrees,
not very marked difference. and it Is
probable that the thermometer used was
slightly out of gear. The blueness of the
water was no particular criterion.
Views of an Omcinl.
Commenting on Capt: Parker's report, one
of the photographers, said:
1.-The gulf stream has never been observed
north of latitude 4S degrees, as an ocean
river, which the stream really is, flowing
between aqueous banks instead Of earthly
ones, as is tine case with land-locked riv-
ers. Neither does 1t exist an oceanic
river east of the Goth meridian. Its va
tiers there are lost in the general easterly
drift of the north. The drift of the equa-
tcrial waters Is west, owing to the in
f1uence exerted by the trade winds. The
course of the flowing is not always the
same, as its direction Is sometimes greater
eastward than at others, owing to the effect
of the winds on it. 1t is not confined to
any particular course, as has been alleged,
but has never been known to exist, as an
oceanic river, beyond the limits stated OF
course. its waters may be caught in the
general drift.
The gulf stream is a current flowing
States. One of its greatest functions is to
carry the warm equatorial waters to the
northwest coast of Great Britain.
Its existence as an oceanic river can
be explained in this manner: All of the
equatorial waters are carried leeward by
the action of the trade winds. They are
banked up in the Gulf of Mexico and
Caribbean sea, finding an outlet by the
sea water comes into the Gulf of Mexico
and the other is carried direct through the
straits from the Caribbean.
The Currents.
The currents have been noted running
at the high rate of ninety miles in twenty
four hours, just after leaving the outlet of
the straits between the Bahama Islands
and the coast of Florida The currents of
the stream are entirely perceptible. moving
northeast. along the coest of the United
States, until Cape Sable is reached. The
water Is considerably bluer than that of
the surrounding ocean, and it's course can
be plainly defined, ON this account. AS
high a temperature as 50 degrees has been
noted in the stream just after passing
through the straits Of Florida"
The photographic Office has just pub
lished chart, giving latest accessions to
the knowledge of ocean currents obtained
through floating bottles. On the chart is
marked the course of the bottles whose
drift was confined to the Atlantic.
OF the bottles recovered, 81 were cast
overheard within the limits of the North
Atlantic, 8 in the South Atlantic 8 in the
North Pacific, in the South Pacific and
3 in the Indian ocean. Three bottles crossed
the equator, two in the Atlantic both go
Ing from south to north, and one Of the
Pacific and Indian ocean list. in the China
sea, going from north to south. Two buoys
are included in the list, one a life buoy
which was thrown overheard from the SIS.
Paiatia September "a. 1890, and was picked
up on the west coast of Ireland Island, one
OF the Bermudas, January %, 1897; the
second of the Pacific and Indian ocean list
a buoy which was swept overheard from
the Japanese cruiser Banjo April 22, 1894,
and was picked up by the SIS. Kilanea Hou
In the strait between the islands Of Hawaii
and Maui. The longest drift was that OF
bottle thrown overheard from the Sp. Al
nrfn >, I-l~.
and found, after an interval of slightly
less than three years, near Eyre Patch. on
the sho: les of the great Australian Blight,
the distance between these two points;
being $500 miles. OF the more extended
drifts. the one having the highest daily
average. 17.6 miles. was confined, as usual
wholly to the equatorial current being that
Of bottle No. So. thrown overheard from
the Sp. Euphemia to the south of the
equator, and picked UP on the shores OF
Martinique.
Quotations From the Chart.
The chart says:
Taken collectively, the courses followed
by these bottles serve to elucidate the
main principles of the current system of
the North Atlantic, and to show the close
agreement that exists between the motion
Of the surface water and the direction of
the prevailing winds. The latter. circulate
ing around the region of the high baro-
metric pressure to the southwest of the
Azores. blowing on its southern side with
almost unfaiing regularity. but on it's
northern side frequently interrupted by the
passage of temporary areas of low pres
sure give rise to drift currents, which are
merely the effect Of the wind on the sur
face Of the water, as. for example, in the
region of the wade winds. where the whole
surface OF the sea, generally speaking, is
converted into slow current moving to
leeward. When. owing to the interposition
of any obstacle. the mass of water carried
by the drift accumulates to such an extent
that an outlet becomes necessary. the re-
suit il a stream current, acting by virtue
Of its own gravity, following path inn
posed by the obstacle and the drift con-
jointly, and serving to eQualize the excess
Of pressure due to the continuous action Of
the drift. Thus the gulf stream, relieving
the Gulf Of Mexico and the Caribbean sea
of the volumes of water carried thither by
the action Of the equatorial drift. Is a
stream current, and, as such. pursues q
course quite independent CT the wind until
its waters are lost in the general easterly
drift.
Between the easterly drift which. in
consequence of the prevailing westerly
winds, exists to the northward Of the area
/ A.