The herald., 1897-02-02
FLoATED ACROSS THE OCEAN
Long Voyage Of Soda Water Bottle From
Quebec TO Sweden

Over 5000 miles across the stormy North
Atlantic from the Canadian coast to the
shores of Sweden. Is the drifting record
that common glass soda water bottle has
just made.
Three thousand miles is in reality only
a very small portion Of the actual dis
the varying drifts of the many ocean cur
rents which exist in the North Atlantic
are considered. it can readily be seen that
the chances are that 10, 900 miles would not
be an extreme estimate for the distance
covered.
Within the bottle was a message asking
that it be returned to the writer. and
although period of thirteen months
elapsed between the time the bottle was
thrown into the sea off Newfoundland
coast and the finding of 1t on the coast OF
sweden, the message was finally sent to
the man who wrote it, apparently none the
worse for Its Nong voyage. 1t now forms a
conspicuous memento among a lot of curios
On the afternoon 10 OF Sept. e. ISeS. Edwin
c. Mccoy of Huntington. Quebec. was one
OF party of returning tourists who. on
board the steamship Lake Winnipeg, were
counting the days and hours before they
would reach their homes.
One of the party suggested that as the
voyage was nearly ended they should each
inclose a message within a bottle and
throw them overheard. and that each of
the party should notify the others in the
event of the message being returned.
Without any expectation of ever bearing
from 1t again. Mr.. Mccoy. with the others,
threw a bottle overheard 1t was anordin-
ary white glass soda bottle. about eight
inches long, with short neck. and weighed
about ten ounces. 1t was securely corked,
and within was a slip of paper torn from
an ordinary notebook. The paper was ruled
with blue lines and on 1t was written in lead
pencil the following:
S. S. Lake Winnipeg Sept. 2S. 1sS5.-The
finder will be rewarded by returning this to
&c MCOY.
Huntington. Quebec. Canada.
thrown m rd
the steamer was just entering the gulf
stream off the Newfoundland coast. and
Belle Isle. Had the bottle continued in
the main stream It would have been
washed ashore on the Scandinavian coast
long ago, but everything indicates that
bottle got out of the main stream and
must have followed the course of the cur
rents which set southwesterly from the
British coast, around the Azores and on
into the westerly trade winds, which set
steadily toward the American coasts.
There are several currents in this part
drift. some toward the South American
coast. while others turn In more north
erly direction and eventually get back
into the gulf stream str This was the course
and as evidence of this there were found
on IT when 1t was picked up pieces Of sea-
weed and marine growths which could only
become attached to 1t in tropical waters.
On Oct I, 1896 thirteen months after Mr.
Mccoy dropped the bottle overheard, AL
fred Alstrum. teacher in the public
schools of Orchestral. Sweden. was walk
ing along the seashore near that place
place when his attention was attracted
by something which had just been washed
ashore by the waves.
He picked it up and found 1t to be g
glass bottle. Chnging to the outside and
the cork were long seaweeds and tiny ma
rine animals while within could be seen
piece of paper with some writing upon 1t.
Taking 1t home. Mr. Alstrum read the con-
tents of the note and, finding IT TO be the
one dropped months before by Mr.. NC
Coy into the sea, he mailed the note back
to Canada.
Mr.. Mccoy was not little surprised the
other day to receive a letter postmarkeo
less surprised when his long-absent note
was received from the bottle. This Is tho
only letter, so far as known, which ever
made the journey across the ocean without
the aid of Matthew York Herald.
The next regular meeting of the Los
Angeles Kindergarten club takes place
Thursday at the Friday Morning ciup
rooms Miss Florence Lawson OF the
Normal school will address the ciup'
The Assistance league will meet Sat
urday afternoon at the residence OF MRS.
Frederick c. Howes, No. 919 West TWen-
ty-eighth street.
The official British shipbuilding returns
published show that British shipDullders
launched during the year ,Sz6, szz IONS.
against 1,156,5I1 last year; All lmportanc
districts are busy, and the prospectS aEe
bright
Tho straits of the Dardane elles is less than
fftv miles long, but diplomatically speak,
ing, it reaches to all the capitals OF EuroPe
and even to the state department at W as0e
ington. .-....--.....