The herald., 1898-03-13

the North Pacific ocean we shall find a
wonderful stream not unlike the Gulf
stream, flowing from Equatorial regions in
the southwest. sweeping past the shores of
Japan, then turning directly east, moving
in a mighty. impetuous current across the
broad Pacific, till its warm flood impinges
upon the western coast of North America
at Vancouver island and Puget sound,
| where it exerts the same climatic influence
that Its Atlantic counterpart exerts upon
| the western coast of Europe.
| Navigators call this ocean stream the
japan current, but the people of the coun-
try whence it takes Its name call it the
Kuro-Shfwo, meaning the black tide
Where does the Kuro-Shiwo come from,
and what Is its ultimate destination? TO
answer this question inteligently we must
study the entire system of currents which
prevail in the vast body of water stretch
ing from the coasts of Asia to those of
North America. The North Pacific ocean
is shaped somewhat like a fattened tri-
angle, with the Equator for it's base, where
1t measures about 10000 miles in breadth,
and Behring strait, just below the Arctic
circle, at it's apex. Midway between the
strait and the equator. in the latitude of
Los Angeles. the shores are about 5000 miles
apart.
HIGHLY COMPLEX CURRENTS
The currents of the Pacific ocean are
very complex difficult to trace, paradox
ical in their directions, utterly unaccount-
able as to causes, and present an appear
ance, when mapped that is almost absurd.
To find their proximate origin we must go
far south of the Equator till we encounter
broad current that sets In a northeasterly
direction towards the coast of Peru,
whence it Is DETECTED to the west, and flows
parallel to and south of the Equator to
the East Indian Archipelago. Here ac-
cording to the charts, it makes a sharp
INV, itca md fvox he rro
breadth of the ocean parallel to and just
north of the Equator; then, just before
reaching the Mexican coast, reverses its
course again, and flows westwardly along
the Tropic of Cancer, until it approaches
the coast of Asia off Hong Kong, when it
turns north along the Japan islands (be-
coming the Japan currently, and after
passing the second and largest one, sweeps
eastward In a strong and broad current TO
the American coast
Here. then, Is the secret of the warm
tides that rise and fall in that remarkable
inland sea between the Olympic mountains
and tho Cascade range. keeping its shores
green, its temperature mild and equable
and its vegetation luxuriant in spite of its
high latitude.
But what becomes of the current now?
1t cannot continue to pile up on the
shores of Washington and British Column
bia. The great body of the current turns
southwark and washes the coasts of Ore
gon and California till it meets the north
ern edge of the westward flowing tropical
current off Catalina Island, and there CO.
alesces with it.
A fraction of the Japan current, how
ever, turns northward at Vancouver Is
| land, and warns up the Alaskan coast, and
| then coiing upon itself, seems to lose itself
| in a gentle swirl just below the Aleutian
| Islands, A similar division of the Japan
| ole OF of
Japan, where small branch splits off and
flows northerly through Bering sea and
Bering strait into the Arctic ocean. In
| this connection it is interesting to note that
while a warm current flows north into the
| Arctic ocean through Bering strait cold
| current flows south out Of the Arctic
ocean through Davis strait along the
coast of Labrador.
| AS the various currents will be referred
| to later they will be designated by de-
scriptive names, as follows:
| Southern equatorial current, flowing
westward.
Northern equatorial current, flowing
eastward.
| Tropic of cancer current, flowing west
ward
Japan current (Kuro Shiwo), flowing
eastward
Arctic brancn current, flowing north
eastward.
Alaska branch current, flowing north
westward
ward.
THE GREAT SARGASSA SEA
| 1t will be noted that the westward- flow
| ing tropical current. taken in connection
with the Japan and California currents,
/ forms a complete circuit, the waters NOV
| ing in the direction of the hands of q
watch. They enclose an immense area