Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1900-11-17

most effectually settled in the general
election last Saturday. Trantham, the
regular nominee being elected over
Williams, Independent candidate, by a
vote Of 1893 to 2S7.
A THEORY AS TO THE GULF STREAM.
Claimed That II Is Caused By Running Dowr
Hill.
New York Herald.
A mystery of the sea that has puz-
zled scientists and navigators for gene
rations seems to have been solved at
last. It is the problem Of the Gulf
Stream-that wonderful river in the
ocean," which flows out Of the Gulf OF
Mexico, around the southern end OF
Florida and thence northward along
the coast Of the United States.
For sometime past it has been known
that this great stream owed its origin
to the trade winds. The winds, indeed
are the first cause Of all currents in
the ocean. Directly they can only af-
feet the surface water, the deeper
aqueous strata being undisturbed by
them. But, on the other hand, as in
the case Of the Gulf Stream, they are
sometimes accountable in an indirect
way for the profoundest oceanic move"
ments.
The trade winds, blowing from the
east, pile up the water in the western
end Of the Caribbean sea, and, being
obliged to find some outlet, it makes
it's way northward through the Yuca-
tan channel into the Gulf Of Mexico
Thus the level of the gulf is made
higher than that of the Atlantic ocean,
and so, simply by reason Of gravity,
the surplus water flows eastward into
the Atlantic through the straits OF
Florida.
This fact-that the Gulf Stream owes
its origin to gravity-is the discovery
that solves the mystery so long puzzled
over. The United States coast and
geodetic survey has recently run line
of levels from st. Augustine, on the
east coast Of Florida, to Cedar Keys,
on the west coast, with results that ap-
pear to show that the gulf at the latter
point is very nearly a foot higher than
the Atlantic ocean at st. Augustine.
With this fact ascertained, it is easy
to see why, inasmuch as water must
run down hill, there is a steady out
pour through the straits Of Florida into
the Atlantic. 1t may seem surprising
that so insignificant a difference should
set so mighty stream in motion, but
the scientists declare that it Is quit!
sufficient to account for the phenome-
non.
The Gulf Stream is literally river
of warm water flowing from the top-
les. It is narrowest in the straits OF
Florida. Just about opposite Cape
Florida, where it has width Of about
AZ miles, and touches the coral bottom
at a depth Of 1856 feet, or little over
half a mile. Seven feet second, or q
trif1e less than five miles an hour, Is
the average velocity Of its current, but
in that respect it varies somewhat, &C
cording to the strength with which the
trade winds have been blowing. When
the trade winds pause the current stops
flowing northward through the Yucca
tan channel, and for the time being the
water ceases to pile up in the Gulf Of
Mexico.
The Gulf Stream comes quite close to
Cape Hatteras, on its way northward
that is to. say, within about 40 miles
Of the cape-but north Of that point IL
Is DETECTED to the eastward by the ,ro-
tation Of the earth. AS it proceeds In
it's course it becomes steadily thinner
and more spread out.
In the Florida straits, as already
stated, it is half mile deep and touch
es the bottom; but after 1t leaves Flor
ida it no longer sweeps the bottom, but
becomes more and more a surface cur
rent, it's thickness diminishing and its
width increasing. When in about the
latitude Of New York 1t turns pretty
sharply to the eastward, and part Of it
finds it's way eventually to the north
ward of the British Isles, while another
part turns and passes southwark along
the west coast of Europe and North
ern Africa, sweeping again to the west
In tropical latitudes and rejoining the
Gulf Stream again at its own begin
ming.
Thus Is formed the great circulating
current Of the Atlantic, which In Its
sweep embraces an aquaeous area 4,OOo
by 1000 miles in extent, or thereabouts.
Columbus, on his first voyage to Amer
lea, drifted westward and southwark
with this current, and photographers
today, knowing where he started AMI
the point at which he finally arrived,
are able to draw a curved line on the
map showing almost exactly the course
which he must have followed.
The Gulf Stream has characteristic
dark blue tint, which marks 1t so plain
ly that it's edges are actually distin
guishable, under favorable circumstan-
ces, when one passes into or out of its
current. Generally speaking, the warm
water Of the tropics is bluer than that
Of more northern or more southern lat
itudes, though nobody Is able to tell
why.
Following northward out Of the trop-
les, the river Of warm water called the
Gulf Stream, carries with it tropical
climate, aquatically speaking. Its cur
rent incidentally is an extension OF
tropical life into northern latitudes, H.
asmuch as it carries with 1T many spec
linens Of animals and plants peculiar
to the tropics. Much Of this life Is
what naturalists call drift life'-that
is to say, consisting Of animals which
have little power Of locomotion of their
own, being carried, as is the case with
numerous species of crustaceons, mol
lusks and jelly fishes whithersoeVer
the currents and waves direct.
Thus it comes about that numerous
creatures of tropical growth are picked
up at Woods Holl, Massachusetts