Smyrna times., 1901-11-06
DEEP SEA CURRENTS.
MYSTERIES OF THE OCEAN THAT
HAVE PUZZLED THE SCIENTISTS.

and philosophers have been vainly try
ing to discover the origin and cause Of |
the mysterious current in the Atlantic
ocean called the gulf stream. Why so
called is not apparent, as nothing in
the gulf of Mexico is in it's composition.
There have been many theories, which |
have been abandoned, some perfectly |
absurd, such as it's being caused by the |
earth in its revolution on its axis, for |
if it had the power to draw this stream |
at the rate of five miles an hour from |
the coast of Florida it would draw all |
the water from the east coasts of |
North and South America at the same |
velocity. The prevailing theory is that |
the northeast trade winds drive a cur
rent into the Caribbean sea and, aided |
by the feeble equatorial stream, heap
up the water in the gulf Of Mexico.
thence rushing around the south of
Florida from the source of the gulf
stream. But there is no such heap
ing of the waters in that gulf The
waters there are sluggish. and there is
no perceptible current leading toward
the gulf stream or anywhere else.
This theory has been accepted for
want of a better, but those who favor
it are not entirely satisfied with it. The
gulf stream is an independent body of
water, having no connection with the
water around or behind the point
where it energies. 1t is warmer and
of a deeper blue than the surrounding
seas and gushes forth from the start
ing point off Cape Sable at the rate of
from five to six kuOts an hour, with
temperature of about 80 degrees,
lessening gradually as it proceeds on
its journey of thousands of miles across
the Atlantic ocean, warming the west
ern shores of Europe.
Having seen tie fallacy of the the
cries concerning the gulf stream, we
will turn our attention to the great Pa
cific current, identical in all respects
with it's sister current of the Atlantic
and concerning which there are no the
Ories to contend with.
| 1t starts spontaneously from spot
| few miles from the south end of the
island of FOrmOsa, in the Banshee
| channel, following the coast of For
mosa nOrtheasterly, past and through
| the LOOchOO islands, skirting the coast
| of Japan: thence turns eastward on it's
long journey across the wide Pacific,
! warming the coast of America from
| Puget sound to Mexico. Its dark blue
waters are in striking contrast to the
surrounding seas, giving it the name of
Murra Suar, or black water. 1t is an
Independent stream where no cOmbina-
tion of winds or currents can possibly
cause the mighty rush of warm blue
water with velocity of from five to
six knots an hour from the start.
In it's characteristics of heat, color
and direction it resembles the gulf
stream in every particular, and the
origin of the two streams must be the
same, whatever they may be, which l
shall endeavor to show later on. There
is another ocean current similar in all
respects to the other two, with the eX-
ception that it runs in an exactly op-
posite direction. Starting from the vi
cinity of the south end of the island of
Madagascar, it runs sOuthwesterly
around the Cape of Good Hope, where
it disappears off Cape Lagullas. AS q
current, probably part of it is diverted
into a steady set of the eastern current
caused by the prevailing westerly
winds in that region. No scientists, sc
far as am aware, have attempted tC
account for this current Having now
proved beyond refutatiOn that all the
Ories advanced as to the cause of OceaI
currents are grOundless, it remains t.
} be proved what the true cause is.
: 1t must be admitted that the currents
have a similar origin. as they are iden
tical in every respect as regards color
D heat and velocity, springing forth IL
the same manner spontaneously from
the earth in some mysterious way
There is no place on the surface of tn,
earth where the water can be heated
to furnish the heat contained in thes
streams that gush forth from tn
depths of the sea; consequently tn
forces must be subterranean and cal
G only be accounted for by large bodie
=, Of clear, blue water from the oceal
forcing its way into the depths of tn
earth under its crust, where it burrow
a channel of its own to the surfac
u again, having received it's warmth O
the way by contact with the interna
heat of the lower regions of the eartl
/ forced on by continual pressure fror
behind.
= That there are orifices in the earth
:" crust cannot be denied. also what b,
comes of the vast volume of water tha
cannot be computed which is constan
o ly running at the rate of from four I
a six knots an hour from the Atlanti
ocean, through the strait of Gibralta
into the Mediterranean sea. The nj
merous rivers, too, are continual
W flowing in. and yet the sea remains ;
C. the same level. Evaporation cam,
account for it, for what Is evaporate
is formed into clouds and is precipita
= ed again into the sea by the medium
storms and frequent rains.
90 The water must enter the earth fro