The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1901-10-09
DEEPysE!Al's CTRRENTs.
MYSTERIES OF THE OCEAN THAT
HAVE PUZZLED THE SCIENTISTS.

SN-e-GN-S IL NNlN-lN ! 10
A Theory MS to the Origin and Cause
of the Gulf and other Strcams-Are
They the Product of Immense Sub
marine Geyscrst
For more than n century 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 Its composition.
There have been many theories, which
have been abandoned, some perfectly
absurd, such as It's being caused by. the
earth In It's revolution on Its axis flor
II IL had the power to draw this stream
Mt the rate of five miles an hoursfrom
the coast of Florida 1t would draw all
the water from the east coastst OF
North and South America Mt the same
velocity. The prevailing theory Is that
the northeast trade winds drive 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 Il heap
Ing of the waters in that gulf. The
waters there are sluggish, and there Is
no perceptlble current leading toward
the gulf stream or anywhere else.
This theory has been accepted for
want of II better, but those who favor
ii are not entirely satisfied with It. The
gulf stream il an independent body Of
water having no connection with the
water around or behind the point
where 1t energies 1t Is warmer, and
of Il deeper blue than the surrounding
seas and gushes forth from the start
ing point Off Cape Sable Mt the rate of
from Ave to six kuots an hour, with
temperature OF about 90 degrees,
lessening gradually as 1t proceeds on
its journey OF thousands Of miles across
the Atlantic ocean, warming the west
ern shores of Europe.
Having seen the fnllaey OF the the
cries concerning the gulf stream, we
Will turn our attention TO the grent Pa
citic current, Identical In all respects
With Its sister current Of the Atlantic
and concerning which there are no the
cries to contend With.
1t starts spontaneously from spot II
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 Its
long Journey across the Wide Pacific.
warming the cuast of America from
Puget sound to Mexico. It's dark blue
waters are In striking contrast to the
surrounding seas. giving 1t the name of
Murra Suar, or black water. 1t Is an
independent stream where no combina-
ton OF winds or currents can possibly
cause tho mighty rush of warm blue
water with velocity of from Ave to
six knots an hour from the start.
In its characteristics of heat, color
aAd direction It resembles the gulf
stfo esvrJ .,....s.-..--, ---zr a.,
origin of the two streams must be the
same, whatever they may be, which
shall endeavOr to show later on. There
IL another ocean current similar In all
respects TO the other two, with the ex-
ception that It runs In an exactly OPP
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 Lngullns. Az
current, probably part of 1t Is diverted
into n steady set of the eastern current,
caused by tho prevailing westerly
winds In that region. No scientists, 80
far as | am aware, have attempted to
account for this current. Having now
proved beyond refutation that all the
cries advanced rs TO the cause of ocean
currents are groundless. 1t remains to
be proved what the true cause IL.
1t must be admitted that the currents
have n similar origin. as they arc iden-
teal In every respect AS regards color.
heat and velocity, springing forth In
the same manner spontaneously from
the earth In some mysterious way.
There is no place on the surface Of the
earth where the water can be heated
to furnish the heat contained In these
streams that gush forth from the
depths of the sea. consequently the
forces must be subterranean and can
only be accounted for by large bodies
of clear, blue water from the ocean
forcing It's way into the depths of the
earth under It's crust, where It burrows
a channel of Its own to the surface
again, having received Its warmth on
the way by contact with the Internal
heat of the lower regions Of the earth,
forced on by continual pressure from
behind.
That there are orlnces In the earth
crust cannot be denied, also what be-
comes Of the vast volume Of water that
cannot be computed which Is constant
ly running mt the rate of from -four to
six knots an hour from the Atlantic
ocean, through the strait of Gibraltar
into the Mediterranean sea. The nu-
merous rivers, too, are continually
flowing In, and yet the sea remains Mt
the same level Evaporation cannot
account for 1t, for what Is evaporated
Is formed into clouds and Is preclpltat-
ed again into the sea by the medium Of
storms and frequent rains.
The water must enter the earth from
the ocean through these aperturcs on
an incline as It gushcs forth In these
three mighty currents and cannot be
discovered by soundings; consequently
these three mighty currents are moth
ing more or less than immense geysers.
Captain Il. +. Shcrburne In Cleye-
land Marine Record.
Persian Prayer Rugs.
hn11f onn tnnl.e nm ct1.nIl nlnhrnld.