Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-02-08
OCEAN CURRENTS.
United States Using Sealed Bottles to
Study Currents.

From Ainslees Magazine.
The United States government Is making
a concerted effort to obtain information
concerning ocean currents by observing the
conduct of sealed bottles thrown overheard
to drift. The bottles are distributed by
shipmasters who cooperate with the by
geographic office. Each bottle contains
printed blank on which is written the date
the latitude and longitude where it is set
adrift. The blanks or bottle papers are
printed with instructions in six languages,
so that if the bottle be picked up by a
sailor of whatever nationality he will read
lily understand enough of its object TO write
on the paper the date, the latitude and
longitude of the spot where he finds 1t, and
to forward it to some American consul
who in his turn, will send it to the hydro
graphic office in Washington. Here the
drift of the bottle as indicated by the filed
in blank will be projected on bottle-paper
chart. This system has been in operation
for years, and the result is q series Of
charts, covered not with numberless crisis
cross streaks, but with long lines running
almost parallel with one another, showing
how after each bottle hoated into the pat
of an ocean river, it followed the stream
as accurately though the latter We're
enclosed in precipitioGS banks instead Of
being bounded merely by a medium Of it's
own kind.
The voyages of these bottles are in many
cases remarkable. Seine travel slowly and
remain years in the water. Others go
swiftly to the spot where they are found
and get back to Washington within few
weeks of their departure. Some are picked
up in midocean. Some roll out on island
beaches. Many are found on the mainland
One bottle thrown into the gulf stream
November 1G, 1896, was recovered March
90, 1898. In the meantime it foated 400
knot, It's average daily drift being 90 knots
Another bottle made $500 knots between
September. 1894, and May, 1897. Still an
other drftel 1000 knots at the rate of 90 {
a day for the ISL days Intervening between
March II and September g. 1897. The
swiftest daily drift was made by a bottle
thrown overheard from the steamship Fred
erik Hendrix, May 7. 1899 When it was
picked up six days later 1t had Travelled
100 miles, or over thirty-one miles day.
Perhaps the most significant drift was
that made by a bottle thrown overheard
from LHirOndelle, by the Prince of Mon
AGO. who spends most of his time investigat-
ing ocean rivers. This bottle was cast adrift
July %, 1887, just off the Banks of New
foundland. 1t was picked up October g.
1894. Meanwhile it had foated eastward
across the Atlantic toward the Bay Of Bis
cay. 1t described great circle skirting the
coast of Spain, passing between the Canary
Islands. under the shadow Of the peak Of
Teneriffe. down past the Cape de Verde
Islands and westward to the West Indies
where 1t brought up finally San Saliva
dor. 1t Travelled 500 miles in 1925 days
But it did more. 1t rediscovered America
That Is. after going over to Spain, 1t fol-
lowed the route of Columbus, and it justi-
ged clearly the contention that he discov-
cred America more by reason of q fayorng
current than by his skill a navigator.