The Washburn leader., 1904-12-10
DEEP SEA CURRENTS
THE GULF STREAM ANC ITS COuRs:
THROUGH THE OCEAN.
Many Irregularities Are known to
Occur In Both the Direction and yr
the velocity of This Peculiar River
of the Atlantic.

Occur In Both the Direction and 7,
the Velocity of This Peculiar Rivc1
of the Atlantic.
Scamen sometimes seem to for..cI
that even the most permanent of occa
currents are occasionally driven out o!
their usual track by a succession OF
strong winds from one direction. :,nd
the fairy tales with respect to the al
legged vagnrcs of the gulf stream told
80 frequently only tend to show That
navigators rather too frequently re,
gard that river in the ocean as not less
firmly fixed in veloc lnu direction
than If it We're tloi, =, 70 the sea be
tween banks form the solid eartil
of our planet. y, ,. matter Of fact
ever since t." III stream was first
discovered abo,!t four centuries ago il
was recognized by thoughtful navig;l-
tors that tiNity OF tenure did not nmti
could not hold for that vast BODY OF
relatively warm water cushioned Off
from the Atlantic coast or America by
the colder waters of the Labrador cur
rent even as far toward The. equator rs
Florida. Were it not for the gulf
stream, or, more accurately, the c:Si-
ern extension thereof, the average air
temperature in the winter would be
not less than 20 degrees below tie
freezing point OF water on Il Eahrei,-
leit thermometer registered at the
Shetland islands. AS matters stan I!
the presence of the relatively cold cil'-
rent from the Arctic washing o,y'
shores, inside Of the warmer su:.'
stream, closes up the harbovS Of New
foundland ut the same time as the gull
stream extension is keeping the Nor
Wegan coast clear of ice even as f;i'
to the nortllward as the North cape
10 put it another way. st. Johns.
n. t., is sometimes closed with ice
even as late in the year as June while
Liverpool. which is > degrees farther
to the north. has never been iii that
condition since the glacial epoch.
gestcd that by divcrting the course of
the gulf stream into the Pacific.
through the narrow neck of land join
ing the two Americas, it would be
quite possible to freeze out u consid-
erable portion of Europe. The cool
Labrador current setting southwark,
from the icy regions adjacent to the
north pole impinges with greater velo,'-
ity than usual upon the northern mar
gin of the gulf stream in certain years.
CyclOnic storms travelling up from the
southwark defect it also, and conse-
quently the gulf stream. although prob
ably the most permanent of all the
great ocean currents, is not invariable
either in velocity or in direction. Gen
orally speaking, this ocean river in the
lower latitudes of the Atlantic is driv-
en- westward by the prevailing eastcrly
winds acting upon the sea surface un-
til the western side Of the gulf Of Mex
leo is attained. Thence it follows the
land till an outlet is found through the
strait Of Florida, which, being both
narrow and shallow. causes the veloc-
ity of the current to increase. Thence
it sweeps nOrtheastward outside of the
Labrador cool current hugging the
coast until the banks Of Newfound-
land are reached. About there the
gulf stream proper is said to lose its
identity as such, but the warm waters
thereof are driven by the prevailing
westerly winds toward the United
Kingdom. Norway and even SpitZber-
gen. Many irregularities are known
to occur in both the direction and the
velocity of the gulf stream from time
to time, consequent OH wind changes
and variations in barometric pressure.
Prior to the age Of chrononeters most
extravagant views We're put forward
by navigators and others in hurry to
the effect that by the aid of an ordinary
thermometer the longitude could be ac-
curately determined if the shipmaster
would but trouble to take series of
sea surface temperatures when in the
vicinity Of the gulf stream. Similarly
the sea surface temperature was re-
garded in about the same geographical
position as an infallible guide to the
proximity Of ice. Neither inference is
true. High temperature indicates
tropical origin and low temperature i'll
dicates polar origin generally speaking.
but beyond this it is dangerous to pred
icate. The relatively warm water
may be in very abnormal position for
the period of the year owing to natural
causes, and a fall of % degrees Fahren-
heit is sometimes experienced in a
short ships length on the mingling
places Of the warm gulf stream and
cold Labrador current OH a beautifully
clear day without the slightest sign Of
ice Of any kind above the boundary line
of sea and sky. Many sailing ship.
after vainly trying to reach New York,
has got badly iced up and run to the
warmer waters Of the gulf stream to
thaw out both her crew and her gear,
but neither the longitude nor the pres
ence Of ice can be rightly determined
solely by the aid Of sea surface tenn
peratures. Nevertheless the use of the
sea surface thermometer. is not to be
deSpised. because it is undoubtedly Of
approximate assistance in defining
ships geographical position. The line
of separation Of the two currents, the