The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 1905-01-13
SEA CURRENTS

UEEf OLA "
THE GULF STREAM AND ITS COURSE
THROUGH THE OCEAN.
MANY irregularities Are Known 10
Occur In Both the Direction and In
tbe Velocity OF This Peculiar River
of the Atlantic.
Seamen sometimes seem to forget
that even the most permanent of ocean
currents are occasionally driven out OF
their usual track by a succession OF
strong winds from n direction, and
the fairy tales with respect to the al
legged vagaries of the gulf stream told
so frequently only tend to show that
nayigators rather too frequently re-
gard that river in the ocean as not less
firmly fixed in velocity and direction
than if it were flowing to the sea be-
tween banks formed by the solid earth
of our planet AS a matter Of fact,
aver since the gulf stream was first
discovered about four centuries ago it
was recognized by thoughtful naviga-
tors that fxity Of tenure did not and
could not hold for that vast body Of
relatively warm water cushioned of
from the Atlantic coast Of America by
the colder waters Of the Labrador cur
rent even as far toward the equator as
Florida. Were it not for the gulf
stream, or, more accurately, the east
ern extension thereof, the average air
temperature in the winter would be
not less than 20 degrees below the
freezing point Of water on a Fahren-
heit thermometer registered at the
Shetland islands. AS matters stand
the presence Of the relatively cold cur
rent from the Arctic washing our
shores, inside of the warmer gulf
stream, closes up the harbors of New
foundland at the same time as the gulf
stream extension is keeping the Nor
wegian coast clear Of ice ven as far
to the northward as the North cape.
To put it another way, st. Johns,
N. F., is sometimes closed with ice
even as late in the year as June, while
Liverpool, which is 2 degrees farther
to the north, has never been in that
condition since the glacial epoch.
In fact, it has been seriously sug-
gested that by diverting 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 a consid-
cradle portion Of Europe. The cool
Labrador current setting southwark
from the icy regions adjacent to the
north pole impinges with greater veloc-
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 ATTITUDES Of the Atlantic is driv-
en- westward by the prevailing easterly
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-
ifu Of tho c,1r,,nnt RI in.fAacn VThnron
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 it's
identity as such, but the warm waters
thereof are driven by the prevailing
westerly winds toward the United
Kingdom, Norway and ever Spitzber-
gen. Many irregularities are known
to occur in both the direction and the
velocity Of the gulf stream from time
to time, consequent on wind changes
and variations in barometric pressure.
Prior to the age Of chronometers most
e%xtravagant views were put forward
by navigators and others in a hurry to
the effect that by the aid Of an ordinary
thermometer the longitude could be &C.
c%urately determined if the shipmaster
would but trouble to take a 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 in
dicates polar origin generally speaking,
but beyond this it is dangerous to pred
icate. The relatively warm water
may be in q very abnormal position for