Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-07-31
FACTS ABOUT GULF STREAM.
Which is Said to Be Going Up the
Mississippi River,


on the basis of thermometric tests that
the hot water of the Gulf stream is
f1owIng up the channel of the Missis-
sippi river, and that while tempera-
lures of rs degrees were found outside
in tho sea inside the Passes the water
was as warm as 81 degrees and even
in front of the city an average of 81
was observed.
The theory of the existence and OPP
GRAFTON of the Gulf stream is that it
has its beginning in the Blight of
Benin. a great bay on the west coast
of equatorial Africa, where there is
a mighty eddy caused by the blowing
of the winds from the south and west
against the coast. The current being
started moves to the eastward around
the northeast coast of South America
and through the Caribbean sea and the
Yucatan pass into the Gulf of Mexico,
where after circling around from
southwestward to northeastward and
southeast it flows out through the
Florida pass into the Atlantic ocean
OF course not all of the tremendous
current that flows out of the Gulf Of
Guinea under the equator enters our
Mexican sea, for great part is di-
verted northward among the passes
between the islands of the West In
dian archipelago. but we get enough
of it to make it's temperature and
current important items to the naviga
tors In our seas.
1t is strange that the warm waters
of the stream should be able to force
their way up the Mississippi river
against its current, which often has
four to five mile velocityl. but the river
is low just now and doubtless makes
little resistance to the warm water.
which. being lighter. floats above the
colder water of the river.
Whether a new state of things has
been discovered in these relations of
the river water to that of the sea, or
a commonplace and ordinary occur
renee has not been previously noticed.
cannot be stated here. but it is claimed
by biologists that in a time far back
in the past Gulf stream flowed up the
Mississippi river, forcing its water far
into the Arctic sea, and so warming
up Alaska and Siberia that the an
cient mastodons or hairy elephants
could subsist there, and that vege
tation suited for their sustenance
6OuTlSneu IneTe uIlll DN Spiilt NlidASE
in the climatic cycle that region was
locked in ice and the dead elephants
found there in Natures cold storage
had been preserved through unspeak-
able ages.
There is theory among the china
tologists that changes of climate oc-
cur periodically or in SUGGESTIONS Of
ages, but that however long the pc
riod they recur in routine and orderly
succession.
There are no valid grounds for any
theory that the Gulf stream is start
ing again on its way northward
through the Mississippi valley because
great alterations in the respective
levels of land and sea would be re-
quired. nevertheless speculation on
the mechanism and operation of the
moving forces of the system of our
world is not without interest.
For instance, our changes of season
are due to the inclination or ooliquity
of the axis of our earth to the axis
of the sun, or more properly 10 the
plane of the Suns equator. If the
earth's equator and the suns equator
were in the same place, and their
axes of revolution were parallel, the
sun would shine on our globe equally
from pole to pole Half the earth
would be fully illuminated and the
other half in shadow every "a hours,
and dav and night would be of the
same duration everywhere as at the
equator There would be no time
when the north end of the earth wound
be turned away from the sun for six
months while the south end was en-
loving light and warmth and no alter
nation of these situations. so that IN
a word we would have day and night
but no summer and winter.
The seasons are caused by the fact
that the axis of revolution of our
globe. instead of being parallel to that
of the sun. is inclined to or from 1t at
an angle of 2S1a degrees. The result
is that for six months the north enc
of the earth is turned to the sun and
is illuminated by it. and for the next
six months the north end is turned
away from it and is left largely In the
cold and darkness.
But suppose the axis of our earth
by some mysterious force was turned
at right angles to the sun S axis.
Then the poles would be relatively
where the equator is, ana the equd-
tor where the poles are. Then the
polar regions would become tropical
and the tropics be buried in snow ana
ice The Hindoo cosmogony tells OF
such a time at the beginning of the
Kali Yuga. or age of heat.
Such changes of relative position
might take place slowly without any
violent destructive effects upon the
population of our planet, but any sud
den change would produce violent
in both land and sea-
These speculations have given mater
ial for much theorizing by astron-
omers who have sought to prop up
their conclusions with mountains of
figures.
With the hope that all such changes
will be gradual and attended by no
violent telluric disturbances, the Picay-
une can welcome them for the benefit
of future generations.-New Orleans
Picayune.
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