Omaha daily bee., 1912-05-14


is in the middle OF the north Atlantic. as
far south as Baltimore. A few hundred
miles farther north the berg fields OF
ice have recently covered hundreds of
square miles Of the oceans surface Some
reports Indicate that the Titanic ran al
a speed OF twenty-five miles an hour. be-
tween two spreading wings of an i'm
mense fleet Of icebergs, which were ar
rayed in the form OF a great V. with me
opening toward the east and that the
fatal encounter occurred when the ship
had reached the inner and Of the v.
where only the most careful navigation
could have found safe passage. II that
is true. the huge ship with It's cargo OF
more than 1000 lives, disregardng all
the warnings received from other ves-
sells, was simply rushing upon almost
certain destruction. like a cruiser speed
ing recklessly into a cunning trap laid
for Il by a squadron of battleships,
The suggestion that there may have
been a temporary change in the direc-
ton Of the ocean currents is not. in It.
self altogether improbable. There are
two great currents which are primarily
concerned with the circulation OF the
North Atlantic ocean. These are the
Gulf stream and the Labrador current.
the first composed OF warm, the second
of cold water. They encounter each
other east, or southeast. Of Newfound-
land. The Gulf stream. after rushing
out Of the narrow straits Of Florida, turns
gradually away from the American coast
and spreads more and more broadly. until
1t finally divided into vast branches, one
Of which trends southwark between the
Azores and the coast OF Spain, while an
other goes on and warns the air around
the British Isles.
The cold Labador current, bearing the
icebergs from Greenland. hugs the Ameri-
can coast, and is probably mainly re-
sponsible for the cool spring weather
which We sometimes enjoy, and some
times denounee. when its ehangeable
moods become too eccentric. II you will
look at a chart Of the North Atlantic,
showing the ocean currents, you will
perceive how the great Labrador stream,
with its cold. heavy. ice-burdened water,
seems to shoulder the genial current Of
the q, LEAN away from the eastern
sho Of America. forcing It farther
oul In the ocean. 1t is evident. at a
glance. that either an Increase In the
force Of the cold stream from the north,
or a decrease in that Of the warm one
from the south. would tend TO widen
the area covered by the icebergs. and
send then farther than usual across the
land Of the transatlantic liners.
II such a change has occurred, II must
be due to some alteration in the force
and direction OF the prevailing winds. for
the ocean currents mainly arse from the
general circulation OF the air. and that
in turn depends upon the rotation Of the
earth on its axis. The warm air in the
region Of the equator rises and flows off
northward at high elevation, and the
cold air from the north moves southyard,
near the surface, TO take its place But
this surface air. coming from a part Of
the earth where the eastward motion due
to the rotation of the earth Is less rapid
speed Of rotation is greater than its own.
than II Is toward the equator finds itself
moving over parts Of the earth whose
The consequence is that a wind arises
blowing westward over the surface.