The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1913-04-25
TO SAVE OCEAN WRECKS

the fogs of the Grand Banks, for i'm
proving the climatic conditions of
western Europe and eastern Ameri-
ca for tempering the climate of the
north frigid zone and relieving the
great heat of the Atlantic ocean
along the equator. The plan is sug-
gested by Carroll l.. Riker of New
York, and bill has been introduced
in congress asking for appropriation
of 100000 to make the initial in
vestigation of the merits of the plan.
Following is a brief statement of the
matters to be considered:
The heat of the sun and the cen
trifugal effect of the motions of the
earth upon the waters of the torrid
zone produce the Gulf stream, that
flow ten miles wide and 1900 feet
deep through Florida straight and
continues northward A stream of sim
liar volume originates in the Artic
region and flows southwark. They
meet in the shallow waters of the
Grand Banks where the streams are
spread out two or three hundred
miles wide, and the effect of the COLI
sion or mixing is to produce enough
fog to cover all that part of the
world. The Artic current has re-
grigerating capacity to create about
two million tons of ice per minute II
it could be applied, and the Gulf
stream carries enough heat to supply
as much as the burning of about two
million tons of coal per minute if it
could be applied. The two streams
nearly spend their forces on each
other, and in addition to the fog
created, the Attic stream carries ice
bergs that have caused most of the
wrecks of vessels in that part of the
world, it being in the pathway Of
ocean travel between the two contin-
ents.
The Arctic current if DETECTED en-
tirely away from the eastern coast
of the United States, would leave
those shores without their wretched
fogs and cold east winds. The Gulf
stream, if it could be driven far in
to the north, before it is robbed Of
it's great heat, would go far toward
melting the icebergs where they are
formed and would temper the china
tic conditions of the polar region.
The problem, then is to keep the
two streams from meeting and ex-
pending their forces upon each other
This is to be done by building jet
ty 200 miles long, extending east
ward from New Foundland to where
the Grand Banks end in the deep sea.
The two streams would be DETECTED
eastward by the jetty so they would
meet in deep water, and the cold
stream would simply pass under the
warm stream and each would contin-
ne on its way, the cold water into
the torrid zone and the warm water
into the Arctic regions.
The jetty is to be 40 miles wide
near the shore and taper like wedge
to only three miles wide at the east
ern end. 1t will have to be built In
about 200 to $50 feet of water, and 1t
it estimated that it can be built in
two years from the time the equip
ment is ready to put into operation,
and at cost of about twenty million
dollars. 1t is not intended that man
shall do the actual work of building
the jetty but to control the natural
forces already at work so that thefil-
ling in that is already going on shall
form the jetty. The Grand Bank ia
really sand bar built from materials
swept down from the Arctic regions
by the cold current and carried by
the ice bergs. 1t has filled in the sea
where 1t was from ten to fifteen
thousand feet deep, until 1t is less
than 800 feet deep, over an area OF
about 800 miles in diameter at the
top and it is on this bar that the cur
rents meet and mix and nearly ex-
haust themselves. The constant de.
post of sand and gravel and some
coarse rock builds, it UP slowly and
the cold current is now cutting chan
nels through the bar for the escape
of some of its colume and this Is
making itself in the colder climate
and increased amount of fogs dowr
the coast of New England and the
middle Atlantic states. Any obstruc
ton that will cause the deposit Of al
Of this moving sediment in one place
must soon build up the bar to thu
surface of the water, and half float
ing crib work or network to res
lightly on the BOTTOM to stop the mo-
ing sediment, and to be lifted b!
wave action, enough to keep it from
being buried, has been designed tt