Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-07-07
WONDERFUL GULF STREAM
Its Course Fixed and Its Variations
Move With Precision.

Its Course Fixed and Its Variations
Move With Precision.
Ninety billion tons of water are car
ried hourly through the Straits Of
Florida by the Gulf Stream, according
to Admiral John E. Pillsbury, U. S. NJ.
in a communication to the National
Geographic society. This stream, he
says. is probably the grandest and
most mighty of all terrestrial phe-
nomena.
IF this one single hours flow of
water could be evaporated the remain
ing salts would require many times
more than all the ships in the world
to carry it," says Admiral Pillsbury.
1T is difficult for the mind to grasp
the immensely Of the great ocean riv-
er. When one is on board a vessel
floating upon it's waters, one is not as
much impressed at the power and
grandeur Of this wonder Of nature as
he is when he stands before a tower
ing mountain, an immense iceberg or
fall Of water such as Niagara, but
torrent speeding on hour by hour and
day by day in a volume equal to all
the largest rivers of the world COM
bined, carrying it's beneficent heat to
temper the climate of continents, one
begins to realize that of all the forces
Of the physical world none can equal
this one river Of the ocean.
1T is interesting to note in the his
tory Of the Gulf Stream how great its
influence has been on the fortunes Of
the New World. Before the discovery
of America, strange woods and fruits
were frequently found on the shores of
Europe. Some Of these were seen by
Columbus and to him were convincing
evidence that strange lands were to
the westward These woods were car
ried by the Gulf Stream and by the
prevailing winds from America, so
that in part the stream is responsible
for the discovery Of the New World.
Ponce de Leon, while searching for the
Fountain Of Youth, discovered this
stream. He sailed southwark along
the coast Of Florida, thus stemming
current that, though the wind was
good, they could not stem. It seemed
that their vessels were going fast
through the water but they were BE-
ing driven back in spite Of the strong
and favorable wind. One ship wsas
soon carried away by the current and
lost from sight, although it was a
clear sky
THE theories as to the cause of
ocean currents have been many. In
recent times the course Of currents
has been laid to rivers, and the Gulf
Stream chiefly to the Mississippi. In
actual fact, about 1000 such rivers
would be required. In the tropical re-
gions there is a steady movement of
the air from east to west, known as the
trade winds. Winds blowing over the
surface of the water induce a current
in the latter due to friction. At first
it is only the merest skim that moves.
but gradually the motion is communi-
Gated from layer to layer until at last,
if the wind is long continued, as in the
trade wind region, the movement eX
tends to lower depths, 300 or 400 feet,
or perhaps more. These trade wind
currents continue across the Carib-
bean until they reach the obstruction
of the Honduras and Yucatan coasts,
from which they escape into the Gulf
Of Mexico.
Another source Of the Gulf Stream
is the wave caused by the wind. Every
ripple carries a certain amount of wa
ter in the direction toward which it is
flowing, irrespective Of the current
caused by it's friction. and when the
waves become large, tons Of water are
hurled from the crest into the trough
every time the wave breaks. In a
large area like the Caribbean, having
a comparatively constant wind blow
ing over it's whole surface, this action
is practically a simultaneous move
ment of the surface waters to the
westward.
There is every evidence that the
Gulf Stream is governed absolutely by
law in all its variations; its course
through the ocean is without doubt |
fixed it's fluctuations are by days, |
months, seasons or by years, but they
do not vary materially one year from
the other So We may conclude that
Of all the physical forces on this earth |
that are subject to any variations at
all, the great ocean currents are most
immutable."