The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1914-06-27
GULF STREAM IS
MIGHTY TORRENT
Admiral PiIIsbury, U.S.N. Describes
the Terrestrial Phenomenon

Washington. d. c.. June 27.-Nlnety
billion tons of water are carried hour
| ly through the Straights of Florida by
| the Gulf Stream, according to Admiral
John T. Pillsbury, L. $. n, in a COM
munication to the National Geographic
Society, at Washington, d. G. This
| stream he says, is probably the grand
est and most mighty of any terrestrial
! phenomenon.
IF this one single hours flow Of
water could be evapOrated, the re-
naming salts would require many
| times more than all the ships in the
world To carry it," says Admiral Pills
| bury. 1T is difficult for the mind to
grasp the immensely Of the great ocean
| river. When one is on board vessel
floating upon its waters, one is not as
much impressed at the power and
grandeur OF this wonder of nature as
he is when he stands before tower
| ing mountain, an immense iceberg, or
a fall OF water such as Niagara, but
4
torrent. speeding on hour by hour and
day by day in a volume equal to all
| the largest rivers of the world com
bned, carrying its beneficient heat to
temper the climate of continents, one
I begins to realize that Of all the forces
of the physical world none can equal
this one river of the ocean.
Influence on New World.
1T is interesting to note in the his
tory of the Gulf Stream how great it's
| 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 con-
Vincing evidence that strange lands
were to the westward These woods
were carried by the Gulf Stream and
by the prevailing winds from America,
so that in part, the stream is respon-
: sibc for the discovery of the New
World Ponce de Leon, while search
ing for the Fountain of Youth, dscov-
cred this stream. He sailed south
ward along the coast Of Florida thus
: stemming the current. He says they
; found a current that, though the wind
: was good, they could not stem. 1t
, seemed that their vessels were going
fast through the wtaer but they were
being driven back in spite Of the
strong and favorable wind. one ship
: was soon carried away by the current
/ and lost from sight, although it was a
, clear sky
Theories on Currents Numerous.
THE theories as to the cause OF
! ocean currents have been many. In
4 recent times the course OF currents Las
( been laid to rivers and the Gulf Stream
= chiefly to the Mississippi. In actua
e fact about 1000 such rivers would be
e required In the tropical regions there
e 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 current in the latter
! due to friction. AT first it is only thu
j merest skim that moves, but gradual
c ~ the motion is communicated from
n layer to layer until at last, if the wine
C is long continued as in the trade wine
region, the movement extends to lowe
depths, 800 or 400 feet, or perhaps more
r These trade wind currents contnu,
G across the Caribbean until they reacl
L the obstruction of the Honduras ant
[. Yucatan coasts from which they es
t. cape into the Gulf OF Mexico.
: Wind Also Is Source.
a Another source of the Gulf Stream
5, is the wave caused by the wind. Ev
e cry ripple carries a certain amount o
water in the direction toward whic
it is flowing irrespective of the cur
rent caused by its friction, and whe
). the waves become large tons of waite
are hurled from the crest into tn
j. trough every time the wave breaks
In a large area like the Caribbean
Y. having a comparatively constant win
Is blowing over it's whole surface. thi
n action is practically simultaneou
m movement of the surface waters to tn
1t westward.
lie There is every evidence that tn
III Gulf tream is governed absolutely b
ie law in all its variations; its cours
l. through the ocean is without dout
j. fixed: its fluctuations are by day
: months. seasons. or by years. but the
1t do not vary materially one year froi
Ig the other. So we may conclude that
,e all the physical forces on this cart
V. that are subject to any variations .
ig all the great ocean currents are mos
A, | i,,,,,n,aI1ou