The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-06-26
NINETY BILLION
TONS OF WATER
CARRIED HOURLY
Through Straits off Florida by
the Cult Steam Says ADJ
niral Pi!IsburY.

WASHINGTON, June 26.-Ninety
billion tons of water are carried
hourly through the straights of
Florida by the Gulf stream, accord
ing to Admiral John e. Pillsbury.
U. S. NJ, in a communication to the
National Geographic Society, at
Washington, D. G. This stream, he
says, is probably the grandest and
most mighty of any terrestrial phe-
nomenon.
Wonder Of the World.
If this one single hours dow 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
Pillsbury. 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 a towering mountain,
an immense iceberg, or a fall OF
water such as Niagara, but when one
remembers that the mighty torrent,
speeding on hour by hour and day by
day in volume equal to all the lar
gest rivers OF the world combined.
carrying its benelcent heat to tenn
per 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.
Influence on Fortunes.
1T is interesting to note in the
history 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 carried by the
Gulf Stream and by the prevailing
winds from America. so that in part,
the stream 10 responsible for the dis
covery of the New World. Ponce de
Leon, while searching for the foun-
tain of Youth. discovered this
stream. He sailed southwark along
the coast OF Florida thus stemming
the current. He says they found
q current that, though the wind was
good, they could not stems 1t seemed
that their vessls were going fast
through the water, but they were be-
ing driven back in spite OF the strong
and favorable wind. One shin was
soon carried away by the current and
lost from sight, although 1t 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 river and the Gulf
Stream, chiefly to the Mississippi. In
actual fact about 1000 such rivers
would be required. In the tropicaI
regions there is 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 frfc-
ton. At first it is only the merest
skim that moves, but gradually tbe
motion is communicated from layer
to layer until at last, If the wind is
long continued as in the trade wind
region, the movement extends 10 INV
er depths. 500 or 400 feet. or ner-
4 haps more. These trade wind snr::
rents continue across the Carribean
Euntil they reach the obstruction AZ
4 the Honduras and Fucatan coast