The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1915-10-06
THE GULF STREAM
Ut Is the Grandest of All Terres-
trial Phenomena.
N MIGHTY RIVER IN THE SEA.

Billions Of Tons Of Water Are WhirIed
Along Hourly In This Wonderful
Torrent, Whose Bsneficent Influence
Is Felt All Around the World.
Ninety billion tons of water are car
ried hourly through the strait of Flor.
ida by the gulf stream. according
to Rear Admiral John E. Pillsbury.
U. s. ~. in a communication to the
National Geographic society at Wash.
fngtsn. This stream. he says. is prob
ably the grandest and most mighty of
any terrestrial phenomenon.
'If this one single hours flow of wa
ter could be evaporated the remaining
salts would require many times more
than all the ships in the world to carry
It," says Admiral Pillsbury.
at is difficult for the mind to grasp
the immensely of the great ocean riv-
er. When one is on board a 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 tower.
ing mountain. an immense iceberg or
fall of water such as Niagara.
"But when one remembers that the
mighty torrent, speeding on hour by
hour and day by day in a volume
equal to all the largest rivers of the
world combined. carrying its benefi-
cent heat to temper the climate of con-
tinents, one begins to realize that OF
all the forces of the physical world
none can equal this one river of the
ocean.
ut 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 fire.
Quently found on the shores of Eu-
rope. Some of these were seen by
Columbus and to him were convincing
1evideace that strange lands were to the
westward. These woods were carried
by the gulf stream and by the prevail
ing winds from America, so that In
part the stream is responsible for the
discovery Of the new world.
"Psnce de Leon. while searching for
rthe fountain of youth, discovered this
stream. He sailed southwark 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 water, 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
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 regions there is
steady movement of the air from east
10 west, known as the trade winds
Winds blowing over the surface of the
water induct current in the latter due
to friction. At first 1t Is only the
merest skin that moves. but gradually
the motion is communicated from lay
er to layer until at last. If the wind is
long continued as in the trade wind re
giOn. the movement extends to lower
depths. 800 or 400 feet or perhaps
more.
These trade wind currents continue
across the Caribbean until they reach
the obstruction Of the Honduras and
|. Yucatan coasts. from which they es-
cape into the gulf OF Mexico.
Another source of the gulf stream
is the wave caused by the wind. Ev.
cry ripple carries a certain amount of
water In the direction toward which
it Is flowing, irrespective OF the current
caused. by its friction. and when the
waves become large tons OF water are
hurled from the crest into the trough
every time the wave breaks.
"In large area like the Caribbean.
having a comparatively constant wind
blowing over its whole surface. this
action Is practically a simultaneous
movement 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 Its 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."
To Bore Iron.