Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-12-11
THE GULF STREAM
FrnnltIin's Theory OF Origin Possesses
Many Advocates mt Present

u
Recent reports of seamen concerning
the present excessive temperature Of the
waters Of the Gulf Stream. to which
some experts attribute the heat wave
along the Atlantic coast, prompted the
National Geographic society to issue
bulletin concerning this mighty current.
The bulletin, based on a communities
ton from Rear Admiral John l.. Pills-
bury, L. S. N. president Of the National
Geographic society and the worlds fore
most authority on the Gulf Stream, fol-
lows:
The Gulf Stream IL probably the
grandest and most mighty OF any ter
restrial phenomenon. Its waters are
characterized by a deep indigo blue col
or of great clearness and high tempera-
ture II can be penetrated by the eye to
considerable depths, and generally its
meeting with the less saline polar wa
tiers can be at once distinguished.
ct is difficult for the mind to grasp
the immensely of this great ocean river.
The Straits Of Florida at its narrowest
point IL about 40 miles wide A calcu-
lation of the average volume of water
passing in one hour gives the enormous
sum Of 90 billion tons. II this one single
hours flow of water could be evaporated
the remaining salts would require many
times more than all the ships In the
world to carry 1t.
"when one is on board a vessel
floating upon its waters. one Is not as
much impressed at the power and
grandeur OF nature as he is when he
stands before towering mountain. an
immense iceberg, or q fall of water
such an Niagara. but when one remem-
bers that the mighty torrent. speeding
on hour by hour and day by day in a
volume equal to all the largest rivers
in the world combined carrying it's
benefcient 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.
Ponce de Leon, while on his famous
search for the Fountain of Youth. made
the discovery of this great stream. At
ter HI. allure to find, on the coast of
uppel prida, the means of cheating
death, turned to the southwark and
skirted the shore for hundreds of miles.
thus stemming the current.
"The name of gulf stream was first
suggested by Benjamin Franklin be-
cause it issues from the Golf of Mex
leo. While it is only part of the grand
scheme of ocean circulation, and the
Gulf of Mexico is in reality only a
stopping place, as 1t were. for its
waters, this name is generally applied
to the current now as 1T was given by
Franklin--that is, the current coming
from the Gulf of Mexico and spread
ing abroad over the North Atlantic
THE theories as to the cause Of
ocean currents have been many.
n
advocates at the present day. was that
| the winds produce the current by the
| air moving over the surface of the
water. and he illustrated this theory
| by the following: 1T is known that
large piece of water 10 miles broad
and generally only 3 feet deep, has
by strong wind had it's water driven
to one side and sustained so as to be-
come s feet deep, while the windward
side was laid dry. AS will be seen Ia
ter. this Is a well-taken example of the
force of the wind In causing the Gulf
Stream. but it does not quite show the
whole of the truth.
I'm the tropical regions there is a steady
movement of the air from east to west
known as the trade winds. South of a
certain line situated near the equator
these winds flow from southwesterly
come from a more northeasterly direc-
ton. The winds are not always strong
nor are they constant in direction, bu,
they do not vary much, and then only
for brief periods.
| Winds blowing over the surface of the
| water induce a current in the latter due
| to friction. At first 1t Is only the meres
skim that moves. but gradually the mo-
ton is communicated from layer to layer
until at last. If the wind is long continued
as in the trade wind region, the move
ment extends to lower depths, 800 or 4N
feet, or perhaps more.
'"These trade wind currents NEE
finally. the partial barrier of the islands
forming the eastern part of the Carib
bean, and a portion of the flow escape!
through the passages between them
From here 1t continues it's course across
that sea until 1t reaches the obstruction
of the Honduras and Yucatan coasts
from which it escapes by the easiest route
which is into the Gulf Of Mexico.
1T has been found, however. that tn
water entering the Caribbean by thi
means is not more than one-half Of tn
amount which flows through the Strait
of Florida from the Gulf of Mexico. an,
the other half is supplied from a sourc
which does not come under the head O
n measurable current. The other sourc
is the wave caused by the wind. Ever,
ripple carries a certain amount Of waite
in the direction toward which 1t 10 flow
ing, irrespective of the current cause,
by its friction, and when the waves be
come large, tons of water are hurle,
from the crest into the trough ever,
time the wave breaks
I'm large area like the Caribbean
having comparatively constan
wind blowing over it's whole surface
this action is practically simultan
eous movement Of it's surface water
to the westward and a continual es
cape of the water heaped up at tn
obstruction offered by the land int
the Gulf of Mexico. through tn
; Straits of Florida, and into the AT
lantic.
"The Gulf Stream would he Mttl
, felt on the coast of Europe did il no
receive n great addition to it's volum
or heat when en- route. This Is b
means of ii gentle flow from the north
east trade wind current that passe
outside the Caribbean Islands and tn
bahamas. The surface temporarily
Of this outside current is about tn
, same in it's passage along the Wee
Indian Islands as the Gulf Stream /
, the Straits Of Florida, but it is les
, violent IN it's movements and there
less intermingling of its upper an
lower waters, so that 1t arrives OF
, Cape Hatteras with a much highe
temperature than that of the NOR
; turbulent Gulf Stream"