The New York herald., 1922-10-05
GULF STREAM STILL
KEEPING ITS COURSE
Weather Bureau Blames
Florida Resort Boosters
for Reporting Change.
CURRENT OUTSIDE KEYS
Coral Reefs Which Railroad
Spans Are Not Within
It's Flow.
MANY TESTS ARE MADE
If Stream Were Shunted
Scientists Say. Europe Would
Not Suffer.
MANY TESTS ARE MADE
Special Dispatch to THF New YORK HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau.
Washington. ID. C.. Oct. 4 L

cptttut DloputrH tO L fF -NisW iohh 'iHhhhD'
New York Herald Bureau.
Washington, -. c.. Oct. f.
Scientists of the United States
Weather Bureau, after study of the
Gulf Stream and it's effect on the
weather of Europe, disagree with the
view of Prof. Berget. director of the
Bureau of Oceanograpfy in Paris, that
Europe is in danger of serious drop
in temperature because of the filling in
along the Florida East Coast Railway.
The railroad work cannot possibly
interfere with the Gulf Stream, in the
opinion of Weather Bureau experts,
who base their stand on the fact that
the chain of coral reefs over which the
railroad has been built is we'll off to
one side and not in the course of the
Gulf Stream
Even il the Gulf Stream were sent
out of it's channel they believe the ef-
feet on the weather of Europe would
not be severe. certainly not to the ex-
tent pictured by Prof. Berget. who
asserts that in winter the temperature
would go to 40 degrees below zero and
In summer to point too cold to grow
food crops
bureau Finds Proof Lacking.
The weather experts. who are in touch
with meteorologists all over the world,
have been hearing through scientific
channels for several months that the
Gulf Stream had been diverted from its
course and that this was having an et-
feet on European weather. Satisfactory
data which might show this has never
been produced, however, although it has
been looked for in the mass of reports
received daily at the Weather Bureau
Prof Berget's statements contained
i'm Paris cable TO THE New YORK
HERALD were discussed to-day by DR..
c. c. Clark acting chief of the Weather
Bureau and his assistants. including
Or H. f. F'rankenfield and Prof. y. f.
n.y.. both meteoroogists. and f. u.
Tingley in charge of the marine reports
- burenu. They We're in agreement
that the Gulf Stream is in the course
l., which II has been travelling ever
since it's movements first were traced.
and also that even if the course were
changed the effect on the weather OF
Europe would be negligible.
Weather Bureau officials said state
ments that the Gulf Stream has changed
it's course were dre to large extent
10 advertisements 9f Florida cities v hich
seek to attract travellers because OF the
favorable weather Every now and then
one of these Florida resorts, trying 10
elbow its way in for some of the winter
tourist business, sets up the assertion
that its weather now is better than 1t
was wears ago, assigning as the reason
change In the course OF the CUR
Stream.
Work of Resort Boosters.
These assertions are to be held with
out foundation In fact, simply the onin-
ion of persons who want to boost their
towns and who are misled as many
other persons are about changes in ell
mate The taking of records year after
year has shown. according to the OBJ
servers that there has been no change.
THE case is similar to that OF the
average man who insists that the win
ters are not so severe as they used to
be-" DR.. Clark explained. The truth
OF the matter is that the average
is lust the same now 1t always has
been. As a man grows older he looks
back on few isolated weather condi-
tions and accepts 1t as the whole"
Prof. Henry declared IL to be. ridicu-
lous to suppose that the building OF
railroad along the Florida keys and the
consequent filling up between the keys
would have any influence on the Gulf
stream. The current Is so SWIFT ana
strong that 1t would tear down any seri-
Gus obstruction, in his plnion. The ba-
Sis for asserting tn. the railroad work
has not influence the stream, however.
is that the line is well off from the
stream and that there flows between a
counter current which ships use in go
ling to the southwark.
even IL the Gulf Stream should be
stopped" Dr. Frankenfield said, "it
would have lttle or no difference on the
weather OF Europe. Long studies have
been made of the effect Of the Gulf
stream on the European countries and
the researches have shown that while
there is some influence it is not great
"'rhe British Isles benefit most from
the warm air that is carried along with
the stream, but even then the effect Is
only along the coast. | should say that
the average benefit does not exceed one
and half to two degrees In the in
terror this Is not felt at all. the weather
being governed entirely by local and
other conditions.
'"The fact of the matter is that during
the last ten years European nations
those In Central Europe particularly
have been enjoying milder winters. A
complete report of this appears In the
Meteorological Magazine published in
London which arrived in Washington
fo-dav'