The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1955-05-13
Meanderings Of The Gulf Stream
And Delights Of Our Coastland
inspires This Travellers Words
Philadelphia Man Pens Entertaining Recital of The Journeys
Which Brings Him TO An Appreciation of NJ c. Coast and
Gives Complete Estimate Of Gulf Streams Value to H.

Stream until the extreme north tip
of that curve again is in close
proximity to the Gulf Stream,
namely at Cape Hatteras.
The better to illustrate the
above fact, if we draw straight
line between the Palm Beaches or
slightly north of them, and Cape
Hatteras, we will approximate the
direction of the northward flow of
the Gulf Stream and also approx
mate the location of its inner edge,
and from this a number of sound
conclusions can be drawn.
For example, it becomes easily
understandable why the southeast
coast of Florida from few miles
north of the Palm Beaches is by
far the most tropical part of all of
Florida. Hence this comparatively
small area attracts, proportion
ately, the larger number of visitors
and too explains why in this area
is found the greatest concentration
of wealth in the form of property
values, etc., which in turn explains
why this area is called the GOLD
COAST of Florida, or in other
words without the influence of the
close in Gulf Stream along this
strip of coast, all of central and
southern Florida on both coasts
would be quite similar as to eli
mate.
Personally, I do not care too
much for the tropics or, in fact,
any part of Florida during the
summer months which, if not hot
ter or even as hot as other states
is certainly very, very long drawn
out, and this explains why / am
now on the splendid coast of North
Carolina.
But keeping to my subject, the
diagram above mentioned also ex-
plains why Jacksonville is so cold
in wintermonths, namely because
| it is some IS miles west of the
Palm Beaches and consequently
approximately that much farther
away from the Gulf Stream, in
addition of course to being some
$50 airline miles farther north.
Savannah, by the same token, is
farther away from the Gulf
Stream than any other coastal
point between the Palm Beaches
and Cape Hatteras.
On the beach during winter at
Delray Beach, Florida, and Fort
Lauderdale, l have seen visitors
looking toward the eastern horizon
and observing the cloud formations
gathered there have heard them
exclaim, "there must be storm
coming up" But the fact is that
those clouds are formed by the
warm air rising from the Gulf
Stream to meet the cooler over
head air. From these vantage
points the Gulf Stream is so close
that the inner edge can be seen
with the naked eye, especially
| when the wind shifts to the north
and blows strongly. 1t is then that
the Gulf Stream under its own
momentum of about knots PEI
hour at this point, bucks" the
wind and kicks up wild sea, the
deep blue crests of which can be
seen from the shore.
Another interesting evidence OF
the nearness of the Gulf Stream
to the southeast coast of Florida,
if any be needed, is the c beans
which are sometimes found on the
beaches south of Palm Beach and
nowhere else in Florida. These
beans are highly priced by tourist
"beach combers." Where do these
beans come from and what is their
connection with the Gulf Stream :?
Always growing three to a pod,
these beans overhang the banks Of
the Amazon River in Brazil. When
ripe the pods open and drop the
beans into the river on which cur
rent they are carried to the ocean
and find their way into the South
Equatorial current, thence into the
Gulf Stream and later after a
| journey of some thousands of miles
and many months are washed up
on the shores of southeast Florida
| in small and hard to find numbers.
In size they are about as large and
as round as a quarter, slightly
oval and about u of an inch thick.
Inside, the contents are not unlike
that of chestnut in appearance.
Outside, they are colored a rich
mahogany and take beautiful
polish. The name C bean comes not
from the fact that they are washed
up from the sea but because of
the jet black letter c which ex-
tends around the edge or circum-
ference, almost as If inlaid by the
hand of mastercraftsman.
know of no other beach on the
entire Gulf and Atlantic coast Of
Florida where these beans are
found, but Significantly enough ]
have found them on the beach at
CAPE HATTERAS; AS for the
oranges and grapefruit Aycock
! p~o..yu Cfakac oro ~ Ia found