The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1956-02-03
WEATHER
CONTINUED from Page One)

not been above so this year.
Why the Labrador Current is
suddenly stronger than the Gulf
Stream is something that nobody
around the Island will venture a
guess at, but the prevailing notion
is that this phenomenon has lot
to do with the curiousness of the
weather, not only here but in the
Southeastern area generally, with
severe cold extending as far south
as the point-of-origin of the Gulf
Stream.
Inshore from the Lightship wa
ter temperatures, both north and
/ west of the Point which normally
show differential of 25 degrees
or so, have been in the low 30s
and in consequence good many
strange things have been happen
ing on the Point and around it. At
the first onset of polar water three
weeks ago the ocean heaved might
| lily, with the Labrador current
i eddying at 3O-mile intervals down
the beach with somewhat disas-
trous results. A second phenonme-
non is the complete upset of the
calving of the porpoise and a third
is a vast accumulation of strange
ocean creatures lying dead on the
beach.
PROPOSES Elsewhere
Normally at the full moon in
January there are literally hun
dreds of porpoises in the Blight of
Hatteras, come there to relatively
calm and relatively warm water
to give birth to their young. This
full moon only three porpoise were
observed in all the reach of the
Blight, but Dirvhing apparently con-
tinues as usual well to the south
east where the Gulf Stream has
not surrendered wholly to the
cold invader. Crewmen on the
lightship report very little activity
in their area.
But of the predominance of the
Labrador Current, they have enugh
and to spare in the way of evil
dence and it was from these men
that the eddy" theory of the
southwark movement of cold water
derived. They point to the great
swirl of water that hit the beach
at Kitty Hawk. Thirty miles south
of there it swirled again, broke
over 15-foot dykes at Pea Island,
and took a 60-foot bite out of the
pavement. Thirty miles south, and
three miles north of the Light
house, it appeared to swirl again
and piled five feet of sand over
the pavement.
Except at these three points
there was little damage from
high seas. From here the current
swirled out toward the Outer Dia-
monds and the Lightship, moving
in dreary leaden gray swells, over
flowing the whole reach of the
shoals and turning the waters of
the Blight cold and gray. The pre-
vailing winds have been northerly,
or north-easterly, adding their
strength to the power of the cold
current.
Very Rough
But the Gulf Stream has not
wholly surrendered, as may be
seen from the last days tempera-
ture reading available. At z
O'Clock in the morning the water
was a warm IA degrees and the
sea smooth, calm. By noon. the
water temperature had dropped ia
Ga and the sea reported trough. !"
Six hours later the water tempera-
ture was down to 80 and the note
added sea very rough" The extra
'r" was for emphasis.
Professional weather observers
here, and elsewhere, concern them
selves only with above-surface
temperatures but the weather-wise
native, long schooled in the ways
Of the sea, is inclined to pay every
heed to the oceans moods-a and
its temperatures. Native-born Act
ing Group Commander Dudley
Burrus, returning from two-day
expedition a. sra with tn, SO
footer engaged in its winter firing
practice, reported that the Cuff