The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1958-03-21
MUSINGS ON LIFE
AT CAPE HATTERAS
BY MacNEILL

Not one of them, nor all of them
huffing and putting together,
could do anything about it and l
have no wish to incite them to
even try to do anything about it
but it would, insofar as us Hat
teras Islanders are concerned, add
a little sense to their hourly ponti-
fications about the weather if they
would just occasionally mention
the fact that this winter our Gulf
Stream has mighty near froze. 1t
has been the coolest of record.
There was an appalling morning
not long ago when they reported
casually the fact that the air temp
erature-not the water tempera-
ture at Diamond Shoals = made
Cape Hatteras the coolest place in
North Carolina by two degrees.
Even Mt. Mitchell was warmer
than it was reported to be here,
where we usually in winter man
age be at least nine degrees warm
er than anywhere else and, in sum-
mer, cooler by about the same mar
gin.
Ut may be deduced that, in my
old age, l have succumbed to the
radio. I confess it with appropriate
shame. l had little to do with it.
A lady with the best of intentions
sent me an electric blanket for
Christmas. Not wishing to be ere
mated in my bed, l declined it and
the lady's messenger took it back
and traded it in for a small radio,
and I have discovered with dismay
that every crossroads now has its
broadcasting station and every sta
ton has its weather expert.
(These experts-there is one
some 70 miles due west of here
who speaks in perfect Charleston
csc and manages to be very cute
besides-prattle learnedly about
fronts and pressures and counter
clockwise rotations and almost in
variably manage to be as wrong as
possible Eight of the nine I
listened to this morning promised
me bright, sunny day. The sun
draped itself with a cloud about
an hour ago and looks now like it
will spend the whole day pouting
behind it,
Not one of the authorities COM
, peting for my attention this
morning mentioned the water
temperature down yonder at the
Point of the Cape, or under the
keel of the Lightship IA miles
southeast of this house. Norfolk
WTAR has the soundest of these
weather people but that station is
rarely heard here for technical and
uncomfortable reasons. He always
mentions the water temperature
here and at Chesapeake and so do
the Norfolk newspapers but that is
about all.)
Comparative water temperatures
began to concern me decade ago
when l set out to explore the phe-
nomena that make up this enchant-
ed country. Ordinarily and on the
average over the years there is a
difference of % degrees between
here and Chesapeake Lightship
14O miles north of here and with
the help of one of our ablest surf
casters, using a Photographic Their
mometer, l have noted difference
of 10 degrees on the north and
south side of the Point itself.
Something has been happening
to our ocean this winter. Among
other things, it contains Goldfish
itinerants from Cape Cod and the
Grand Banks. 1t is the first time
that has happened in 81 years, ac-
cording to my senior councillors
around here, Martin Tolson and
the redoubtable Mace Jennette +.
My point is, if / have one, that
the meteorologists and the ocean
ographers ought to get together
and see if they can figure out what
is going on. Even the youngest of
my neighbors over at the Coast
Guard station, who report on the
water four times a day know that
it is not going to be any warmer
until the Gulf Stream resumes its
normal color and temperature.
We have here now the most mod
ern and the most deliberately
equipped Weather Station on the
eastern seaboard and it is ably
stated. They are not allowed to
forecast the weather, to be sure.
That is done by electronic ma
chimes in Washington. They send
up balloons twice a day that some
times reach attitudes of 100000
feet and send down strange data.
/ But these people are never allowed
to know what the water tempera-
ture is Is miles away from them.
They have a wind-measuring de-
vice now right out on the Point
of the Cape but it will, or at least
has not, yet recorded such winds
as are encountered by balloons 20
! ill., ol1..1 a IT, AL1..o Al Il