THE GULF STREAM 



from Yucatan, Mexico, is about one hun- 

 dred miles wide and has a depth of 1,200 

 fathoms. 



The first obstacle the stream encounters 

 is the so-called Sigsbee Deep in the middle 

 of the Gulf of Mexico. Here the water is 

 2,000 fathoms deep and being dense and 

 cold it turns the current toward the Mexi- 

 can coast. When it encounters the 100 

 fathom curve of the shore line, it circles first 

 northward and then eastward toward the 

 Straits of Florida. 



The Straits of Florida are but little over 

 ninety miles wide and have a depth of but 

 350 fathoms. Here the congestion of the 

 waters forces the stream along at an in- 

 creasing pace, carrying with it great quan- 

 tities of gulf -weed brought from the islands 

 of the Caribbean. 



The maximum speed of the Gulf Stream 

 is nearly 4 knots. 



Turning northward it receives a fresh 

 impetus by plunging into deep water over 

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