title: How do I split a single pandas.DataFrame row into multiple columns delimited by space? Python
body: <p>I am working with NCEI marine data which are .dat files without headers, using python (<a href="https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/data/marine/icoads3.0/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/data/marine/icoads3.0/</a> for the files) 
  They look like:</p>
  
  <pre><code>166210151200 4962 35378 1306    101134     NL 1585 26                                                        165 17796730133 5 0                   2FF11FF11AAAAAAAAAAAA     98150000003002199 0 NAN     NATIONAAL ARCHIEF OF THE NETHERLANDS              DEN HAAG  NEDERLAND     1.11.01.01     1229             AANW                                   112                            AAN_1229_112                  DUTCH                         0493800N 102600E493700N         2 1TENERIFE                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           0 21662101512         3         VM    8UNKNOWN        MAARSEVEEN                    DUTCH                  VOC                               M. GERRITSZ. BOOS             OPPERSTUURMAN                                                                                                                          ROTTERDAM                                    BATAVIA                                           0                                                  0977.216621015WZW                    7.00                                                                                                        UNKNOWN        UNKNOWN                                       UNKNOWN360 DEGREES                                                                                                                                                                                                 ZZO                                                                                                                                                                            MOU (?) KOELTE                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      00000000CLIWOC VERSION 1.0
  166210161300 4907 35215 1306    101134     NL 1585 26                                                        165 17797730133 5 0                   2FF11FF11AAAAAAAAAAAA     98150000013002199 0 NAN     NATIONAAL ARCHIEF OF THE NETHERLANDS              DEN HAAG  NEDERLAND     1.11.01.01     1229             AANW                                   112                            AAN_1229_112                  DUTCH                         0490400N  84800E                1 1TENERIFE                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           0 21662101612         3         VM    8UNKNOWN        MAARSEVEEN                    DUTCH                  VOC                               M. GERRITSZ. BOOS             OPPERSTUURMAN                                                                                                                          ROTTERDAM                                    BATAVIA                                           0                                                  0977.216621015ZW 1/2 N              18.00                                                                                                        UNKNOWN        UNKNOWN                                       UNKNOWN360 DEGREES                                                                                                                                                                                                 ZZO                                                                                                                                                                            MOU KOELTE                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          00000000CLIWOC VERSION 1.0
  166210171300 4812 35000 1306    101134     NL 1695 26                                                        165 17680730133 5 0                   2FF11FF11AAAAAAAAAAAA     98150000023002199 0 NAN     NATIONAAL ARCHIEF OF THE NETHERLANDS              DEN HAAG  NEDERLAND     1.11.01.01     1229             AANW                                   112                            AAN_1229_112                  DUTCH                         0483000N  63900E480700N         2 1TENERIFE                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           0 21662101712         3         VM    8UNKNOWN        MAARSEVEEN                    DUTCH                  VOC                               M. GERRITSZ. BOOS             OPPERSTUURMAN                                                                                                                          ROTTERDAM                                    BATAVIA                                           0                                                  0977.216621015ZWTW                  15.00                                                                                                        UNKNOWN        UNKNOWN                                       UNKNOWN360 DEGREES                                                                                                                                                                                                 ZTO                                                                                                                                                                            MOU KOELTE                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        MOOI WEER                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         00000000CLIWOC VERSION 1.0
  166210181300 4758 34925 1306    101134     NL 1695 26                                                        165 17670730133 5 0                   2FF11FF11AAAAAAAAAAAA     98150000033002199 0 NAN     NATIONAAL ARCHIEF OF THE NETHERLANDS              DEN HAAG  NEDERLAND     1.11.01.01     1229             AANW                                   112                            AAN_1229_112                  DUTCH                         0474100N  55400E473500N         2 1TENERIFE                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           0 21662101812         3         VM    8UNKNOWN        MAARSEVEEN                    DUTCH                  VOC                               M. GERRITSZ. BOOS             OPPERSTUURMAN                                                                                                                          ROTTERDAM                                    BATAVIA                                           0                                                  0977.216621015ZWTW                  11.00                                                                                                        UNKNOWN        UNKNOWN                                       UNKNOWN360 DEGREES                                                                                                                                                                                                 ZTO                                                                                                                                                                            MOU KOELTE                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        'ENN MOUT'?                                                                                                                                           REGEN                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       01000000CLIWOC VERSION 1.0
  166210191300 4757 34795 1306    101134     NL 1805 67                                                        165 17672730133 5 0                   2FF11FF11AAAAAAAAAAAA     98150000043002199 0 NAN     NATIONAAL ARCHIEF OF THE NETHERLANDS              DEN HAAG  NEDERLAND     1.11.01.01     1229             AANW                                   112                            AAN_1229_112                  DUTCH                         0473400N  43600E                1 1TENERIFE                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           0 21662101912         3         VM    8UNKNOWN        MAARSEVEEN                    DUTCH                  VOC                               M. GERRITSZ. BOOS             OPPERSTUURMAN                                                                                                                          ROTTERDAM                                    BATAVIA                                           0                                                  0977.216621015W/Z                   14.00                                                                                                        UNKNOWN        UNKNOWN                                       UNKNOWN360 DEGREES                                                                                                                                                                                                 Z                                                                                                                                                                              MARSZEILSKOELTE, TOUPKOULTE                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             REGEN                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       01000000CLIWOC VERSION 1.0
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>These are tab delimited files which I have been importing using</p>
  
  <pre><code>data = pd.read_table('file.dat', header=None)
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Which imports the data as x rows with a single column containing all the data. In the single column each datum is separated by white space. </p>
  
  <p>Is there a way in which I can import this data into columns or read the data variable and split each row into columns based on the white space. I thought that is what I was doing with the read.table function. The full dataset is large so I would prefer a method to import them over having to process them after. </p>