Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1851-09-20
AURORA BoREALIs.
To the Editors efas National LntelEgme~ !.


To the Editors fthe National LntelEgmeer.
i SAVANNAH, Sxrr. 8, 1851.
MrssRs. ESIroRs The appearance Of an aurora Boreal
our latitude. and especially this Of the year. is
svsn of such deserve particular motto.
was my good fortune to be Of party Of four who
joyed splendid spectacle Of this kind, early the mornn
Of Wednesday, the 4th instant
/ melancholy duty had summoned ne the day before
Of the islands coast After dischsgng the office
which had brought together repaired the ,nsio
Of its late owner to spend the night Deeply impressed by th
solemn services in which had just shared felt lt
disposed to sleep and accordingly seated ourselves in ih
piazza to ENJOY the serenity of the evening and the esf
breezes from the ocean, which was in full view.
The topics for remark which the occasion suggested had
nsensby prolonged conversation far into the night On
turning our attention to the heavens perceived that the
had set and that the winter consultations of Taurus
Orion, and Sirius fast advancing towards the meridian
The wind blowing steadily little north Of the
mosphere remarkably dry and pure, though numerous
thin gray, vapoy clouds gathering and scattering
quick succession head The stars every where
shining with uncommon brightness
One of party, who had just ejoned us having asked
the hour, was answered that the dawn beginning TO
break; and cmsonlooking clouds, then first noticed,
pointed evidence Of the fact But this notion
instantly reued by watches, which agreed in point
ing about three o'clock occurred to that the
redness in the sky which growing percepby stronger
might be caused by FIRE in the city Of Savannah Our
prehensions this score, however, removed
taking bearings il found that the light
the norha quarter not corresponding with the direction Of
the city. In the next instant AurovG Boredls " the
general exclamation, simultaneously made, and scarcely
the words uttered when the unduatons Of the light upward
ly confirmed the truth of the conjecture.
The luminous portion Of the sky occupied space of
forty five degrees height and from sixty seventy
degrees in breadth, though occasionally varying less
in either direction 1t consisted vertically, Of three dvisions
the eastern central and The first and last exhibit
ed nearly parallel columns Of light Of delicate green color
Those Of the division very bread and it's extreme
edge the sky in perfectly straight sharp line through
the whole distance. The western portion divided in
bright green srsaks and of less BREADTH
and the conuscaiions kept up lively play. Whether
from this cause the presence of vapos the western exe
nifty vanished from the view, too ndsncty to be traced
by the eye Yet these beautiful they could only be
regarded the frame the pcurehe setting the da
nondn comparison with the gorgeous display in the
Steamers Of pale red hue floating up and down
the sky, varying bisncy at various times and places at
recedng jmy into the distance and at the
flashing forth with renewed powers of Illumination This
changes in the details of clouds gradually rolled mp
from the horizon in heavy volumes, which, after s,taning
slight elevations remained stationary neither encroachng up
on the meteor nor recedng it. for some lapse of time
The scene at length shifted Instead Of waves or columns
Of light the displayed ruddy suhson in the shape
of Jagged irregular circle The light intense at
the Of tho circle and gradually diminished towards the
circumference passing into deep, dull brown, especially in
the neghborhood Of the clouds umutuOus rush of the
electric fluid seemed to have taken place from the east to the
west from the green to the red divisions This dec
dedy the most interesting aspect Of the phenomenon but
luckily, the clouds Of which have just spoken joined by
bodies Of them from the east prevented from connu
ing observations and by 3h. Som. the Northern Lights
entirely hid from view. Still occasional flashes of cleo
ica light reflected back by elevated clouds
in the south, ntmang that this mysterious agent Of
had not yet ceased to "psy fantastic tricks before high
Heaven"
Other portions Of the sky, both during and after the con-
tnuance Of the phenomenon, filed with mutudes of
clouds Of the kind known tho Cirrus Cucloud every
particle Of which necessarily in notion At times, black
Of them would obscure the largest consultations
coming could say WHENCE and them separating into
several smaller bodies, vanish mysteriousy they bad
We could only say, the watch said Of Hamles
ghost, eetis here!" ss'tis here" "'tis gone!"
H. KIP