Thibodaux minerva. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 18??-1858, 1854-08-26
The Aurora Borealis.

The Paris correspondent of the "Scientif
American" says that de la Rive, the celebrate
natural philosopher of Geneva, has recent
published long memoir on the Aurora Borealis
with specuations as to its origin and the in
cidental phenomena which accompany it:
This learned philosopher attributes then
wholly to electromagnetic causes; the terres
trial globe, he says uniformly acts as larg
magnet. and is magnetic poles do not coincd
with the poles Of rotation; furthermore, the at
mosphere is continually charged with porativ
electricity, which is accumulated in its superio
regions, and this electricity whether it is dis
engaged by the action of vegetation on the sur
face of the earth,-or by the continued eyapor
alton caused by solar heat, this being as yet al
open question: must be expended and neutral
lied, or the electrical tension of the atmosphere
instead of being contained within it's actua
limits, would go continually increasing. IL
our ATTITUDES, and under the equator, the dis
charge IS effected by rains, winds, thunder
| storms, &C., but these are in their nature in
constant, and nature is obliged to resort to 8
more regular and constant method of etfectino
the electrical naturalization.
De la Rive. therefore, supposes that the por-
| ative electricity which abounds in the superior
regions of the atmosphere, moves with perfect
| freedom in them from their extreme rarefacton
and that the electric fluid takes advantage OF
the facility to go to the nearest pole. Here it
returns to the earth by continued gentle flow,
which is greatly aided by the immense quantity
of frozen particles floating in the air; then, in
stead of returning to the ground in single
flash, as we ordinarily see it passing from clouds
of liquid particles, it descends to the earth by
CrnIuo1Iv I'll tn fro
zen particle, exciting, by partial discharges, in
Vulnerable small aigrettes, which sngly in
visible, and yet whose total sum together pre-
sents the beautiful appearances of the aurora
as we know it.
These currents having once reached the earth,
give rise to other currents, which in turn act
upon the magnetic needle. These electrical dis
charges taking place constantly, but with vary
ing intensity, according to the state of the at
mosphere, the Aurora Borealis must be daily
phenomena, although with varying intensity !;
its visibility extends also to varying distances,
and depends also upon the clearness and trans
parency of the atmosphere during the night
1t may be asked why the phenomena is con-
centrated around the circumference of circle,
and is prolonged in parallel columns, and is
placed on the line of the magnetic axis of the
globe, and why it is animated with an undu-
these phenomena accompanying the Aurora; these
questions are answered by u slight change in
troduced into the well-known experiment of the
"electricai egg" which consists in transmitting
electricity from one to the other pole in an ex-
hausted receiver. De la Rive magnetzes at
will one of the two poles: when neither are
the common phenomena take place,
but as soon as either of them become magnetized,
the light is distributed so as to form ring, very
much in the form of the Aurora and presenting,
like it, a gyratory motion. In the equatorial
regions, where frozen particles are wanting,
De la Rive considers that the discharge takes
place by the direct or indirect action of this law
SPAIN.-The Paris Constitutional, in d long
account of the revolution at Madrid, gives sew
sral interesting particulars of the family and |
past history of O'Donnell, who is in reality the
read and front of the rebellion. In the begin
ing OF the last century, some one hundred |
md fifty years ago, the O'Donnells first made
heir appearancein Spain, and since that period, |
lone, they have always had hand in it, on one |
ide or the other. The family is Irish, of course,
md the present leader of the revolt has strong
dilesian face. Out of four brothers., he was
he only one who took sides with Queen Isabella,
n the death of Ferdinand, the others all taking
he part of Don Carlos. He is said to be an ex-
client officer, and has won all his grades on
he field of battle These have been taken away
rom him by royal decree Narvaez shorten
d his term of office as Captain General of Cuba,
nd up to within short period by turns they
ave been hostile to each other but they are
ow playing into each others hands, as the say
lg is. In 1914 or '45, was present at grand
1aeaon in Havana, the launch of man of war
oryette; if | mistake not, she was christened
y the Archbishop as Isabella Segunda, as al
lost all the vessels in the Spanish navy are
AIMED after that paragon of domestic virtue.
'Donnell was then Captain General, and Ulua
as Admiral of the fleet and as the former
'enched in some war upon the perogatives of
lie latter, there was quite sharp spat between
lem on board the corvette. Among other
lings, the Admiral touchy and waspish old {
How, told his adversary that there were Uluas s
Spain before there were O'Donnells in Ireland
i'd that no man wearing the latter name should |
Ike precedence of him, the Admiral, especially |
the water. have no idea as to how they i
lally settled their quarrel. At one time O Dom t
IL has been rigid absolutist, at another he I
Is advanced ultra liberal notions of govern b
ent. In the present struggle, no matter which G
lrty gains the ascendancy, the poor country S
I'd its inhabitants will groan and suffer as of a
d. Revolution is the rule in Spain, and tran $
lility the exception and so it will continue to t
SO long as she exists as a nation. a
FACTS IN HUMAN LIPE-The number Of Ian v