Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-09-03
THE AURoRAL LIGHTS.

The auroral phenomena of the night of the
18th of August, and of the morning of the ID
of September have probably attracted more
general attention among learned and scientific
men than was ever given to such phenomena
before. The display on Friday morning,
though less marvellous in its manifestations
than that of Sunday night, we think far ex-
celled it in beauty. AT the time of our obser-
walton, between one and two o'clock A. NJ,
there was bright, rosy light between the east
and northeast, stretching upward to the zenith.
On either side the colors melted imperceptibly
into yellow, orange, and, in some places, a del
icate violet hue. The whole heavens, eXcepta
small portion in the north, were sutfused with
the most pleasing of tints, which though ap-
parently motionless, were evanescent and
changing, even while the eye was upon them.
There were no indications of disturbance and
storm, as on Sunday night; no streamers,
shooting arrows, brilliant corruscations, or
waves of light.
If we did not know it already, the electric
telegraph would show us the intimate connec-
ton between these auroral displays and that
mysterious, all-peryading something which
we call magnetism. Some very curious effects
of the aurora were observed Thursday even
ing by operators of the American Telegraph
Company. On the wires between Boston and
Portland, the auroral waves in the atmosphere
were substituted successfully for the batteries,
as we learn from communication relating to
the matter, published in the Traveller. The
immediate effect of the aurora has been to dis
turb the wires. On Thursday evening, when
the phenomenon approached the height of its
flashing briliancy, the following conversation
took place between the operators at Boston
and Portland =
"Boston Operator to Portland Operator
please cut off your battery entirely from the
line for fifteen minutes
Portland Operator-'Will do SO. 1t is now
disconnected
Boston-'Mine is also disconnected, and we
are working with the Auroral current. How
do you receive my writing 2
Observation-Disclosures than with our batteries
on. Current comes and goes rapidly
Boston-'My current is very strong at times,
and we can work better without batteries as
the Aurora seems to neutralize and augment
our batteries alternately, making current too
strong at times for our Relay magnets. Sup
pose we work without batteries while we are
affected by this trouble
Portland-'Very well. Shall l go ahead
with business!
Boston-'Yes. Go ahead.'"
And they report that the line was worked
more than two hours without the regular bat
teres, the auroral current being superior to
them, and quite as successfully managed. The
Traveller states that similar phenomenon were
observed on the telegraph line between Boston
and Cambridge. 1t may not be uninteresting
to our readers to recall some of the accounts
given of similar displays OF auroral light in
previous years. On the night of the 2Sth of
August thirty-two years ago, there was
magnificent display of The kind which was de-
scribed thus, in the Spy of September 9Th:
at appeared about ten O'Clock at night i'm
100, e setting of the moon, a.
icbt tbo rboi AZ