Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1859-09-14

tlrst there was red glare as If thrown upwards BY
blazing ship; then this seemed mixed with gigantic
stripes which melted into something like the beams shot
forth by the rising bursts in glory DER
sleeping world again this changed into the melowing
light of the queeny moon wading her nightly In
azure heaven and then, ii the irradated by
Sol while the light of night held her sccpre DER the far
stretching north. S other changes take place in this
shifting for the northwest reflects burning We
suyus beautifully studded with gerng stars. and du-
ring all this time might be beheld great dark clouds
shooting upwards between il and the sky, forming stri-
| king contrast the Illuminated opaque above.
The Natchez Courier that the display of Thursday
night still grander than that of the preceding Sun
day night Its editor observed 1t from to three
| o'clock, and thus describes IL -
Due north the heavens of a silver glow resem.
bling the early gray dawn Northeast and east it was
ii of fire about rise, usher ia a dAy of
warmer light than mortas prepared expect The
rich red glow of sprung up in Of light al.
most to the zenith with deep red colors and bril-
liant with electric phosphorescence Nor the shape
or color of the light steady. At moment il sprung
into broad band of white like a silver bow darling at
INTO existence ftfu in its display, aud disappearing
| in Of blood
| Like the Boresis race
| That Dit ere could point the place.
At another IL the deep red glare that gave the
warning of earthly conhagration. In the due west
dark cloud observed while from its Jagged edges
sprung forth the same strange illuminating light From
time time dared forth with almost the rapidy of
thought, and extended to and far beyond the zenith
white snowy pillars and scarlet the feryency and
zeal that betokened their aspirations heavenly home
Al O'Clock, although at the horizon the
light sufficient read the print of book
Bells on plantations the hour for work. while
good people in the neghborng of favctte thought
the world was to be at an end and the general eonagra
u"r az hand IL was indeed magnificent display OF the
light 81 the Onnpotent The electric arm was extended
and evident that beyond the two great lights
there Vas still other and richer light in the hollow His
great right hand
Az Galveston, in Texas. the aurora of Sunday night
was equally magnificent \ correspondent Of the Gal
weston Meas, who Witnessed it from the Observatory
The whole sky from Crsa Major to the Zodiac in the
east was occupied by the streams, spiral columns that
rose from the horizon Spread the same xent a.
sn exquisite roseae tint which faded returned and
moved from extreme the other of the panorama
Stately columns of light reaching up about ~ deg from
the horizon, moved in grave dcty westward about one
degree Tor every ninety seconds OF time Some of the
groups of towers preserved their form sufficiently to be
identified IN their march from the Milky Way to Ura Ma
Jor or some 40 degrees At 9 l.. NJ the whole of In.
stfeaAng had tsded leaving only of twilight over
the northern sky. We ceased observation II i proner
to remark that there frequent flashes of lightning
apparently from distant clouds, not less than loo miles
song the whole extent OF the aurora; but clouds
visible except single streak near the horizon which
at hrst misiook for the arch which the pyramids u
roral light usually rest 1t Is not probable however that
the atmospheric disturbances and general rains along
the northern sky bad ANYTHING do with the production
OF the aurora On the contrary mention il merely TO
sho" that the meteor was not cut oil impaired by the
Intervention OF storm, but had such altitude, and
was part OF so extended phenomenon TO be dis
turbed by any local atmo spheric movements At2A
NJ t@sh awoke, and perceving that it was very light
outside, rose and found the whole northern heavens
again on fire Ascending the Observatory was re.
paid by display have seen equalied since the
memorable aurora OF Sept 1859 The whole distance
before named was tinted with the hue-darker
nearly crmsoned at the two TANKS In the centre near
the meridian stood stuPendous pyramid of white light
with ITS apex near the zenith. ON either side some
twenty degrees, stood a pyramid OF ROSY light each
about sixty degrees in height and 10 exactly svmmetri.
cal positions The Palace OF the Syphid Queen" des-
eFoed by Drake must have seemed like this sublime ar
Its Iofty columns ge AIMING br!yht
Were stEeamers Of the Northern Iisht
Scarcely had sketched the outline of this noble spec
t1ce when faded and suddenly the columns into
small rpres IL by magic All drifted westward ana
faded; returned, and faded again and again
Tg l, m GsI,ai spread her cosy wins
The needle was agtated trembled aud danced during
the display showing its well established magnetic or elec.
tric character.
1t would appear according to Cincinnati paper, that
Kentucky man has been outdong Merriam in auroral
| MunChausenism IL is stated:
! The attention of Mr.. Adam Kiger, of Covington on
stepping into his lawn on Friday morning arrested
0y vast quantity OF silky fbrous floss living scattered
| At haphasard upon his shrubbery and grass Upon
touchng tress, or portion of it. he received q very
sensible although slight shock of electricity or galvan-
ISM Has attention being thus arrested he Immediately
summoned his domestcs and they proceeded at once to
gather considerable quantity of the dew-spanged fibre
which hr kigcr found, by actual weight after descca-
ton TO d" Two ounces seven grains, of which he
bottled for future inspection and experiment and some
| he made into skeins OF silk.
% lvu
Heights IN regard 10 the skery of the skies
We have before alluded TO the simpler effect of the
northern lights upon telegraph operations The Boston
operators found that during the continuance of the auro-
raj influences their only plan of sending messages by
dsconnectng their wires from the electric batteries and
working them entirely by the aurora current The fol-
loving recorded as the conversation between the ope
UtOrs OF the Boston and Portland Offices
BosTos TO Portland operatOrD-Please cut on YOUR
battery entirely from the line for fifteen minutes
PoRTLAND-I will 10 81. lt is disconnected
- il 4lz 4
ing with the auroral How do YOU receive NV
writing.
POETLASp-Beuer than with our batteries on The
current comes aud goes gradually.
BoToN-My current l. very strong AZ times and we
can work better without batteries the s-ems to
n"utralze and augment batteries alternately making
the current too strong times for our relay magnets
suppose We work without batteries while are affected
by this trouble
PoETLAsD-very well Shall 60 ahead with bust.
nessg
BosToS-Yes Go ahead
The Boston 1Hds, nluding to this circumstance adds
that the wires Weresworked for about hours with
out the usual batteries, the aurora curren orking
better az the operators state than with the batteries
connected The varied increasing and decress
ing alternately but by graduating the aduster
sufficiently steady effect produced to work the lines
with but little interruption
The remarkable effect ws= noticed at several 9th
er telegraph Offices Mr f. w. Royce the operator at
Washington, thus relates his experience
did not know that the aurora had made IL appear
ance until eight or hslEpast eight o'clock had been
working combination 10 Richmond and had great din.
Guilty from the changing Of the current IL seemed a. If
there was storm at Richmond. Concluding that this
was the case abandoned that wire and tried 10 work
the Northern wire but with the same difficulty For
i've or ten minutes would have trouble then the cur
rent would change and become 20 weak that it could
hardly be felt. Il would then gradually change to a
ground 20 strong that could lift the mngnet-
While the aurora lasted the same phenomena were OBJ
servabls There rafting or cracking Of the mag
net a5 IL the in o thunder storm looked AZ tbe
paper between the ancestors, but found holes Phila
dephia divided circuit the request Of New York and
We succeeded ia getting of what business We had The
disappeared little after ten ocock-aor which
We worked through to New York and had no difficulty
During the display was calling Richmond and had nv
hand on the iron plate. Happening lean towards the
sounder, which Is against the wall my forehead prized
ground wire which down the vail near the sounder
Immediately received very severe electric shock
which stunned for instant Al old gentleman who
vas stn1g facing me and but few feet distant said he
s1w spark Of fire jump from my forehead the SCUM
der
Thus IL seems 70 be proved beyond nh cay or dispute
that the aurora boteas is not simple reflection Of the
suns rays from the Of iceberg as was 20 long
supposed but decidedly electrical ia t origin and charac
ter appears 20 he In fact, subdued form Of light
ming VIII the sayants brush up their wits and try TO
give the world reliable aud well defined theory Of