The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1869-05-06
THE AURORA BOREAL1s
Reflections Suggested by the Late Dis
nlavs-A New Theory Of their Cause.
rr,o-, +be New York journal Of Commerce

tOTlgludA ~ A""A ~
plain the phenomena of the aurora
borealis, as displayed in the magnif
icent exhibition recently.
The aurora borealis is the silent
discharge of accumulated electricity
in the atmosphere, furnishing the
same relief to nature as flashes Of
lightning under other conditions.
What electricity is, and the caus-
es which lead to its accumulation IN
the air, are subjects not necessary to
bring into the discussion. Though
we cannot define electricity, we
know its manifestations. The phe-
nomea of the northern lights are in
all respects electrical. The stream
ers, or rays, which were the charac-
teristic fea ture of the late display,
shot with electrical or lightning-hke
rapidly tn rough the heavens. AS
we glance at the sky, the long shafts
suddenly appear stretching from
horizon to zenith, more quickly than
we can time them by the watch; and
as suddenly they are gone. The for
nation and disappearance OF the
steamers are, for the most part,
instantaneous. After they are formed
they may appear to be stationary,
and to have definite shape, but In
fact they are continually in motion.
The appearance Of permanency
which some of the streamers exhibit
ted may be explained by the rapid
succession, as in waves, of one
streamer upon the track of another
each leaving upon the eye Of an
observer the impression of its form,
until the next streamer came to occu-
py its place. Even if some Of the
manifestations lasted in reality for
minute or two-as seemed to be the
case with some of the rose-colered
patches in the northwest the vast
majority of all the phenomena came
and went with the characteristic sud-
denness Of electric lightning flashes.
To the ordinary spectator, therefore,
the electric peculiarities of the aurora
were plainly apparent. There are
auroras on record in which the stream
ers were not a marked feature; but
the entire heavens, or large part of
them, were covered by a crimson
light, as if illuminated by mighty
confagration. In these displays,
however, the light was not Of a uni
form intensity, but was continually
Frightening or fading. Auroral waves
seemed to sweep across the sky, re-
pleni; hing the ruddy color where it
became faint. In those movements,
the rapidity of the electric current
was clearly manifest.
But the electric nature of Thurs
days aurora was demonstrated con-
clusively by it's effect on telegraph
wires. When thunder storm oc-
ours, the wires become charged with
electricity, which some times affects
them so peryersely that they cannot
be worked, and at other times fur
nishes an efficient substitute for the
galvanic battery. Precisely these
effects were observed on Thursday
night. At New York, Boston and
Philadelphia, and some other places,
the auroral electricity charged the
wires, and enabled operators to work
them without recourse to the batter
. les. At St. Johns, N.F., the most
northeast point from which we have
areport, the aurora seriously inte-
ruptad the operation Of the telegraph
possibly because the current sup
pied from the air was too strong fol
the work to be done. No doubt re
mains, after the testimony given by
many intelligent observers in various
parts of the country, that the auror;
is attended by the release of enor
nous quantities of electricity.
The theory which we propose il
the only one which explains why
the aurora borealis is seen only il
the Artic Tor Antaric)and Temporal
Zones-neyer or rarely in the Torric
Zone-and also why it is visible her
only Tor chiefy)iu the fall, winter o
spring months-not in the summer
In the Torrid Zone, and in tn
Temperate Zones in the warm month
he accumulated electricity in the at
mosphere is discharged under entire
i i -.