Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1869-10-21
A Wonderful Phenomenon.
From tSA DVAn00link.

On Tho first day Of September, 1859, two
astronomers, one at Oxford, the other at
London, WoHo at tho same time watching
the spots on tho disc OF the sun; and both
at the same moment Jaw certain strange
bright patches Of light break out in. front
of the cluster. SO brilliant were they that
the Observers at Arst thought that the
darkeniug screens. attached to their tele-
scopes must have become fractured. = But
this vas found NOT ID - The casa The
bright spots indicated I. process that was
going on upon the SIMS Burfhce-Hprocess
80 rapid that in five minutes thGsspota had
travelled over . space Of nearly thirtysfour
thousand miles. slla4.. IF ~ go 81
At the very same tine Tat this was taking
place, magnetic atos1ns swept instantane:
onslys-so subsequent observations proved
through both hemispheres of our globe.
At Washington and philadelphia the signal
men in the telegraph omoes received sharp
electric shocks; the tracing pom used in
Bain's system Of tslegraphy Was followed
by flame; and In Norway telegraphic ma.
chinery was set on fire.. Boreal and austral
auroras were seen that night with unusual
splenSlor. ~ tho disturbed needle vibrated,
waving their oolorod streamers in the heav-
ems, insomuch that IL was evident that the
disturbance on tho suns surface had in
simultaneously communicated "a. the earth
magnetic thrills which vibrated rom pole
10 pole.
Nor is this all. There is strange con-
necti0n oftentimes between the action Of
these magnetic forces and the phenomena
Of earthquakes and volcanoes. Indeed. it
has been recently argued that tho cause Of
tho latter 10 10 be found not In tho subter-
ranean Ares of our globe expanding vapor8
and giving them : destructive agency, but
in the electricity communicated to our
globe by the sun. But be this g. It may,
it is o startling fact that thsre Is a force
manifesting itself ON tbs face Of the sun sim
ply a. brilliant light flashing over its sur
face, that can through IN interval Of nine
ty-ave millions Of miles, instantaneously
operate on our earth, blaze along our tele-
graphic wires, give electric shocks to the
signal mon stationed by them: flash north
ern lights through the heavens; thrill the
very globe from polo TO pole with magnetic
influence; disturb the repose OF nature,
and perhaps rock the solid earth as if it's
| surface, in some places at least, were n
mere scale ON boiling sea of FIRE. =
There h something almost overpowering
in . fact Ike this. Here is . force to which
no other OF which We have any knowledge
can be compared. We speak with amaze
ment Of the speed of light. travelling thou
sands of miles In q single second. And
yet there are perhaps worlds. or rs the poet
phrases it, - =: -.
! Systems, Of whese birth
No udtngs yet have reached this nethor world,
from which light, that started from them
thousands of years ago, has not yet pene-
trated to this earth, so that it might seem
as if the very vastness Of tho universe left
its parts disconnected-so disconnected
that even message sent with the speed Of
light failed to reach them till thousands OF
years had transpired.
But here is an agent, mysterious force
that annihilates distance, AZ light cannot
dofit. a. gravitation, perhaps cannot do it
originating, we know not how. but wher
showing itself on the sun. travelling almost
\ in All instant through the bounds of thu
solar system, telegraphing as it were to thu
extremities OF creation without any instru
mentality Of wires or connections, the vii
of the great maker, reaching and affecting
the fbres of all living things, breaking NJ
the repose Of Nature, and calling forth q
once The most magnificent displays o
Northern light and Volcanic force till tt
kBQllglo rsels and spokgs a its nQiseles
E&nAlchlg 81 s. ], u a A. IL q <;