The New York herald., 1870-09-27
Tho Norihcrn Ligtts-The meteorological
Record of 1879.

Record of 1870.
II is seldom in these attitudes in the month
of September and with the temperature of
midsummer nights Dream" that we have
such beautiful exhibition of the Northern
Lights as that of Saturday night last and we
may challenge "the Oldest inhabitant" to
produce precedent for the display through
two nights in succession such as we had in
this last visitation. The display began to be
visible, beyond the disturbing glare of the
citys gaslights soon after seven p NJ. At
eight the mysterious illumination covered an
arch rising some twenty degrees from the
northern horizon-the light rising as from q
dark fog bank on the horizon and shining
through the open spaces between the lazy
black clouds in the northern sky with the Soft
mellow rays of the rising moon. Towards
midnight the illumination covered the whole
armament; and from the corona, or what
Bostonian might call ''the hub of the uni
verse, in the zenith, streams and bars and
flashing and flickerng columns of light rada-
ted ia every direction. AT the same time
from the horizon, to height of sixty degrees
or more, In the west the scattered black clouds
were tinged around their borders with de- p
crimson, as was the sky beyond them. That
which appeared as fog to the southwark was
of greenish gray. On the east changeable
green and purple coloring of sky and clouds
was observable, while the soft, white light
under the northern arch increased in
brilliancy and in the activity of its
misunderstanding columns. This descrp-
ton, however, will only apply to one Of many
rapidly coming and dissolving views of this
beautiful electrical display, which did not
fade away till the approach Of the morning
The exhibition on Sunday night, the summer
temperature still continuing, began more bril-
lianty than that of the night before, and lasted,
too, till daybreak, though from the observa-
tions OF the writer it was limited to the north
ern heavens.
Truly, the meteorological phenomena of the
year 1870 have, 80 far, been very remarkable.
The record gives it the warmest January and
February, the coldest and stormiest March,
April and May the driest and hottest June
aud July, the driest and windiest August and
the iairest, brightest, softest and most de-
lighttul September we have known for many
years. Drought has prevailed all round the
earth in the northern temperate zone, while de-
strmctive floods and deaths from lightning
have been numerous in Europe and America.
From Maine to Oregon, in the United States
and over in the British possessions, thousands
upon thousands Of acres of forest lands have
been wasted by fire; wells, springs and mill
streams have been dried up, and many cattle
have perished in consequence of the drought
and yet, judging from the official reports on
the subject from Washington, and from the
supplies in our markets, we have seldom had
better year than this in the products of
grain, roots and melons, vegetables and fruits
of all descriptions. Still the country has suf-
fered and is suffering from drought and if
these late displays in the heavens of
Fierce fiery warriors fighting in the clouds,
in ranks and squadrons, and right form OF war,
have given us any sign of what is in the wind,
we think 1t is sign that the end is at hand of
our dry season and so may it prove to be.