Vicksburg weekly herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1868-1883, 1870-02-05

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tBi
distaaH et IistI|
of satire ldH articles.
laH E1ll4 i84nz
FILTH napnisr iateEsst. TIE
BalgWiHe pHhlished d
81 oetob1r and e.
anaa recent aiaeovafla8 d
tending q czplain the
uasula of lhs Northern
i ef sciences have long felI
strange Secret l8g hidden u
bfilasnf f1ids Of The aurora.
aaeh, with ils pointed
shifting silently, bui
McFoGs the heavens, pulsat.
nysleFiously as though illumi-
e1 by TIE Glfully changing glow
aasne concealed furnace, and
aersd SURPRISINGLY bsGuiifnl BY
hfillIaHcg Of ia eoi0FA and Al
usgs sad strange charms for men
81 ihoaRhtful miuds And gradu-
a|e & series ofiab0ri0us researches
revealed tho laws which aesO-
esInt hat beautiful a~ppanliOn with
hufhancas affecting the ecopomy
II aur whole earth aud not indis-
liHnlIy connected with the habi-
tubes of tho solar system itseli.-
But recently q discovery has been
made which ID even more remark
tran ahy which bad ever be-
fore rewardGd the Iabors Of physi-
oiaia-a discovery ct once instruct
iVa and perplexing, revealing a
band Of Union between the aurora
anda phenomenon hitherto thought
10 BE- quite different In character,
hat leaving Us still 10 learn what
GHe exact nature OF that bond Of
nnl1a may be. Let Us consider
what had been harmed respecting
auFoFai displays and their relation
~ ne earth's economy.
VIC had occasion recently 10
point out that & sudden disturbance
Ii the sum Of 1853 had been pre-
aensly followed By intense magnet
&c aclion, the whole electric system
Dc The earth quiveFing, 50 70 speak,
nnder the influence Of the solar
forces edueed By the disturbance,
And We mentioned that among Tie
aIzns ol this magnetic action bril-.
liant displays Of the aurOral stream
ers had been witnessed IN both
hemispheres on the night following
The solar disturbances. This cir,
cumslance teaches us the true char,
acfBr Of the aurora as siikingly a
any which astronomers and physI
cisls had patiently been gathering
together during tho past half cen
fury. We learn at Onte that q re
latlou auhsists between the aurora
Terrestrial magIietism and the cen
trail luminary Of our scheme.
aAnd even If we were to pausl
here, We should have Learned
enough 10 indicate the Significance
and Importance Of the aurora. OuI
earth, We may be sure, is not Thu
only recipient Of that mystic infn
ence which r0uses into activity thI
phenomena we term magnetic
Over the whole realm which !
rules, tho central orb sends fort
the strange electric impulses
When cur skies are Illuminated b.
the magic atreamers, we may b
sure that those Of Venus aud O
Mars, Of Jupiter aud Of Saturn
nay, sven tho skies Of those unseel
Orbs which travel Car out in spacI
beyond The paths Of Uranus an'
Neptune, arc it, up with aurora
displays. When once Il has beeI
shown that we owe our auroras 4
solar action, We recognize the COS
mical character Of The display, an
that ID a sense, the terrestrial mag
netism on which II depends is
bond OF affinity between our cart
and Its sister UFbs.
aBut while We were thus laugh
the true s~lgnlfeance Of the aurOrl
we were lett IN doubt as TO the wa,
the solar action aroused the cleo
trio immInosily II the upper re
gi0ns Of our air. We could no
even tell at what eloyasion the ligll
was suspended above our eartl
The most eminent physicists differ
ed 10 their views aa TO the possibil
It's Of learning Wlefe Che msgi
steamers really wave when we Sc.
them most distinctly. While Ara
20 held that to attempt to measurl
Che hight 81 the aurora was as ia
tile Il 70 attempt 10 measure thI
hight o. 8 rainbow. Sir. Jobi
Herschoi considered that precis OIL
the same laws Of measurement
might b applied 70 the aurora O
h ahy object raised high above tn
earth.
conc point, however, was vel
deGTl1in1d. The aurOral light
aro undoubtedly 70 be ascribed /,
TO eltetlie aEloh taking plac,
af q very considerable height
where tie airh vofy rare indeed
II became, therefore, q question
whistler anything conld be Learned
BIZ annaiyzing The anroral light a
20 the condition Of that particnla
para Of Our atmosphere 10 whiC.
the electric acti0u takes place.
sSpeclroscople annalj sic, thu
strange aud powerful mode Of 70
search, which has revealed so man.
unlocked for facts was aCcordingl
applied % the Light Of 3 brilliaI
aurora. Tho result was rathC
surprising. ins ofa rainbow
eoleFed slreak % llghi, such q
Aape apI ked II the aurd
- aue 70 ne existence 0
pa1lit ee 70 luminosity b.