The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-04-18
A Brilliant AuroraI Display

Between III and II O'Clock sunday night
the northwestern heavens suddenly became
illuminated and a moment later shafts Of
pale light shot across the sky. Presently
the whole horizon was brilliant with the
opalescent arrows. The sky was I'M
clouded and the stars twinkled through the
azure as il pleased with the sight. The
light continued for some time, dancing
across the armament and darting hither
and thther in a manner calculated 10 en-
thuse the midnight pedestrian. This dis
play Of the aurora bOrealis was OF unusual
splendor. So marked were the waving
tongues Of light that they appeared as if they
were shafts Of pale flame shot out OF some
celestial ordnance. At times the light
seemed suddenly transformed into fleecy
veil. falling in shimmering folds from the
heavens light. Some OF the streets We're
filed with people watching the grand dis
play, and on many a corner groups OF in
terested spectators were gathered.
At O'Clock yesterday morning the auro-
raj display occupied the whole horizon
from northwest 10 northeast, and the pale
gray and pink rays were still the most pro-
minent object OF view. No such display
has ever before been seen in this latitude.
This electric exhibition extended over
nearly the whole country. The electricity
produced by the aurora passed along the
wires in a continuous stream, and interfer-
inc with the batteries, the supply from that
source was taken off and messages were ac-
tually transmitted by the aurora electricity
from Washington TO Chicago, a distance OF
sl3 miles.
In the operating-rOom OF the Western
Union Telegraph Company in New York
the effect was most startling. In speaking
about Il To a Herald reporter Mr.. A. E..
Sink, the chief night operator, said: "The
wires began 10 be affected shortly after 10
O'Clock, and in half an hour all the wires
North, South, East. and West were fire.
quently interrupted. The greatest trouble
! was on the northern and western routes,
but some OF the wires on the other routes
were also badly affected. The aurora
would at one time rob the wires OF
the usual current, and at another It
would so increase il a. to render the
opening OF the wire necessary TO keep
the instruments from burning. This
change was in some cases rapidly made,
/ but i'm Others wire would be charged
/ from ten 10 fifteen minutes at a time from
/ the auroral current, which would then for
u SAM IL. lUtn b1iA-l'ea'N - ~ -
while the electric storm was at IT, height,
we were able TO work with Albany on a
wire grounded at each end by means OF
/ the auroral current alone. \ similar storm,
| but not as severe, was experienced about q
year ago, during which long special dis
patch was sent from Albany on wire
without a battery. At | o'clock, on the
eastern and southern routes. the wires
were working better, but on those running
west and north the interruption still con-
tinued. Business on Sunday night is COM
paratively light, or we should have been
very much disconnected.
"The effect noticed in the Office was q
brilliant spark on the point OF the keys and
repeaters, which would soon fuse them u
they were not disconnected. The storm
NAV trouble us all night or may apparently
end in few moments, only to return with
greater severity"