Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1882-11-24
FRIDAY NIGHTS AURORA.
How IL Looked In Burlington.

How II Looked In Burlington.
An observer who watched the display for
several hours writes of the early evening ap-
pearance at was made up Of dark rose
color, sharply defined, with streamers and
flashes of light spreading in all directions,
and was in itself beautiful sight. AT about
half past min. o'clock it disappeared from
view in the stronger light Of most magniii-
cent corona The sky was completely filled
with parallel beams, all converging to the
magnetic zenith, and forming brilliant mass
of light. In the west the new moon paled
beside the deep crimson rays, and the whole
heavens resembled fiery dome, with sta
tionary nucleus at the zenith, supported by
columns Of different colors. The spectacle
gradually disappeared aud at midnight there
was left only few detached portions in the
southern sky"
The aurora Hastings last night werc phe-
nomcnal. At times the whole visible sky,
except perhaps the extreme southern portion,
seemed covered with the long pencils and
sheets of light. meeting little beyond the
zenith in such IA manner as to suggest vast
circular tent, lis covering lying in loose folds
and having smoke hole at the top after the
fashion of the North American Red man:
traditional abode. The telegraph wires
were rendered entirely useless at intervals by
this electric storm.
The storm broke over the heavens again il
the early morning hours and acquired start
ling grandeur The apparent centre of tn
commoion still remained slightly southwark
of the zenith, and there all Tie in
tense energy seemed to concentrate
the milky flood flashing continuously to
ward it, the contending currents seeming tC
struggle quickly, and then rapidly suDsde int
the seeming reservoir at the zenith There
was little cooring visible after midnight. ant
the storm continued in tltful spurls through
out the early hours.
The TeIcernphers' story.
CHICAGO, Ill.,, Nov. Il. - The elcctri
storm, to-day, extended from the Atlanti
Coast to point beyond Omaha, and froi
Kansas City north to the terminus OF tn
Geographic communication. 1t first bega
to be felt at about a. M and increased
Intensity till 0:4h, when communication fror
every direction was cut of. The switc
board here was On fire dozen times. lla
dozen keys of the instrument were melte
by the current. Duplex and quadruple
wires were rendered entirely useless. Wor
was received from Milwaukee that the a
mOsrheric electricity coming on one vii
from the country bal such dynamic powt
as to keep an electric lamp burning.
TwOlhirds of the sky is ablazc, to-righ
with auroial hight of many colors.
WAsmlSGToN, d. c., Nov. Il. The ma!
ne,ic storm seriously intcifercd with tel
graphic communication TO and from this cit
to-day. Before noon all the lines OF Il
Western Union telegraph company runnr
north and west were interrupted by strOl
earth currents At one time the strength {
the main batteries was doubled and the
ncutralized entirely. The chief operator
the telegraph company says that the ma
netiC interference was greatest on the ca
and west lines bat it was found that |
using the wire for the return current, instel
of the earth. and thus making a metallic ci
cult throughout, most of the trouble W,
avoided. This clearly indicated that IL
proximatc source of the disturbance was Il
earth and not the atmosphere, although it
in the atmosphere that such magnetic storm
usually manifest themselves in the form
the aurora. \ wire was worked betwet
Washington and Baltimore this aiterno,
with terrestrial current alone. A simi
experiment was successfully tried on Il
signal service wire to Norfolk. Great troub
was experienced today in collecting Il
weather reports on account OF the general Il
momliza,ion of the wires.
BANGOR, Me, Nov, ia despatch W
sent to-day from Bangor to North Sidney
distance Of 700 miles without the use of
battery.
MILWAUKEE, Wis, Nov l1.-Business {
change was virtually suspended to-day OWL
to the lack of Geographic facilities.