The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-11-19
THE ELECTRICAL STORM.
EUROPE AND AMERICA AFFECTED
SIMULTANEOUSLY.
The Agttatto" Terrcstrial-An I'm
sercst suhiect for Scientific
Eluetdattou.

which was pretty general throughout this
country, affected Europe about the same
time and IN the same way. Speaking q,
the storm
IN NEW YORK
the Times says:
Yesterdays storm WAS accomnanied nv n
n,orc serious electrical disturbance than
bas been known for years. II very ser;.
ouslv affected the workings Of the telegram
lines both on the land and in the sea. and
for three hcurS-from 9 \. NJ. until noon
telegraph business east Of the MiSsissinn;
and north OF Washington was az a stand.
etiU The humidity Of the atmosphere
which has been 80 apparent for several
weeks. has resulted in a density most "a
vorsh.c 20 electrical phenomena. An
enrora lorcaliS was the first evidence
~ tha oVercharcipg OF the atlnoSnhera
with electric fluid. This appeared n
shout 5 O'Clock yesterday mornin~
and was brilliant in the extreme. a.
fhe sane hour trouble began 10 be cxneri-
snced IN the action OF the telecraDh-wires
The circuits were broken. and the usual
annoyanCeS accompanying such disturb
snces were manifested. These increased in
intensity until 9 O'Clock, at which hour II
became impossible to transmit message.
over The wires having an earth circuit
that i. where the ends Of the line were
rrornded. such lines rs had a metallic
S;rcu.i worked all right throughout the
dsy. however. and 80 some little business
"a, transacted over isolated lines. The
disturbance continued until l:j0 =.
n. when the electric storm seemed TO
AVE ceased. Wires to the South were
fr,i in working order, and soon after those
n tie West. North, and East assumed their
rrmal condition in the order named Mr.
Ba-lri. who is in charge Of the OPERATING
-oous Il the Western Union Telegraph
Company in thi, city, saws the disturbance
Va. The most severe and louc-continued
b. b., ever known. While no great dam
a-e WIS done. there was very much annoy-
ante hy reason Of the delay IN the trans
Mission Of business. and II o'clock. when
%, trouble seemed 10 have ceased entirely.
every in>trum, mt and every operator was
tr,y in rushing of the accumulated bust
ne,,.
TIE UNDERGROUND WIRES
and cables seemed 70 DE - seriously affected
81, The land lines. At the Office OF the
Direct Gable Company, ut o'clock yc>ter-
5sy sfternoon. messages were refused for
--sn>mi.sion. except where the senders
would agree % accept such delay as was
Unavoidable. Atihat hour the cables were
i've or tx hours behind time in both the
rec.ilt and transmission Of business.
prrir- the electric storm Mr.. Brown. the
elf operator. stated It was impossible
q. work the cables n al. except ty cut
tin- IF tie ground wires and making a
mea'lic e.rcuit ly connecting toe land
end. e TWO cables. This was done. but
ts-n then the cables worked I'm q very un-
satisfactory manner and little business
could te transacted, and this very slowly.
A.t1e and-.ine> wer, not working such
service Wa II no value in hi, city. Trans
ui..' n from the ether side was seriously
i-.triered with by SnoW->torm which
,-.yl.es and had interiered with The land
service in England. The electric di>tur-
tlrr, $40 prevented service over the
Mexican and Cuban cables - Well - the
Atlantic cables.
TUE TELEPHONE LINES
Of tle Metropolitan Telephone Company
a.e refused TO work during the greater
rar q til day. but after , O'Clock the
vie, assumed their normal condition. and
business went on UnintcrTuptediy after
t-.sa over the wire was virtually >us-
ended there were constant breakln<s q
Dr. circuit, Us il reverse battery bad been
-.ec.,d with tie wires, and had de-
r1 -.zed them. From all 81 the central
lE %, complaints came - the general Office
. tl- failure Of tie lines & work. and
TAI. i..e In the afternoon il Was impossible
O. make connections with Brooklyn,
YorsrrS. jersey civ, Newark. Orange,
Paterson. Pl>-aic. and other cities and
town, with which the local system i
connected. The private line, were elected
similarly TO the pu.lic lines. People Who
attempted . Use the telephone, heard a
iHz.B-. ringiuy noise, rather tL-n any
Wel-dclned sound while attempting com
magati0n, and occasional words only
could BE- distinguished. \ singular TACT III
cln-ction with tAe storm WIS that me
u-r.- Of tie Law Telephone Company ala
rt seem to be affected. Engineer shaw
It'd tnat they had had no more trouble
during the day than usual. and attributed
OLD. 10 the fact tA4t their lines are all snort
ole.. and therefore les liable u be Affected
Than the longer lines. Their wire, are
ground circuits, and their freedom from
ANNOYANCE Is a mystery that he cam solve III
--f N-4FA ~ AAA-tA +sA~ NA-~
At CHICAGO.
CHICAGO. Ill. November 17.-Oilcials
u the Western Union Telegraph Company
here saw the electrical disturbance IN TINS
country to-day was the most pronounced
and widespread experienced for years, II, IN
deed. il has been paralleled ut any tinle'
An electric storm OF the greatest violence
RACED in all the territory from New OH
% points bevond Omaha, and from hansa'
CIV north 10 the terminus OF teieSraphlC
communication, practically putting SOL
% the telegraph service over th'
entire area. II fr-t began 10 D'
ie, abont 4 O'Clock this morning
and increased in intensity tiii
quarter 70 10, when communication iron
every direction was cut of. This electii'
storm seemed 10 90 in successive neSalilN'
and pO.itiye waves, alternately neutIahAip-
the currents on the wires or lncTet>id-
their intensity 10 such a degree a. 70 Dur'
everything up. The switch board hei'
ia. been on fire a dozen times during .u'
forenoon. and half dozen keys oil Tue III
.iruments were melted by the cuIi ICi
which continued % pass through iH'
crews burned up and the points pAi'eu y
their furthest limits. The duplex an.
Quadruulex wires were rendered entiei,
useless. and al noon but a single wire gu ~,
Of fifteen between this city and New or .
"a. In o,cra,ion- ana il Wa frequently IN
teTruVted.
ENOUGH FOR An ELECTRIC LIGHT.
Word Was received from Mh"auAs
Tia, the atmospheric eleciricil! coninn7 10,
on one Of its wires from the count To-, 90,
such q dynamic power a. u SUFFICE ~ ~N'
Az electric lamp burning. ,,as A.