Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-05-26

March Mildcr Than May.

March Milder Than May.
| sun SPOTS AND Sun sroRMs-CrcLoSEs. CUR
| RENTS AND CLOUDs-wHAr ARE THE CAUSES?
The wintry weather which has prevailed over
| most Of the North American continent for the
past few days, and which was preceded by cy-
| clones, tornadoes, storms and floods, is almost
unprecedented in the history Of weather-wise
probabilities, possibilities and indications" In
fact, for long time, the climatic changes have
puzzled the scientific men Of this and other
countries not little for the record Of the past
eight months has been as remarkable in Europe
| as America, and has developed much important
inquiry as to the causes Of the terrible upheaval
of the elements. Prof. Garrett p. Serviss has
| an article ia the Popular Schemes Monthly for
June. In which he shows. quite clearly, that re-
| cent magnetic storms and spots on the sun have
| had much, IL not everything, to do with 1t.
THE AuRoRAL DISPLAYS.
mo one" he says, 'who beheld the
great auroral displays OF last year can
ever forget the impression that they made.
They were among the most glorious c.
| lestial spectacles that have been wit
| messed in our lasitudes. The first one occurred
| on the night Of Sunday, April l6. On the
| afternoon OF that day Che continues) 1 was
watching with telescope two complicated SUM-
spots or groups Of spots, one Of enormous size
which had made their appearance on the solar
disk several days before. Ny attention had been
particularly attracted to these spots. both on
| account OF their great size and because
| thought could perceive changes going on In
them under nv eyes. After watching them
through the afternoon became satisfied, about
! an hour before shutdown, that the smaller spot
which was considerably in advance OF the other,
and was rapidly approaching the suns meridian,
had visibly Increased In size while had been
watching it, and that perceptibie changes had
| taken place In the complicated cluster Of nuclei
constituting the black center Of the greater spot
| 1t was evident that tremendous outburst OF
| solar forces was occurring; but although I
knew of the well-established connection be-
tween such commissions in the sun and the con-
| dition of the earth's magnetic elements was
| not prepared for the spectacle that followed.
1.-The sun had been below the horizon only long
enough for the frightening spring twilight TO
fade from view, when pale green arch Of light
was seen spanning broad arc Of the northern
| horizon, while above 1t the mysterious streamers
and curtains OF the aurora were waving and
cOruscating In the sky. So quickly had the
earth responded to the magnetic impulse from
| the storm on the sun. The popular excitement
| caused by this aurora was remarkable especially
among those who were not aware Of the nature
| OF the strange illumination In the sky. People
gathered In knots at the street-corners, and in
| little parks OF the city. and gazed wonderingly
at the flaming heavens. Many seemed to be
| sci zed With mingled feeling of admiration and
dread. Icrossed the Fulton ferry after mid
night, when the aurora streamers were yet
shooting from horizon to zenith, and Arcturus
was shining brilliantly In the center Of q COM
plete crown Of greenish-yellow light near the
| zenith. A thrOng gathered at the bow
Of the boat to watch the display, which
was much more brilliant when seen from
the center Of the stream, away from
the glare Of the street-iamps A decentiy.
| dressed and not MISUNDERSTANDING man
asked me, with troubled look. and pointing to
| the heavens:
"'What is that9'
cts the aurora borealls," replied.
/ He seemed relieved to find some one who
could give 1t name, and who did not appear to
4 be alarmed.
| "'I thought 1t might be the comet the papers
are talking about he said, and didn't know
what was going to happen
| II know that this mans vague fears were
shared by others.
Everybody who bad anything to do with
telegraphs will remember the effects Of the au-
rora. The wires played strange freaks. In some
places they were disconnected from the bat
teries and worked by means Of the current fur
| nlshed by the magnetic storm; 10 other places
they refused to work at all. The Atlantic cable
was crippled and at intervals, for several days
| thereafter there was considerable delay Of all
| Geographic business. Subsequently u was
learned that the aurOral storm had ragged Stimuli
! taneously, not only In the United States and
| canada, but In Great Britain, on the continent
OF Europe, and in Asia, extending clear across
| to the shores Of China.
THE sun SPOTS
"The next day. when turned nv telescope
upon the sun, was ast0nished at the changes
| that had taken place. The smaller spot,
which had seen increasing in magnitude on
| the previous day. had swollen to between five
and six times its former size, SO that now 1t was
about half as large as the larger spot, and both
were clearly visible to the unassisted eve shaded
with q dark glass. I find by reference to the
exact measurements of these spots, made at the
Greenwich Observatory, that, whereas on the
10th the area Of the smaller spot was to that OF
the larger about as to 1876, on the nth the
elative magnltudes were about as to 90. For
three or four days afterward there were magnetic
disturbances and occasional aurOral displays at
night, and during this time the activity OF the
| solar forces continued. On the 10Th there was
another magnetic storm, and coincidently with
1t the smaller spot suddenly increased ia size
again, until 1t was nearly as large as the other
and on the 2lst 1t actually surpassed its neighbor
in magnitude. After that both groups rapidly
waned. the one which had undergone the re-
markable development have described fading
much faster than the other one. The next great
display OF sun-spOts accompanied by auroras
and magnetic dsturbances-if we except one or
Two OF minor importance and q somewhat re-
cSSA
| scribed hereafter-occurred In November last,
eliminating on the 18th Of that month In one of
the greatest magnetic storms on record, which
crippled the telegraphs almost all over the civil
lied world. In Europe fine auroras were OBJ
served on the 18th, 18th, 14th, 18th, 10th,
18th, and 10Th. accompanied by more or less
magnetic disturbance. During that time ire
mendous sun-spot, exceeding In size the
largest OF the April Spots was advancing from
the edge Of the disk to the center. In this
country the principal auroral displays were on
the nights of the 18th and 10Th. and the chief
force OF the magnetic STERN was felt on the
18th. On that day storm Of rain and snow
prevailed over most Of the Union, and stimuli
taneOusly with this storm there ragged q hurrI-
cane OF magnetic forces The effects were
similar to those witnessed during the April
storm. but more intense. As in April, some
wires were worked without batteries. while
others could not be worked at all. Cable COM
municatiOn was interrupted. Some startling
phenomena occurred. Sparks OF fire leaped
nom the wires and instruments. In the west
switch-bOards were burned and keys melted
Operators received severe shocks. Practical
telegraph men said they had never known such
powerful disturbance of the magnetic ele-
ments. In tho evening, when the sky cleared
at Chicago, most magnificent sight was beheld
In the heavens. The brilliancy of the aurora far