Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1892-10-28
THE NORTHERN LIGHTS.
DISPLAYS WHICH SCIENCE CAN
NOT EXPLAIN.
Mysterious Force Puisatins sublimeiy In
the Sky-Ths Aurora and the
Theories Regarding the
PhenOthenou,

culiar light. The sun had stink to
rest behind the western hills and the
twilight was asst growing into night
The stars were shining glofiously id
the heavens and not u cloud could be
seen above the hori on.
The night was remarkably serene
and calm. says the Providence Jour-
nal Suddenly from tho southeast
crossing the constellation OF the Eagle.
band OF pure white light geam ed
upward toward the zenith. At FIST it
Was indistinct but it grew In tfiaeni,
t'ide. and assumed the appearance 81
d well-defned band extending two
thirds III the way across the dome Of
the sky.
1t was rs II an universal hand had
drawn il brush over the celestial
vault The light ;it fist Was regular
and apparently motionless AS the
hight, grew, however The bolt dis
solved and broke into pieces 1T times
standing forth clear in The heavens
and again fading away and dying
among the stars.
AT length it assumed the appear
ance of long irregular cloud ever
dying ACROSS the sky. It seemed to
como from IL point in the cast and.
after flushing with almost inc edible
rapidly over the starlit blue. to lose
itself in the west
II was IDS II dn endless stream Of
smoke was pouring out Of an Unseen
crevite in the heavens and flying
westward. disappointing in some hid
den cavern of the universe above. 1t
was a strange sight and one rarely if
ever seen in this latitude before.
There was an indetinable sbmelhing
about 1t which made the most careless
pause and look Upward with d feeling
OF awe and wonder
This light Was but the forerunner
OF a still ifiore beautiful appearance.
1t was the herald Of one of the most
remarkable displays OF the aurora
borealis ever seeh i'll New England.
All day long there had been the evil
dences OF a severe electrical disturb.
ance in the air.
The telegraph and telephone had
felt the subtle Id uence 6f an intisi-
Bile force and were playing all sorts
OF peculiar pranks. The magnetic
| needle, when suspended horizontally
by an untwisted piece 0f silk thread
had been strangely agitatod. All
this told Enthusiastically Of the pres
ence OF the aurora.
By 9 o'clock the northern lights
were shining in all their beauty and
the white cloud flying across the sky
was lost in the beautiful display. At
times nearly the entire heavens
seemed ablaze with glory. In the
north, extending from the east to the
west was an arc OF light in the form
of rain bow.
This arc did not remain stationary
but rose and fell. Below was il dark
and smoky segment and above rays
Of many eolors shot f6rth, paling the
stars. Near the zenith and In the
east and west thin and lace like clouds
Of light hung. At times they were
motionless. and then they would
simmer and tremble in rose gold
purple and orange.
Like a gossamer of fire they seemed
hanging between the stars and the
earth. mantle for some princess of
the celestial heights Again they
looked like shining dew or golden
ran distilling from the upper at
mosphere.
4 Their form was always changing.
and as the observer looked they
teemed so dissolve and float away,
but again returned more beautiful
than ever Sometimes their color de-
parted and they became quivering
rays OF pure light
ut is the aurora. every one said.
and yet no one could tell more of that
mysterious fore which pulsated
through the sky and gave to the dark
night an appearance OF indescribabo
| grandeur. The aurora was but name
and could convey but The most made
quate idea OF the phenomenon.
| Those who witnessed the display
must have felt for a moment at least
the mystery OF the universe about
them. The most learned scientist no
more than The most ignorant laborer
, could tell its real cause. 1T Is an
electrical phenomenon. one would
say; the other could tell you moth ng
| An electrical phenomenon. and
what is electricity and how does 1t
take on the form OF the aurora
/ borealisP To these inquiries no salts.
, factory answer has yet been found
1t seems TO be fact we'll established
that the sun spots have some direct
connection with the auroral displays.
! To prove this we are told that the
sun has periods in which spots occur
with greater or lesser frequency. The
period OF maximum sun spots occurs
cnce in about eleven years. At pres.
ont we are passing through one oil
these periods, so tnat we may expect
remarkable auroral displays for the
neNt twelve months TO come.
For the last seventy or eighty years
the coincidence of auroral displays
with the period OF maximum sur
spots has been noted The former