Asheville daily citizen., 1894-10-26
CAUSED BY sun SPOTS.
Recent Observations on the Eff
fects of Earth Currents.
Felt During the Prevalence Of Severe
Electrical Storms-Contrastt to Phenom-
ena Observed During Similar
Disturbances In the Past.

Eiectrcai Storms-Sontrast to PhenOm-
ena Observed During Similar
Disturbances In the Past.
The working Of telegraph lines ex
tending in an easterly and westerly di
rection was greatly affected by tn,
magnetic storm of August 10 and 20
which was accompanied by displays O.
brilliant aurora observed In various
sections OF the country. The disturb
ance was first observed about nine D
m' Sunday, August 10, when the wire.
began to work badly, and became SC
intense ut frequent intervals through
ont the night as to render circuits use
less, not only on land lines but on sub
marine wires as we'll. The storm
which exhibited many of the ordinary
characteristics Of such phenomena, did
not finally disappear until after five D.
m' Monday, August 20, though its ef.
fects after nine o'clock on tho morning
OF that day were not marked east OF
.hicago, but were sufficiently pro.
nounced on lines west Of that point to
cause temporary stoppages of work,
especially on automatic and quadruplex
circuits.
Similar phenomena were noted july
20, and the disturbance, which was
first felt about flve-twenty q. M, as
sumed wavelike character which
reached its highest altitude with al.
most perfect regularity about once
every two hours until seven-thirty u.
m, when the storm so far subsidized as
to unatfect the working of land lines.
The ebb and flow of the earth currents
during the prevalence Of the storm
were generally characterized with re.
markable steadiness and deliberation.
forming strong contrast to the
violent fluctuations of many preceding
magnetic storms, one Of which ex-
hlDlted no fewer than one hundred and
nifty variations In the magnitude and
polarity of Its currents in the course of
single minute.
An interesting practical point in this
connection consists in the fact that
whereas land lines are invariably In.
fiuenced by either Of these classes of
earth current, provided the latter is
sufficiently strong, the submarine
cables do not seriously feel the effects
OF very gradual variation of current.
1t frequently happens that the At.
lantic and other cables enjoy com.
parative immunity from earth current
Interruptions at times when land lines
are more or less Frustrated; while at |
other times the cable circuits have
from comparatively weak but
currents that had no prac.
tlcal influence upon the working of
aerial wires. This anomalous action
arises from the fact that condensers
are interposed In cable circuits, which
are operated, not by continuous cur
rents as In the case of land lines, but
oy induced currents Of momentary
produced by the charging
ana a.. discharging OF the condenscrs.
Inc latter being responsive only to
sudden variations In current strength
1t Will be evident that such apparatus
serves to exclude from the cables all
'ut the more variable class of currents.
which latter, however, affect the cable
irrespective of the current value.
The storm of July 20 did not ap-
pursue the usual easterly and
westerly direction, but took n course
more nearly north-northwest, Judging
rom the results of number of stimuli
aneous observations taken on different
'ires with the view of determining the
me OF maximum disturbance.
The greatest difference of potential I
lscovered on any wire on that occa-
ION was sixty-two volts, but from in.
lcatlons noted at times when it was /
ound lmpracticable to take scientific
it was evident that the q
force developed in some l
rcuits amounted to upwards of one /
undred and fifty volts. Y
sun spots are generally credited with S
eng the cause of earth currents, and Il
Is a fact within the writer's knowl- a
'ee ana experience that no magnetic v
orh OF any magnitude has ever ap- t
Jared without Its accompanying solar h
but it is equally fuct h
mt the two phenomena are not in. t.
'fiably associated with each other.
asmuch us groups of prominent sun S.
o's nave oftentimes been visible upon o
g suns disk when earth currents 7
I've been conspicuous by their alb. IL
nee. 1his circumstance would ap- v
ar to confirm the views held by DR.. o
a. 'eeder, who has made study Of al
subject and who is in possession of n,
ia which apparently prove that mag. W
Tic storms are only possible when az
Spots are in particular locality 81
q when the earth occupies n certain is
'ltlon IN relation to these spots. lie pc
rther contends that the effects pro. he
ced are brought about by conduc. 81,
N rather than by induction and that he
masses OF matter thrown Off from
sun when the latter is violently
ltated constitute the medium
'ough which the electrical energy is So
nsmitted from the sun to the earth.
otherwise the presence of earth cur.
It's ought to be felt whenever and W.
erever sun spots are visible il the pr
ter are to be regarded as the direct lal
$50 OF terrestrial magnetic phe- Is
nena. so,
'lss Remsen-Didn't see ycr @. q NJ,
'cle the other day? -,
you did you must have w, @
red quick. Brooklyn Life. w, wv