The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1894-12-01
CAUSED BY SUN SPOTS.

Il
Recent Observations on the Ell
fects OF Earth Currents.
fsu s 'ns .r
-. n,,..-v.., nrr,n- s,m,l.,
D,s4urb.nc.s In the Past,
-
Tho worL;rg ~ teieorsnh lines ex-
tand;no in an easter,v and westerly di-
rection was greatly affected by the /
magnetic storm of August 10 and 20.
which was acconnanied bv DISPLAYS Of
brilliant aurora observed in various
sections of the country. The disturb
ance was first observed about nine D.
m. Sunday. August 10, when the wires
began to work badly. and became SO
intense at frequent intervals through
out 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 eff
fects after nine o'clock on the morning
of that day were not marked east of
Chicago, 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 fye-twenty a. M, as
sumed a wavelike character which
reached it's highest altitude with al
most perfect regularity about once
every two hours until seven-thirty D.
M, when the storm SO far subsidized as
to unafrect the working of land lines
Tho oI,h and anxv nf the e,rth cnrrants
a,,.;, a. ,>.ora1aroa - 40 s+orr,
r,.o.I e,.,i,, nho-oo+o,.;,ad ,,;th "a.
r,orl,atIo o,eod;ness and d,l;ber.t;op
ta.,,,;,, .+ror oo,,,ras+ to tha
80. .o,,o.,,a.;on raoaa;, :,
marnat;c storms ono Of which ex.
hih;,od NO fe,yar than ono hundred and
sftr trrar;o+ions in ~. maon;trda and
Y,o,ar;ty ~ ;ts .urrap+s in the coursa nj
"a s;nole minnie
| ;r.os+;n ,t;o.1 X,;r. =, MI,
..ao.;o., s;r.a =, .h g.. ~,
,,rhara,s 1ora l;nas 90 ;rr.r;a1,,, H.
a,,a.,o5 H., .;.t,o - &c. ,l,.r =,
a.r.h ,,ro,;a,a ~ I,t.ar !,
suf,;c;antlv strong the snhmar;n,
o,blos 40 ~ sar;o,,.,r Zoo, +bo otfec+,
81 yer1 orod,al ton ~ c,rran,
II freovsntlr h,nrens that The A.
4 l,nt;c ,rd otber cables en;ov corn
,
interrunt;ons AZ times when land line
are moro or less prostrated: while a
other times the cable circuits bay
suffered from comparatiyely weak br
fluctuatipp currents that had no pra.
tical influence upon the working ,
: aerial ~-i-oe This saa,,,.la,s nntir
arises from the fact that condenser
are interposed in cable circuits, whic
are operated, not by continuous Gu
rents as in the case OF land lines, bu
, by induced currents OF nomentar
, duration produced by the chargin
! and discharging OF the condenser
. The latter being responsive only I
! sudden variations in current strengt
) it will be evident that such apparatt
serves to exclude from the cables a
but the more variable class OF current
which latter, however, affect the cab
4. irrespective of the current value.
The storm of July 20 did not a
parently pursue the usual easterly an
westerly direction, but took cour:
= more nearly north-northwest, judgir
from the results of a number of simu
: taneous observations taken on ditferel
wires with the view Of determining Il
{ line of maximum disturbance.
The greatest difference of potent
discovered on apy wire on that occ
% sion was sixty-two volts, but from i
s. dications noted at times when it w
. found impracticable to take scientit
i measurements. it was evident that Il
u electro-motiye force developed in son
cireuits amounted 20 upwards of ol
ie hundred and fiftv volts.
n s,n snots are generally credited wi
IN ho;no tho ca,,se ~ earth CURRENTS a,
III II is q fact within the writer's know
10 edge ard exner,ence that no magnet
IN storp, Of anv MAGNITUDE has ever q
OF 1,o,,.o5 ,y;tbout ;ts accomnanv;no sol
10 dist,,rl,anoe. INT Il ;s enpailv a ia
NC .b,+ tha two nbenomena are not
I'd uiis o9ia.eu 80 :
e,>Dtc bava oft haaD visible nm