The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1903-11-17
sun SPOTS and
EARTHQUAKES
Rev. IrI r. Hicks Distributes His
Inform alton.
st. Louis Astronomer and AStroIogs st
Blames the Sun for Storms and
Commotions-Says Coming Year
be a Bad One.

You see that little inky blotch
which the telescope reveals on the
smooth, white disk of the sun? Well,
that tiny spot is big enough to swal-
low a thousand worlds Like ours in its
cavernous nav. That is one of the
sun spots causing the electrical dis
turbances and earthquakes of the past
few days, and which will continue un-
til the spots disappear and the sun
returns to its normal condition and
appearance
So spoke Rev. Irl r. Hicks, the as
Economical meteorological as he ad-
justed his telescope for little group
of curious observers in the front
yard of his Office at 2201 Locust
street yesterday afternoon.
The appearance of Rev. Hicks and
his telescope had attracted a few wo-
men and children from the neighbour
ing houses, who gathered around to
see what was going on. After the
astronomer had convinced the Won
dering group that the spots were
really there by permitting each one
to take a peep through the instru-
ment at the glazing orb of day, he
took his telescope back into his Office
and continued his talk on sun spots
and terrestrial disturbances.
This period Of solor perturbation
is the most terrific and wonderful in
my lifetime. and | do not know that
astronomical records show anything
approaching it in immensely" he
said. "Certainly nothing like it has
occurred for many years There are
now four distinct groups of great sun
spots visible on that portion of the
suns surface which We can see. The
largest of these groups is five days
old and two of the smaller groups
have been visible for a few days
longer, the first one appearing during
the early days of October. The fourth
group came into view over the edge
of the suns disk but yesterday, when
I could plainly see the Serrated notch
made by the great opening in the per-
iphery of the circle. When this group
moves into the center of the suns
disk. which will be reached in ten
or twelve days, believe it will re-
veal itself to be the largest of all.
what the extent of the disturb
ances on the earth will be only the
Almighty knows and no man can
predict with certainty. 1t is safe
however, to say that there will be
phenomena visitatons of aurora DO
reals and severe seismic disturban-
ces. The auroras will interfere with
and cripple the telegraph service in
various parts of the world much as
they did in New York and vicinity
week ago.
n
ifest themselves along the lines OF
the oarth's strata where they are
most accustomed to travel though 1t
is by no means sure that they VIII
not turn up at the least expected
points. One Of these earthquake
belts is very near St Louis, and
crosses the mississippi valley in the
region of New Madrid, Mo.
1T is impossible for so great an
upheaval in the sun to occur without
terrestrial response and direct effect
on the earth There will undoubtcd-
" be earthquakes and electrical dis
turbances in many parts OF the world.
| forecasted the New York disturb
ance two weeks before. and the
earthquake in Persia few days ago
is only one Of several to follow
The sun spots are plainly visible
with an opera glass by holding a
piece OF smoked glass over the lens
to soften the glare. The largest
group is on the eastern Limb of the
sun below or south of the sun 5
equator. Tho spots appear like
blotches of ink, surrounded by waVy
lines, giving forth a faint grecnish
tinge. Across the largest spot, and
apparently dividing it in two, is a
feathery white line, which Rev. Hicks
says is a sheet Of fame leapine
across a chasm thousands of miles in
width and depth.
At first the flame appeared as two
slender projections jutting out from
either side of the crater. After a few
days the ends met and formed a
bridge The newly arrived spots are
also on the eastern limb, but above or
north of the equator. Yesterday they
had barely passed over the disk.
About twenty-three days will be re-
quired for their transit across the
sun: that is until they are carried out
of view by the suns rotation The
other spots are much smaller, appear
ing like pin heads through the tele-
scope. =