The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1916-09-05
AURORA B0REALIS VERY
BRIGHT IN some CITIES
People i'm Cambridge See But Faint
Display, While Residents of Min
nesota Read Newspapers by Light.

The unusual display OF the aurora
borealis about midnight on Saturday,
August 26th, was noticed by num-
Der of Cambridgeans. The sky, al
though bright, was not to be COM
pared with the peculiar conditions
existing in some places.
The following communication from
the letter column of the Baltimore
Sun is an interesting account of the
demonstration in the Western cities:
Editor of The Sun:
Sir.-The recent display of the
aurora borealis, which was observed
by the writer and which was announ-
ced in the columns of The Sun, was
peculiar for two reasons-frst, be-
cause of its occurrence in the month
of August, which is very unusual,
nearly all such displays taking place
in late fall or winter; and, second,
because of the nature of the display.
This aurora, instead of appearing in
the north with moving StreamerS like
Searchlights and often with colors of
pink and green, stretched across the
heavens from west to east, rising up
and meeting at times overhead and
making a complete Illuminated band
something like a "glorified milky
way" and again separating for a
time in the centre overhead, leaving
illuminations in the east and west.
In the West, too, there was one mov-
ing band, much like a searchlight,
with greenish coloring at times.
AdviceS from a relative in Mime
sofa, however, show that our display
here was as nothing compared to the
most remarkable display in that sec
ton of the West. Quoting from
Minneapolis newspaper: THE cleo
trical display was first noticed short
ly after p. M, and continued to
glow brilliantly until well after mid
night. Telephone calls came to
newspaper offices, police headquar-
ters and the city hospital almost
continuously during the first two
hours of the display from persons in
quiring as to the source or cause of
the strange light. The display diff
fered from usual demonstrations of
this phenomenon in that the lights
extended round almost the entire
horizon and appeared to gather in a
dome-like formation near the centre
of the sky. So bright was the light
from the display that it became pos
sible, in parts of the city where
there were few electric street lights,
to read newspapers by the reflected
glare. The first instance of this was
reported from Lake Harriet, where
persons said they read a Tribune by
this light at about IL p. m.
'"The air was so heavily charged
with electricity that considerable in
was suffered by the
telephone and telegraph companies.
East and west wires were in some
cases practically disabled; wires run
ming to points north and south were
not so much affected. Experts mea-
suring the aurora earth currents
found that in many instances they
ranged up to rs volts, reversing
from time to time from positive to
negative"
My relative who observed the dis
play few miles out of Minneapolis,
for several hours, said: 'It was the
most wonderful thing l have ever
seen. 1t was almost frightful. 1t was
considerably brighter than full
moon makes the earth and sky;ther
were many colors in it. l would not
have missed the sight for great
deal" AURORA.
Baltimore, Sept. 2, 1916