Year: 1859

thern lights upon telegraph operations The Boston opc
rators found that during the continuance OF tho auror
influence their only plan o sending messages by dis
connecting the wires from the electric batteries and work
ing them entirely by the aurora current The following
is recorded as the conversation between the operators Of
the Boston and Portland Offices


Bosros 10 Portland operator)-Pease or your bat
terry entirely from the line for fifteen minutes.


POKrASD-l Will do So II is now disconnected.


BoeToS-hine Is also disconnected, and working
with the aurora current How do you receive my writ
ng2


PoRrlASD-Better than with our batteries on. Tse
current comes and goes gradually.


BosToS-My current IL very strong at times and we
can work better without batteries, the
neutrazc and augment batteries alternately making
the current TOO strong at times for relay magnets.
Suppose we work without batteries while affected
by this troubleH


PoRrASp-very well. Shall go ahead with busnessS


The Boston Atlas, aludng to this circumstance, adds
that hc wires worked for about without
inc usual batteries, on the auroral current-working
better, as the operators sate than with the batteries
connected The current varied increasing and decreasing
alternately, but by graduating the current adus,cr
with but little interruption


The remarkable effect was noticed at several other
telegraph Offices. Mr.. E w. Royce, the operator WASH
ngton, thus relates his experience


did not know that the aurora had made it's appear
ance until eight or halfpast eight o'clock had been
Guilty from the changing Of the current II seemed as
there was a storm at Richmond Concluding that this
was the case abandoned that wire and tried to work
the Northern wire, but met with the difficulty For
nGe or ten minutes would have trouble, then the
rent would change and become weak that could hard
y be felt II would then gradually change To "ground'
so strong that could not lift the magnet While the au
rora lasted the same phenomena observable There
no rafting cracking Of the Magnet the case
in a thunder storm. looked at the paper between the
arrestors, but found holes. Philadelphia divided
circuit at the request Of New York, and we
succeeded In getting OF what business we
had The aurora disappeared little after
ten o'cock-aer which worked through to New York
and had no difficulty. During the display was calling
Richmond, and had my hand on the iron plate Happen
ing TO lean towards the sounder, which is against the
wall, my forehead grazed ground wire which runs
down the wall near the sounder Immediately received


very severe electric shock, which stunned me for an
instant An old gentleman who sitting facing me
and but few feet distant said he saw spark Of fire
jump from my forehead to the sounder.


Thus seems to be proved beyond all cavil or dispute
that the aurora boreals is not simple reflection Of the
SUMS rays from the cones Of icebergs was so long
supposed but decidedly electrical in its origin and charac
ter II appears TO be- in fact, subdued form of light
ming viii the savants brush up their wits and try give
the world some reliable and well defined theory of the
auroras We have furnished them this article with the
necessary data.