746 A MEMOIR OF ELIAS LOOMIS. 



These observatious and the discussions of them were given to the 

 public during the following 2 years in a series of nine papers in the 

 American Journal of Science. 



Few (if any) displays on record were so remarkable as was this one 

 for brilliancy and for geographical extent. Certainly about no aurora 

 have there been collected so many facts. The display continued for a 

 week. The luminous region entirely encircled the north pole of the 

 earth. It extended on this continent on the 2d of September as far 

 south as Cuba and to an unknown distance to the north. In altitude 

 the bases of the columns of light were about 50 miles above the earth's 

 surface, and the streamers shot up at times to a height of 500 miles. 

 Thus over a broad belt on both continents this large region above the 

 lower atmosphere was filled with masses of luminous material. A dis- 

 play similar to this, and possibly of equal brilliancy, was at the same 

 time witnessed in the Southern Hemisphere. 



The nine papers were mainly devoted to the statements of observers. 

 Professor Loomis however went on to collect facts about other 

 auroras, and to make inductions from the whole of the material thus 

 brought together. He showed that there was good reason for believing 

 that not only was this display represented by a corresponding one in 

 the Southern Hemisphere, but that all remarkable displays in either 

 hemisphere are accompanied by corresponding ones in the other. 



He showed also that all the principal phenomena of electricity were 

 developed during the auroral display of 1859; that light was developed 

 in passing from one conductor to another, that heat in poor conductors, 

 that the peculiar electric shock to the animal system, the excitement of 

 magnetism in irons, the deflection of the magnetic needle, the decom- 

 position of chemical solutions, each and all were produced during the 

 auroral storm, and evidently by its agency. There were also in Amer- 

 ica effects upon the telegraph that were entirely consistent with the 

 assumption previously made by Walker for England, that currents of 

 electricity moved from northeast to southwest across the country. 

 From the observations of the motion of auroral beams, he showed that 

 they also moved from north northeast to south-southeast, there being 

 thus a general correspondence in motion between the electrical currents 

 and the motion of the beams. 



When there is a special magnetic disturbance at any place, there is 

 usually a similar one at all other neighboring places. But these dis- 

 turbances do not occur at the several places at the same instant of time. 

 Professor Loomis showed that in the United States they take place in 

 succession as we go from northeast to southeast, the velocity of the 

 wave of disturbance being over 100 miles per minute. The waves of 

 magnetic irregularities were thus connected with the electrical current 

 and with the drifting motions of the streamers in the auroral display. 



As incident to this discussion, he collected all available observations 

 of auroras, and he deduced from them the annual number of auroras 



