NOTES ON HISTOEY AND CLIMATE OF NEW MEXICO. 335 



•' On my operating-table I have a galvanometer. The regular battery 

 or artificial current on the wire deflects the needle from the north to east 

 60° to 65^ — a steady, uniform deflection. During these electrical pheno- 

 mena the needle commences to become unsteady, pointin g 10, 30, 50, 70, and 

 90 degrees east. The flow will increase to such tremendous quantity that 

 I have frequently opened my key an eighth of an inch, (which is equiva- 

 lent to breaking the wire and separating the two ends by that distance,) 

 when the flow of electricity would pass from point to point with a buzzing 

 sound and an intensely brilliant flame, sometimes of a blue, sometimes of 

 a purplish color, and as large nearly as a candle-flame. At such times I 

 have placed tissue-paper between the points, when it would instantly 

 commence to blaze. Thick, heavy writing-paper would be burned com- 

 pletely through, but would not blaze. These heavy flows will sometimes 

 continue for hours with but little variation, at others in one instant the 

 flow ceases entirely ; the needle of the galvanometer drops down to zero : 

 remaining so for an instant, it will fly back to 80 or 90, drop down to 10, 

 20, 50 ', the next instant the whole artificial or battery current is neutral- 

 ized (so to speak) by a tremendous flow of an apparently different polar- 

 ization, as the needle before deflected to the east now flows round to 70, 

 80, or 90 degrees to the west; the next 90 to the east, again at zero, 

 and thus never steady for more than a few seconds at any point. I 

 have frequently taken off all the artificial batteries entirely, and no per- 

 ceptible difference could be noticed ; at one moment there would be so 

 much electricity that in trying to work the line it would fuse the platina 

 points of the key, and in the next instant not a particle; and at no 

 time, either with or without the artificial batteries, would the current 

 be steady long enough to obtain intelligible signals over the wire. 

 " Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 



JOSEPH M. GOUGH, 

 " Manager Western Union Telegraph Company.'''^ 



Eeferring to the Signal Service Reimrtslast published, I found in the 

 Monthly Eeports of Weather for July, 1874, and August, 187-4, electri- 

 cal phenomena of special interest as connected with the summit of Pike's 

 Peak, and for January, 1875, atmospheric electricity generally com- 

 mented upon ; and a special extract referring to an extraordinary^ elec- 

 trical storm observed at Santa Fe, which I have extracted as of special 

 interest in connection with the subject of electrical disturbances and dis- 

 tribution in this and other mountain regions. Facts like these should 

 be collated and fully considered if it be determined by experience that 

 atmospheric electricity exerts an influence upon development of health 

 or disease. 



Extracts from Report of Ciiicf Signal-Officer for 1875. 



ELECTRICAL PHENOMENA. 



"The local storms previously referred to were in many instances ac- 

 companied by vivid displays of lightning. The most remarkable series 



