—— 
Aurora Borealis of November 14, 1837. 277 
N. or S., no vestige of the Aurora was visible. At 5h. 58m. the 
moon appeared above the horizon, and as it was only two days past 
the full, its beams soon surpassed in brightness those of the Aurora, 
and farther observation of these last became impossible.” 
It is to be regretted that Mr. Haskins did not repeat his obser- 
vations at a later hour, as it is hardly to be doubted that the sub- 
sequent displays observed at Geneva, and at Hudson, as well as 
elsewhere, would have been at least partially visible to him. Mr. 
Haskins says, that he was unable to detect any disturbance of the 
magnetic needle. The instrument used, was a common survey- 
or’s compass ; which was, moreover, compared with another, both 
being considered good instruments. The apparatus was, undoubt- 
edly, not sufficiently delicate ; but it is a fact which has led to 
much discussion, that the needle is often greatly disturbed in one 
place by an Aurora, when in another, it is scarcely affected at all. 
Thus it is stated in the second Report of the British Association, 
for 1832, that during the great Aurora of the 7th Jan., 1831, M. 
Arago observed the magnetic needle to be powerfully affected, 
while Mr. Sturgeon of Woolwich, could not observe it at all. 
At the Western Reserve College, Hudson, Ohio, some of the 
earlier displays of the phenomenon were noticed by Professor Elias 
Loomis, but the exhibition at nine o’clock, and after, (in New 
York, ) was concealed by elouds. Professor Loomis says: “ This 
evening at about five minutes after six, I observed the commence- 
ment of an Aurora. A small pile of light, of a reddish hue, lay 
upon the horizon, in a direction a little north of N. W., anda 
similar pile in the E. N. E. Between these there was a low faint 
cloud, bounded by a somewhat ill defined arch, rising in its cen- 
tre about ten degrees from the horizon. Above this arch, a dif- 
fused light streamed upward toward the zenith, in one or two 
places, being somewhat more condensed, forming beams. ‘This 
light increased rapidly in brightness, it became of a more decided 
crimson color, extended up to the zenith, and at the same time, 
light began to shoot up from several points in the east, and some- 
what south of east. Ata quarter past six, mean time, a pretty reg- 
ular arch was formed, extending from the above-mentioned pile 
of light in the N. W., a little north of alpha Lyrae, south of 
alpha Cygni, about half way between Markab and Scheat, and 
about 15° S. of alpha Arietis. This arch was rather irregular in 
its outline, and had a slightly crimson color. In about five min- 
