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measures had to bo taken by the Minister of Postal 

 Telegraphy to meet the contingency. Telegraphic 

 despatches were interrupted, also, in Belgium, 

 Germany, and Italy. In New Zealand, on the 17th, 

 " extraordinary effects were produced on the telegraph 

 wires over the whole colony." " Telegrams for all 

 southern stations had to be refused shortly after 4 p.m., 

 and the lines were only working again by about 9 p. 

 m." On the 20tb, the wires were only slightly affected. 



From what has now been said, it is evident that on 

 at least the 17th and 20th the whole globe was affected. 



The most interesting point of all is that the 

 remarkable magnetic storms and gorgeous auroras 

 which took place on those two days were immediately 

 preceded or accompanied by tremendous solar out- 

 bursts, the earth, as ib were, through the trembling 

 needle and illuminated skies, responding to the sun. 



There is good ground for believing that the 

 meteorology, as well as the magnetism, of the earth, 

 is affected by changes of solar activity. We should 

 expect, a priori, that as the sun is the chief cause of 

 weather, variations in the cause would produce 

 variations in the effect. In this way, it may be 

 possible to trace, through changes of weather, a 

 connexion between the physical state of the sun and 

 the amount of disease and mortality on the surface of 

 the earth. I believe that some progress has already 

 been made in this direction. 



C. Meldrum, p. e. s. 



