Aurora of 1859. 95 
tree—Miss Sarah B. Allen—informed me that she was working 
the wire between that station and Fall River—a distance of about 
forty miles south—with the auroral current alone. Since then 
I have visited Fall River and have the statement verified by the 
intelligent operator upon the railroad line at the dépét in that 
village. 
The office at the dépdt is about half a mile from the regular 
office in the village. The battery is kept at the latter place, but 
the operator at the dépét is provided with a button or switch, 
by which he can throw the battery off the line, and put the 
wire in connection with the ground at pleasure. The battery at 
the other terminus of the line is at Boston, but the operator at 
South Braintree is furnished with a similar switch, which-enables 
her to dispense with its use at pleasure. There are no interme- 
diate batteries ; consequently if Fall River operator puts his 
wire to the earth, and the South Braintree operator puts her wire 
to the earth, the line is without battery, and of course, without 
an electrical current. ; 
Such was the state of the line upon the 2d of September last, 
when for nearly two hours, they held communication over the 
wite with the aid of the celestial batteries alone! 
I have restricted myself in this article to facts observed b 
myself. I have stated nothing which I am not absolutely certain 
of, and which, if necessary, can be proved by a number of reliable 
Witnesses, ; 
2. Observations made at White River Junction, Vi., communicated 
by J. H. Norris, Telegraph Superintendent. 
; During the forenoon of Sept. 2d, an unusual current of vary- 
Ing intensity was present most of the time on the wires of the 
‘rmont and Boston telegraph. The polarity of this current 
‘ppeared to change frequently, sometimes being opposite to and 
nearly or quite neutralizing the battery current when an attempt 
Was made to use the line; at other times much increasing the 
of the battery current. The auroral current produced the 
satte marks upon our chemical paper (we use the Bain or chem- 
fa system of telegraph) as those produced by the use of the 
Mery. Signals and messages were transmitted between Boston 
and Manchester by the sole use of the auroral current, 
8. Observations made at Springfield, Mass., by J. E. SELDEN, 
On the evening of Aug. 28th, upon the Boston and New 
circuit, at one moment there was a very heavy current on 
the Wire, and the next none at all. On the Albany and Spring- 
field “ireuit, a flash passed across from the break key of the tele- 
a apparatus to the iron frame, the flame of which was about 
€ size of an ordinary jet of gas. It was accompanied by 
