MAGNETIC DISTURBANCE

Otago Witness, Volume 06, Issue 2899, 6 October 1909, Page 27

MAGNETIC DISTURBANCE

LONDON, September 27. Northern lights were seen at St. Petersburg, and the Aurora in France and Italy. There were no auroral manifestations in Great Britain. The - submarine cables did not suffer, though th>a connecting land wires were disturbed, and there were many outbreaks of fire in the telegraph offices in Scandinavia and Northern Germany, due to the burning of the coverings of the wires. September 28. Sir Oliver Lodge says that the Tecent cosmic electro-magnetic disturbance was 1 due to solar radio-activity. A solar eruption produces sun spots, and expels, crowds of electrons, constituting such a powerful eilectric current that it is sufficknt to deflect the magnetic needle. MELBOURNE, September 28. Saturday's magnetic disturbance caused considerable trouble to the telegraph lines, and also to some extent affected the cable service. In the messages from Cocos Island strokes which are usually horizontal were given a peculiar undulating appearance. The Government Astronomer states that the storm is the most severe in his experience. During the last 24 hours the oscillations recorded by the instrument went over the side of the recording paper.