Show Widespread Borealis Garbles Radio W Wires Wires s Brilliant Bl Display of of N Northern Lights Viewed by Salt krs rs Pr Probably ba ly up stay lt Salt Lakers Lakers Lakers Lak Lak- ers didn't realize it jt but that pretty display of of color in the northern skies about midnight Friday was a phenomenon that may never occur occur again in a life life- ti time ne The brilliant presentation of the aurora borealis or northern lights stretched virtually across the entire entire en en- tire Ure northern United States and was caused by one one of the most severe magnetic storms in the twentieth century said scientists Sunspot activity was blamed for forthe forth forthe th the storm and experts according to press dispatches s said id the accompanying accompanying ac ac- accompanying companying northern lights were the most brilliant in 35 years But if it the storm was a thing of beauty to the casual observer it W was S a nightmare to night workers' workers who have to do with radio and electrical circuits and such things Clear across the country the storm disrupted ed radio telegraph and telephone communication In Salt Lake City airport radiomen radiomen radiomen radio radio- men had difficulty in contacting ships in the air Circuits of the Continued on PaRe Page Two Column Three I U. U S. S Visited By Borealis Co Continued from Page One Associated Press and United Press went awry garbling messages and sending editors into bad states state of nerves A news dispatch which left New NewYork NewYork NewYork York as diplomatic sources sources disclosed disclosed disclosed dis dis- dis- dis closed arrived in the west as aI y i For three hours communications I felt the effect of a bombardment of magnetic earth currents current Technicians reported that only underground wires insulated from contact with the earth and andI I grounded by paralleling met metal l were free from disturbance The mile leased wire system of the Associated Press was tied up almost completely for more than two hours the longest period in more than a decade The storm was felt as far faraway away as the British Isles where a magnetic magnetic magnetic mag mag- disturbance similar to that in America interrupted The phenomenon rarely occurs with such brilliancy below the Arctic circle In southern California California California Cali Cali- fornia the display was only the second since 1888 The disturbance extended up and the down the Pacific coast as well as across' across the northern belt of states Spokane Wash was virtually without communication tion for two hours said an Associated Associated As M- Press dispatch At San Bernardino Cal Cat more than a score of forest fire fir alarms were turned in by persons who saw the red bands blazing in the heavens At Harvard university observatory observatory observatory tory in Massachusetts the lights were described as almost blood red Queries deluged The Tribune Tribune- Telegram office late Friday night and early Saturday Some persons persons persons per per- sons were sure a large fire was burning north of the city Two youths who drove here from Brigham City reported they thought it was the end of the world Flatlands north of here were illuminated by a ghostly light they said The results of ot the electrical ele disturb disturbance dis dis- dis- dis nce were shown when the dally daily report of the federal weather bureau was issued Saturday Because Because- communications were disrupted ii it was impossible to obtain obtain ob ob- ob- ob tam tain weather data from Calgary Edmonton and Winnipeg Canada Canada Canada Can Can- ada Grand Colo Cob Lander Lander Lander Lan Lan- der Wyo Reno Tonopah and Winnemucca Nev Santa Fe N. N M. M Spokane Wash and Yel Yel- Spaces opposite these places were left blank in the weather report |