In the July number of Vol. XVI. of Silliman's Journal, we find certain
notices of the weather in 1852, by Charles Smallwood, of St. Martins,
nine miles east of Montreal. He mentions "two remarkable electrical
storms (which) occurred on the 23d and 31st of December, (in which)
sparks 5/40 of an inch were constantly passing from the conductor to the
discharger for several hours each day." At 10 P.M. (23d) the vortex
passed over Montreal, and again descending on the 31st North, and was
visible at Ottowa on the morning of the 1st of January, with southerly
wind setting towards it. On the 29th of December, Mr. Smallwood records
"a low auroral arch, sky clear." On the 20th, the vortex was 5d to the
northward of Montreal, and the aurora was consequently low--the
brightest auroras being when the vortex is immediately north without
storm, or one day to the northward, although we have seen it _very low_
when the vortex was three days to the north, and no other vortex near.