THE GREAT STORM PROPHECY.

Kumara Times, Issue 2029, 1 March 1883, Page 2

THE GREAT STORM PROPHECY.

From the tenor of a Melbourne telegram published by us yesterday afternoon, it would appear that some fears are entertained relative to Dr. Wiggins' prediction of a great storm to take place this month. The paragraph went the round of the New Zealand papers some weeks ago, having first appeared in the Lyttelton Times, to which paper it was forwarded by some correspondent, who wrote: —Dr. E. Stone Wiggins, of the Canadian Finance Department, who some time ago predicted that the recent gale would sweep from east to west over the American Continent in March next gives warning as follows:—"It wiH first be felt in the Northern Pacific, and will cross the meridian of Ottawa at noon (5 o'clock p.m. London time) on Sunday, March 11, [which will correspond to 5.30 on the morning of the 12th instant, to New Zealand time]. No vessel smaller thai* the Cunarder will be able to live in the tempest. India, the sonth of Europe, England, and especially the North American Continent will be the theatre of its ravages. As all the lowlands on the Atlantic will be submerged, I advise shipbuilders to place their vessels high up on the stocks, and farmers having loose valuables, such as hay, cattle &c, to remove them to a place of safety. I beg, further, most respectfully, to ap-

peal to the Honorable Minister of Marine, that he will peremptorily order up storm-dvuras on all the Canadian coasts not later than the 20th of February, and thus permit no vessel to leave the harbor. If this is not done, hundreds of lives will be lost, and millions of dollars' worth of property destroyed." The Professor, who is an astronomer of some repute, wrote to President Arthur that the storm would be of " unexampled severity," lasting from March 9th to 11th. He concludes : "No point outside of harbour in the whole area of the Atlantic, especially north of the equator, will be a place of safety, for this will be pre-eminently the greatest storm that has visited this Continent since the days of yonr illustrious first President. In view of this event, therefore, I take the great liberty of representing to your Excellency the advisability of ordering all United States ships into safe harbours not later than the sth of March, till this storm is passed." Mr R. J. Ellery, the Victorian Government astronomer, ridicules the prediction.