The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1881-06-29


Now that we have bid good bye" to Mother
Shipton and her prophecies, forever-inasmueh
as she was clearly mistaken 10 her interesting
little prediction that the world would come to an
end on the 18th inst. at p m. and from the
fact that her specnlatiOns were not likely TO have
stretched much beyond that date-it is to be
hoped that we shall. in relation to the astronom-
ical and meteorological phenomena of the future
at least, turn our attention to the deductions OF
science and natura philosophy. and rel ject as un-
worthy the slightest consideration that class OF
profound spectators who are always proposing
sublime mpOssiblilies. SUcn as the collision OF
some two or more of the heavenly bodies; and
that we shall also take cum granO the iippant
and adrolt generalizations Oi those Self-consti-
tuted meteorologists who base their predictions
on the gymnastics of a cat, the c2wing of ROCKS,
or the laws of chance.
Mr.. NennOr born in Montreal, in the Prov
ince OF Quebec, Canada, in the year 1910. We are
not, at this moment, in possession OF any data
respecting MS early youth, although we are as
sured by a contemporary that IL was spent in a
search after knowledge which soon became most
serious and labOrious. This letter scarcely ad
mits OF a doubt, If, as We are informed, he Is d
gentleman of ''many-sided accomplishments, y
being a geoiOgist, mineralogist, naturalist
and meteCr0lOgist. The attainment of so much
scientific and practical knowledge in one who has
not yet reached the prime OF life is not of every
day occurrence, and tempts us TO accept as fact
the assertion that he has rOugheQ il III almost al
parts OF Canada, in pursuit OF those cquirements
tablished his name in both Canada and England
With regard 70 the value OF this latter assertion
however, we are not in possession Of any evidence
beyond mat contained III a newspaper paragraph
although we have no desire 10 question or tC
doubt it. Mr.. Veunor has, we are also informed
written very admirable and exhaustive work,
entitled, "Our Birds of Prey" which has been re
ceived with favor not only in his own country
but in Europe. This work, unfortunately, we
have not seen as all that has reached us bearing
Mr.. NennOT's name is his Almanac for the pres
pnf ic of
with ''oid saws" much useful Information
and large and preponderatlng amount of Sc
lected matter.
one can scarcely arise from perusal of thi,
Almanac, however, without having perceived
that Mr.. Nennor has fought shy of his Calendar
not having committed himself III IL to the pre-
dictiOn OF any specific sort Of weather for any
day or three days or week from the first to the
last hour of the year. True, he has generalized
in relation 10 each month. aud supplied the place
of more pertinent information in the Calendar
with quaint saxon proverbs, and mlscellaneOu
extracts embOoying the opinion of others; but
not q sentence in the usual legitimate manner
from his own pen. This is to be regretted, IL
though he may. to some extent, congratulate him
self on the omission; as, certainly, as his pre-
dictiOn that this present Jnne likely Ito
prove warm, even hot and dry up TO about the
10th or 18th days utterly incorrect for this
meridian and latitude at least, II being asserted
broadly by that iulalllbe authority, ''the oldest
inhG bitant,'' that no such gloomy cold and rainy
weather, had characterized the first twelve days
of any previous June tor the hast thirty five
years.
In making some of our Almanacs we are too
prone 10 accept English weather predictions aud
quaint proverbs as applying 10 our months and
seasons here. Take, for example, that which per
sistS in alleging that when March comes in like a
lion ii goes out like a lamb. We almost incline
to the belief that the will be found to be
the case in large majority of instances. Decid
edly, Last March, which came in like liOn went
ont in no very lamb-lize mood and this is attest
ed not only by our own recollection, but by an
American Almanac, now open before us, which
a
fierce winds"-a prediction verified TO the letter
dry, gusty English March that ex pires in sun
shine. showers and calm, is as widely different
from ours as our spring Is from that OF the British
Isles. Hence English steTeOivped expressions III
relation to the different months of the year should
not De found prominent in any Of our Almanacs.
Forecasts OF weather affecting large areas are
not so difficult OF management as those applying
to small and sharply defined localities There is
a very clear and distinct difference between the
prediction that the State OF New York will be Wis
tied by heavy showers OF rain on the 25th of July
and the assertion that that day torrents of rain
will fail in the city of Albany. In the one ease
the means OF detection are embarrassed by the
possibility that il may be pouring down rain in
one part OF the State While ii is bright end fair in
another part but in the other case the value Oi
the PIE di ion can lie as ertained at once. Hence
the Unsatisfactory geneTaliZatiOns which we
encounter so often. and which seem TO draw
their inspiration from aggregate of past or
usual occurrences rather than from any pro-
found or scientific source. IL must not be sup
posed, however that what we now say here is
intended as applicable To Mr.. NennOr's weather
predictions; for had he not made some extra
ordinary and clear-cut successes In this relation
he could scarcely have attained 10 such celebrity.
Still as test of these is not before us nor the
means OF obtaining ii at hand, we must content
ourselves with hoping that they are the veritable
triumphs of genius and thoroughly mastery OF
some of the occult phases of meteofology rather
than the fortunate, hap-haZard predictions OF an
astute observer and bold speculate who trusts
to chance and adroit phTaseology for his sue
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