The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1881-04-12
VISIT TO vENNOR.
The Canadian Weather Prophet AT
Home.

A Montreal correspondent gives the fol-
lowing account of a visit to Nennor. the
well-known weather prophet: Your rep
resentative was directed to enter a mas
sive granite building on St. James street,
occupied by the Dominion government
authorities, and, after climbing heaven
ward for considerable distance, he came
to door partially ajar, on the outside of
which was pinned scrap of paper bearing
in pen inscription: g Henry @. Vennors
office raped gently on the door pan
mel and entered the room at the same time.
g Is Mr.. Vennor in p queried the Tunes
correspondent of red-headed, unobtru-
sive-l looking young man. lie is, and at
your service replied the person address
ed Before me stood . Nennor, the young
probabilities; a man below the medium
height, and of stout build, modest in
manner, and of pleasant address. Nennor
has a hardy, weather-beaten countenance,
and presents an appearance that does not
indicate man over thirty five years Of age.
Making known my mission, was warm
" welcomed by Vennor, and in the pri-
vacy of the g Weather Bureau the Times
correspondent was told the history and
secret Of the 4" machine" which has evolved
such terrible billiards as have visited
the United States and Canada this winter
What position do you occupy in the
government service = asked your CORES
pondent of Mr. Vennor.
/. Vennor replied g One Of the late Sir
William Logan's staff of field explorers
and naturalists. | was appointed on the
survey Of Canada by Sir William in 1865,
when | spent four months in a tent on the
Great Manitoulin island in Lake Huron.
haye been out continually since, exp!o-
ring different sections of Canada. Besides
geology, study ornithology, and have
men out at private expense making col
lections. am engaged now on a work
on the Birds of Canada =
la answer to the question as to what
prompted him to make weather predic-
tions, Nennor said
''It was on account of mistakes made
by opposing authorities when was in
quest of information myself Finding
these altogether unreliable, | commenced
series of observations for myself, and
soon Jared much better"
{" When did you first make your pre-
dictions -
6 In the fall OF 1915" answered Nennor,
and on my return from a survey of the
Madawska and Bonnechere rivers, in
Eastern Ontario. The attempt was so
novel and startling that the press termed
it Vennor's daring predictions Ny pre-
dictions were fulfilled almost to he letter,
and much more closely than had dared
anticipate"
Vennor stated the grounds on which he
makes his predictions to be as follows =
First, on the principle of recurring periods
in the weather at irregular but ascertain
able intervals; second, from close study
of charts of the winters for past seasons
embracing period of fifty years; third,
from upward of eighteen years out-of-
doors and camp life, and original obser
vations of the habits of birds and ami
mails fourth, from impressions intutively
formed and not describable.
| Regarding the correctness of his pre-
dictions, Vennor further said g Ny first,
or general impressions of each year have
been, in the main, correct In details
there have of necessity been misses, but
the hits far outnumber these. The
month of February is found the most diff
ficut to predict for. p
! In regard to winters Of excessive cold
and snowfalls, Vennor instanced the fol-
lowing: Winter of 1857, which was ex-
terrnely cold: 1858, which had the coolest
February on record; 1861, having very
cold January and February. The years
1869 and 1870 were years of great snow
falls. All the years ending with a 0, as
1860, 1870 and 1850, have been cold
This theory seems to be pretty fully ex-
emplifed BY the present extreme cold
winter.
| So far as the winter of lss0-sl is con-
cerned, the predictions made by Vennor
have, in several instances, been fulfilled in
striking manner. He prophesied that
December would open with snow and
that cold weather would prevail during
the second quarter, followed by mild
spell. A brief interval of mild weather
was to follow, succeeded by cold snap
and heavy snow storms. Very heavy
| snowfalls were set for the last of Decem-
Der, with railroad blockades, the snowfalIs
extending far to the southwark Ito Wash
ington and beyondb, this latter prediction
being literally fulfilled. For January a
| cOlu su1P "0s PfOpheHtcus Win DiOcAnuce
of snow in the United States (which oc.
curred) for the 6rst quarter. The middle
Of the month was TO bring second block.
ade, followed by milder weather
| For February Vennor predicted moder.
ate weather until the 18th, followed
by storms and winds on the 18th, mild,
spring.like weather succeeding, with high
winds closing the month. March was "a
maintain its reputation - windy month.
Anil was 70 come In with aharn fruatf