New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-12-23
TRYING TO CRUSH HIGGINS.

There are signs of a conspiracy for the de
mOltion of Wiggins-PrOfcssor L. Stone Wig
| gns-the new weather prophet OF Ottawa,
| Canada Virgins, it will be remembered, pre-
| dcted tremendous storm for the noon OF
Sunday March IL, 1888. He gave minute
| particulars of the course of the combined hur-
ricane, tornado and cyclone, and warned all
vessels into port and all people into cellars and
| Easements, Few things were to be lett on the
surface of the planet alter the storm passed
except those which were securely anchored to
solid rock. Virgins was very solemn about 1T
| ALL and was not in the least disturbed by the
fact that the principal effect of his prediction
was to set everybody to laughing at Virgins.
| This excited the jealousy OF VennOr, who before
the appearance of Virgins had the reputa-
ton of being the widest weather prophet who
had ever lived. VennOr saw at once that
Virgins had taken away his business, and he
fastened to inform the public that Virgins
was no better than a humbng. This was in
terestng, for it showed that if the big gale did
not arrive on time in March there was likely TO
be something very like gale when the two
Canadian seers, each flying a danger signal
got in sight of each other.
Vennor's attack merely showed professional
jealousy and rather helped than hurt Virgins.
Now comes General Hazen, and in column
letter to yesterdays TRIBUNE not only virtually
calls Virgins n humbug, but has the cold
blooded cruelty to prove it. This is why we say
there are signs of conspiracy to crush Wig
gins We doubt if it will succeed, however.
Virgins won't mind a little thing like being
proved a humbug. He doubtless has bi8
answer all ready General Hazen shows that
no storm ever approached in the way Virgins
saws his is coming. To this Virgins will reply
promptly that 10 storm of this kind ever came
before, and that it is so big n new route had to
be made for it. General Hazen says no storm
ever caromed on the Rocky Mountains in the
way Virgins says his is going to. To this
Virgins will reply that that is the very reason
| the destruction will be SO tremendous, for it
will be the first storm that has ever been
bounced" upon the Atlantic Coast in that
way. General IIazen says thatit is absolutely
impossible to predict storm for more than 4
| few days in advance. Yennor knows better
than that for he predicted several storms for IA
month in advance last winter, and they have
not come to time vet.
| On this point of penetrating the future we
| apprehend Virgins will come out strong.
General Hazen says that the science of meteor
ology is still in its infancy and that it does not
| en- able anyone to SEQ more than week in al
vance, yet Virgins says he can see ahead four
months. But Virgins is NO mere meteOrolOgist.
| He signs oil his predictions E. Stone Wiggins,
| Ii. d., Astronomer He has discovered the
approach of his storm Ivy unusual connections
among the heavenly bodies. AS General
Hazen points out, Virgins talks mysreriouslv
about planetary force phrase which the
General thinks belongs to the vocabulary of
astrology aud medieval superstition" That
| may be so, but that is evidently the source Of
Wiggns's foresight and we don't believe he
will be scared away from it. He is having too
much fun out Of his prediction for that as his
latest oracular utterance shows Somebody
having asked him by way of Joke if he would
ad wise the arrest of marine work until after his
| big blow, Virgins replies with the solemnity
of an owl IF | were the owner of ships
would not allow one of them to be On the
| Atlantic Ocean on February 8, or on the 9th,
:" 10th or 18th of March, though the former
storm will be inferior to the latter. You may
begin marine work with safety about the
middle of April next" If he had added,
1t will be warm on or about the 4th of july
this prediction would have been complete. No,
we do not believe Virgins can be crushed. A
man capable of making his original prediction is
capable Of sticking to it through thick and
thin.