Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1883-03-19
WIGGINS' BIG STORM.

WIGGINS' BIG STORM.
DR.. f. Stone Virgins of Ottawa,
Canada, made a great sensation by
predicting a terrible storm, which was
to start in the North Pacific Ocean
one week ago last Friday, and, sweep
ing across the country rapidly, reach
Ottawa at noon on Sunday. He de-
clared that no vessel smaller than
Cunard steamer could stand the tenn
pest, and that the shores of the At
lantic would he desolated by it. He
urged the Minister of the Canadian
Marine to peremtorily order up storm
drums on all the Canadian coast not
later than February goth, and thus
permit no vessel to leave harbor, as,
if this were not done, hundreds of
lives would be lost. and millions of
property be destroyed. Such pre-
diction made a wide and deep impress
sion. The fishermen of New England
were afraid to put to sea, and for a
week there was a shivering apprehen-
sion of danger. But the great storm
did not come. There were small dis
turbances, rains, and SHOWS, and
winds, in various places, and severe
cold in northern New Hampshire and
Vermont, but nothing unusual for the
season. And it is estimated that the
loss to fishermen, and merchants, and
travellers, amounts to over 81 500, 900,
from the credence given to this pre-
diction. Of course Virgins is ridi-
culed. He is the target for all sorts
of squibs and jokes, and if he had
any reputation before making this
prophecy he has lost all of it. 1t is
not strange that people were impress
ed by such prediction, for they have
learned to trust in the weather prob
abilities given in the newspapers, and
the fact that man should hazard
prediction like this compelled atten-
ton. People who live at the mercy
of the weather dared not run the risks.
There have been a number of terrific
storms during the present century,
notably the one of September, 1875,
| on the Texas coast. Galveston, In
dianola, and other towns were much
injured; villages were washed away
by the sea. and the loss of life was
severe. The northeasterly gale of
April y, 1851, in which the Minot' s
Ledge Lighthouse, Boston, was de-
stroyed, was one of unexampled fury.
The water rose to a depth of two feet
above streets. Nearly all the lumber
yards in East and South Boston, were
swept away, and vast quantities of
sugar and other perishable articles in
the cellars on the wharves and on the
low lying streets of the city were
completely destroyed. The great
September gale of seventy-fve years
ago is still remembered in New Eng
land. In October, 1864, there was a
great cyclone in Calcutta, followed
by "bore'' or tidal wave in the
Hooghly, the water rising thirty feet
high-about one hundred ships were
lost, 10000 persons persisted and
whole towns were nearly destroyed.
On the 1st and I'd Of October there
occurred a cyclone in the Bahamas,
at Nassau, New Providence, by which
600 houses, churches and many other
buildings were thrown down, great
many ships dismantled, and some
seventy persons killed. In January
1889, there was an awful hurricane
on the west coast of England and in
Ireland. In England the storm ragged
through the counties of Cheshire.
/ Staffordshire and Warwickshire &c
persons were killed in Liverpool by
the falling of buildings and loo
| drowned in the neighborhood, the
coasts and harbors were strewn will
wrecks. In Limerick, Galway ane
Athlonne more than 200 houses were
blown down, and as many more were
burnt, the wind spreading the fire
and Dublin suffered greatly. In Feb
ruary, 1928, during a storm at Glib
raltar more than 100 vessels wer,
destroyed, and a hurricane ravagee
the Leeward Islands in 1919, and 10
vessels were lost at st. Thomas
These are among the most notabl
storms of the present century. 1t i
not strange when people live at th
mercy of the elements that the
should be timid and anxious, and pos
sibly over credulous.
1t appears that the reduction Q
letter postage to two cents was nc
the only advance step taken by til
47th Congress. The cost of posts
money orders was reduced, and
new postal order, for sums not eA
, ceeding S., was provided for, at
cost of three cents, which will b
very convenient for the payment c
subscriptions to the MONITOR b
mail, and for all similar purposes
.