The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1883-01-03
THE STORM PREDICTED FOR
MARCH.
What ihe Chief s,spal Officer Says.
TO the Editor Of The Tribune.

What The Chief Sigpai Officer Says
To the Editor Of The Tribune.
SIR: On the 9th of November
1882, Mr.. f. Stone Virgins, of OF.
towa. Canada, addressed letter to
the President of the United States
which reads as follows:
On the 23d of September last
announced through the Canadian
press that a great storm would oc-
cur in March next, that it would
first be felt in the Northern Pacific,
would appear in the Gulf OF Mex
leo on the night of the 9th, and
being reflected by the Rocky Noun
would cross this meridian
from the west at noon of Sunday,
March IL, 1883.
No vessel, whatever her dimen-
sions, will be safe out of harbor, and
none of small tonnage can hope to
survive the tidal wave and fury OF
this tempest. As the wind will
blow from the southeast, the plan
etary force will be sufficient to sub
merge the low lands of the Ameri-
can coast, especially those bordering
on the Gull of Mexico and washed
by the Gulf stream. while the air
currents for several hunored miles
along the east side Of the kssky
Mountain range, owing 10 the great
atmospheric pressure in those re-
gions, viii spread universal destruc
ton. The New England States will
also suffer severely from the wind
aud floods. No point outside OF
harbor in the whole area of the At
lantlc-especially north of the equa
tor-will be a place of safety; for
this will be pre-eminently the great
est storm that has visited this con-
,inent since the days of your Illus
trious first President.
/ In view OF this event, therefore, |
take the great liberty of represent
ing to Your Excellency the advisa-
bility Of ordering all United States
ships into safe harbors not later than
the 9TH of March till this storm be
past. | have the honor to be, etc,
f. STONE WIGGINs.
LID. d., Astronomer.
This letter, which has been wide
" disseminated by the press of the
country, might we'll receive no off
cial notice but for the fact tbat many
people, who have no facilities for
judging of the value of such a pre-
diction, are disposed to give it ere
dence. There are always some to
be found who will put confidence in
the widest speculations Of those
who profess to foretell future events.
and it requires only boldness In
making a prediction and tone of
authority III delivering the message
tc enable the prophet to gain listen
ers. The number OF followers. how
ever. will surely diminish in proper
ton as the people are instructed in
the fallacies which underlie these
predictions. In the example afford
ed by Mr.. Wiggin's letter the follow
ing may be pointed out:
/. No storm track has ever been
observed which moved in the path
indicated by the words first he felt
III the Northern Pacific, would APP
pear in the Gulf of Mexico on the
night of the 9th, and-being reflect
ed by the Rocky Mounta:ns-would
cross this meridian (Oitawa) from
the west at noon of Sunday, March
II, 1888" The Rocky Mountains
do not possess the power o; reflect
ing" storm though they may mod
ify its course, and 1t is difficult to
understand how a storm can pro-
ceed from the Pacific TO Canada via
the Gulf of Mexico and suffer any
reflection whatever from the Rocky
Mountains. There are two distinct
classes of storms which traverse this
country, the one which enters the
country in the northwest (some OF
which can be traced from the Pa
ciiic across the moun.ains) and more
easterly or southeasterly 10 the At
lantic, aud the other which enters
the country in the Gulf States and
more northeasterly along the coast
1t sometimes, though rarely, hap
pens that two storms. one of each
class, unite in their course, which
may give slight semblance of truth
To such description as that given
above, but it should he distinctly
noted that the words quoted will not
stand a critical examination. The
same may be said of the sentence
which alludes TO the planetary
force" causing a submersion of low
lands. and the air currents on the
east of the Rocky Mountains spread
ing universal destruction. Should
a severe storm area cross the coun-
try in an easterly direction from the
Rocky Mountains, strong southeast
winds will blow towards the storm
centre in advance of it and strong
nor; Invest winds will follow it. at
coriing 10 well established law OF
rotation of the winds in the vicinity |
of an area of low barometer. This |
Is all thai can be truthful in the |
sentence under discussion. There
is no great atmospheric pressure"
in the region of the Rocky Noun
tains, except that an area of high |
pressure may temporarily prevall
there. and the words planetary
force" belong To the vocabulary OF
and mediaval superstition
upon which modern science cannot
be too severe.
= 1t is absolutely impossible to
predict storm for more than a few
DAYS in advance. The information
cannot be too widely distributed
that no one can foretell even the
general character OF a comiag sea-
son, much less the occurrence of a
particular STERN In that season. 1t
is possible that the advance Of our
knowledge may at some time ena-
ble US TO predict the weather for
MANY days in advance, but this is
Bot possible at the present time
Meteorology is yet in its infancy,
and no ore is yet able to anticipate
the occurrence of a meteorological
for more than a few