St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1886-10-09
THE FALSE PROPHET.

The Terrible State of Alarm Caused in
the South by Virgins Earthquake which
Failed to MateriuliZe-The False Prophet
at Home-He W!thdraws from the Pub
lie Gaze and Ritiicul,-iiiS Latest Asser-
tions.
ATLANTA, Ga. Sept. 30.-Ilalf million
people in Georgia, South Carolina, Flor
ida and Alabama sat up all night watch
ing for the appearance OF Virgins earth
Quake. Another half million rose at day
light to scan the skies and see II the
predicted cyclones were coming. ffoo-
ably at no time since the war has excite
ment been so general throughout the
South Atlantic and Gulf States within
the last week 1t is fortunate tor the
nervous people that Yesterday morning
dawned clear and beautiful, without a
cloud in the sky. At five o'cass:k the
streets OF this city, usually deserted
until seven, were alive with people, but
the clear atmosphere Gained the Tears OF
oven the negroes, most of whom went to
work again on seeing no signs OF lud9-
mept day. By ii Il. m. the nervous peo-
pie who had arranged to spend the day
in the fields found the sun rather hot,
and one by one they kept returning nome,
and by noon every one had apparently
forgotten Virgins and his prophecy.
In the suburban districts, how
ever, such was not the case.
All through Georgia aud South
Carolina, and from those portions OF
Florida from which dispatches have been
received, the darkies spent the entire
night in prayer and administering the
rites of baptism. The fact that there
had been severe earthquake shock at
Charleston, and three or more shocks at
Summervlle, added to the negroes ter.
ror as soon as the rumor was noised
abroad. TO add to their terror about
dark the heavens clouded over, and by
nine O'Clock ram was falling, accom-
panied bv stiff wind This sent the
superstitous into an ecstasy OF terror,
and even among the white people in the
country a number of serious cases OF i'll
ness from fear are reported. 1t was
thought that the scenes in Augusta and
elsewhere, where people committed sui
eide after the recent earthquake through
sheer fright, would be repeated, but
fortunately by midnight the storm
passed away and the stars began peep
inc out. This restored confidence. 1t is
remarkable coincidence that three
weeks prior 20 Virgins pred elton a
number of colored prophets or hoodoo
men and women went about among the
negroes OF this State, predicting the to-
tai destruction of the earth on the 18th
of September. This had stirred up the su-
persIitlous element, and it only
needed Virgins prophecies to
start scene of disorder
and excitement amongst the lower
classes, such as has not been since eman-
cipation day. The day having passed of
quietly the prayer-meetings have been
discontinued, aud the people who have
been fasting and preparing for transla-
ton into the future state are taking
much needed rest preparatory to gather
ing the cotton crop, which is now ripen-
ing. The Wlggins' scare stands without
precedent in the South.
OTTAWA, Ont, Sept. 30.-Poor Wig
gins has crawled into some secluded spot
10 get away from the jeers from the mob
who had congregated about the telegraph
office last night to learn that the earth
quake had fizZled out. He left his Off &c
in the Finance Department early in the
afternoon and Immediately drove out OF
town. All through the morning he was
besieged by newspaper correspondents
and curious public, all anxious to learn
what he had to say; in fact the Donin-
ion police with difficulty only could keep
the crowd back. Shortly before he left
he received the following telegram.
MONCToN n b Sept 80
DR.. T.. STONE WIGGINs:- Pred ctions full
filed. Some severe shocks were felt here
last night.
Signed sILAs BERRY
This rather cheercd the professor up,
and during few moments conversation
he SAID:
''My storm is we'll nigh over the broad
Atlantic 1t will strike the meridian at
Halifax at p. M, and look out for high
tides there as well as at Quebec. l see
that storm signals were raised in En-
gland on the Goth, the Meteorological Bu-
reau issuing the following circular:
Hoist the south cone, a deep depression
is apparent off our Northwest coast.
Of course we have not had any tidngs
of any storm, for the Meteorological
Bureau refuses to give any advices re-
garding my storms, and you may also
have observed that our Dominion Mete-
geological office for the last three days
has dropped the probabilities for our gulf
ports and the Lower St. Lawrence.
81 distinctly assert that the storm will
be mainly confined to the Atlantic. The
vast hurricane, for such it will be, will
sweep down old Ocean, tear past Sandy
Hook and Continue on it's mad career
can not venture prediction regarding
the destruction, but I have fears for
mariners this very night. MY storm is
booked for Halifax at four, and can not
get there before In London, England,
the storm signals were up on the 26th,
owing to severe depression in the North
west. I have no doubt that the storm
will be severely felt in the Gulf Of Mexico
and the Rocky Mountains. Up to the
present have heard nothing more mol
should yet, as the time has not yet ar