Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-09-24
WIGGINS'S AWFUL PREDICTION.



OTTAWA, Ont, Sept. 2I-Prof. +. Stone
Virgins of the meteorological bureau says
that the 29th inst. will witness one of the
most terrific subterranean upheavals evel
known on this continent Inasmuch a.
| Dr. Virgins foretold the Charleston earth.
| quake his prediction is regarded as worthy
of weight. Being seen by reporter last
evening he said: 1T is certain that an
earthquake will visit the Southern States
on the 29th of this month. The disturb
ance will cross the Atlantic and Will in all
| probability affect southern Europe South
America will be exceedingly liable to be
affected and the .upheaval will be a severe
one. There Is no danger from earth
/ quakes III America until the 29th inst
ana even then the earthquake force Wi II
move from east to west ON a parallel "A
few degrees south of Charleston. IT Char
/ lesion Is visited this time it can only be
on that day.
/ Being asked as to the parallel of lati-
tude on which the disturbance would
take place, DR.. Virgins replied that the
activity would be confiued to the 30th
parallel of latitude, and would extend
from ocean to ocean. The shocks wonld
also affect San Francisco and the Pacific
slope. North of parallel 80 the disturb
ance Will consist OF Il terrific storm-iu
/ fdct, vast hurricane. This will be eSpe
cially severe III the gulf of st. Lawrence
ana the eastern provinces. II any small
craft, such as fishing boats, were caught
they would hardly escape but such warn
ing mad been given that it was not probable
that any would be out. The storm would be
preceded in Ontario, Quebec, the maritime
provinces and New England by strong
northwest winds on the 26th and 21th inst
The 2Sth would probably he tine-the ull
'I,.4f Il i-ttt .l,.
throughout Will be terrific, and cannot fail
TO cause Widespread devastation. The
force would he far greater than that
which caused the recent disturbances so
| disastrous to Charleston city, and the
country would be alike affected. The
destruction To property would be some.
thing terrible. Jacksonville, Fla, Macon
and Atlanta, Ga, Mobile, Ala, New Or
leans and Baton Rouge, La, Houston,
san Antonio and Galveston, Texas, would
IN all human probability be more or less
damaged. lie predicted that New Or
leans Macon and Mobile would be ruined
When Prof. Virgins was asked to what
cause he attributed this terrible subma-
rlne upheaval he replied that it was pro
uuced by a shifting of the earth's centre
OF gravity, and that this displacement
would be brought about by "A conjunction
of Jupiter, Saturn, Mars and our two
satellites, one being the visible and the
other the Invisible moon. Tue latter is a
discovery of Dr. Virgins. He did not
agree with the opinion enunciated by Sir
William Dawson at the recent meeting of
the British association at Birmingham,
that the cause was to be attributed to a
contraction of that part of the earth's sur
face which forms the bed of the At
lantlc. There would be no earth
qua ke in Canada but there would be
probably tremor in the province of Que
bee. The disturbance would not com
mence anywhere until o'clock in the af-
ternoon. There might be tremors up 10
midnight, caused by subsistence of the
earth 5 crust after the great shock had
taken place. DR.. Virgins expressed him
self as not at all surprised if on that day
several new volcanes should burst out in
Central America and South America
Walter ii Smith, president of the Astro-
meteorological ASSOCIATION for Canada
agrees with Virgins in substance. lie
says the shock Will be ushered in by a
heavy storm in the West and Northwest
and rough weather on the Atlantic coast.
Diminutivs 0uakes Scare the People In
some Southern Cities.
COLUMBIA, :. c., Sept. 2l.-Last night
there was sheet lightning in the east at
frequent intervals, Subterranean thun-