The Wilmingtonian., 1886-09-25
Cyclones and Earthquakes,

cyclones and Earthquakes.
If any credence is to be attached to the
representations of Prof E. Stone Wiggins,
of the Meteorological bureau, Wednesday
the Goth Instant will be memorable day in
the annals of American meteorological his
tory. To reporter Prof. Stone said
sit is certain that an earthquake will vsi
the Southern States on the Goth of this
month. The disturbance will cross the At.
antic and will in all probability affect
Southern Europe. South America will be
exceedingly liable to be affected and the up
heaval VIII be severe one. There is no
danger from earthquakes in America until
the goth inst. and even then the earthquake
force will move from east to west on paral-
lei few degrees south of Charleston. II
Charleston is visited this time it can only be
on that day.
| Being asked as to the parallel of latitude
on which the disturbance would take place,
Dr.. Wiggns replied that the activity would
be confined to the thirtieth parallel of lati.
tude, and would extend from ocean to ocean
The shocks would also affect San Francisco
and the Pacific slope. North of parallel 30
the disturbance will be meteorological, and
will consist of a terrific stoim--in fact, a vast
hurricane. This will be especially severe i'll
the Gulf Of st. Lawrence and the eastern
provinces. If any small craft, such as fish
ing boats, were caught they would hardly
escape, bnt such Il warning had been given
that it was not probable that auy would be
out The storm would be preceded in On
tario, Quebec, the maritime provinces and
New England by sti0ng north west winds
on the 26th and 9th inst The 2Sth would
probably be fine;-the lull that plec,d des the
storm. The u,baucp throughout will be
terrific and cannot fail to cause widespread
devastation. The force would be far greater
than that W hich CAUSED the recent disturb
ance 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 At
lanta, Ga, /; Mobile, Ala. New Orleans, La;
Baton Rouge, Miss. Houston, San Antonio
and Galveston, Texas, would III all human
probability be more or less damaged. He
predicted that New Olleans, Macon and
Mobile would be ruined, as the cities were
right in the path of the subterranean and
meteorological phenomena.
When Professor Virgins was asked to
what cause he attributed this terrible sub
marine upheaval he replied that it was pro
duced by shifting OF the earths centre of
gravity, and that this displacement would
be brought about BY conjunction of Jupi-
ter, Saturn, Mas and our two satellites, one
being the visible and the other the invisible
moon. The latt is a Clh c)very OF Dr.. Wig
gins. He did not agree with the opinion
enunciated by Sir William Dawson at tie
recent meeting Of the British Association, at
Birmingham, that the cause was to be attri-
buted to a contraction Of that part of the
| earth's surface which forms the bed of the
Atlantic. There would be no earthquake in
Canada, but there would be probably tre-
NOR in the province of Quebec. The disturb
ance would not commence anywhere until 2
o'clock in the afternoon. There might be
trcmors up to midnight, caused by the sub
sidence of the earths crust after the great
shock had taken place. Dir. Wiggins eA-
pressed himself as not at all surprised if on
that day several new volcanoes should burst
out in Central America and South Ameri
ca.
Walter H. Smith, president Of the Astro
Meteorological Association for Canada,
agrees with Wiggin in substance He says the
shock will be ushered in th heavy storm
in the west and north west and rough
weather on the Atlantic coast. He looks to
see the damage done in the disricr south Of
the thirtieth parellel of latitude.
Inasmuch as the prophecy of Or. Wiggins,
concerning the Charleston earthquake, was
verified the prediction tor next Wednesday
will fill the timorous with more or less an
xiety.