A CHEERFUL PROPHECY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 261, 4 November 1890, Page 5

A CHEERFUL PROPHECY.

EARTHQUAKES AND TIDAL

WAVES.

Most people are looking forward to the end of next week with a good deal of pleasure, the Prince of Wales' Birthday being a popular holiday. ' A note of warning comes from the Meridian Plains in Queensland. Ructions of the most pronounced and disagreeable type are announced for November the 9th or thereabouts. Earthquakes, tidal waves and a number of othor unusual little things are to have a big show on the day in question. So says, at least, aMr James Miller, of Meridian Plains, Queensland. There is one small crumb of comfort. The prophet admits he might be six months or even a year wrong in calculations, but he adds, grimly, " but it will be sooner or later." So strongly does he feel this that he has written the following letter to the Mayor of Auckland,, Presumably, other Mayors in this colony have also been warned :—

"Meridian Plains, Queensland, . "October.2o,lß9o. 11 To the Worshipful the Mayor of Auck- " land, Auckland, New Zealand.

" Sir, —I have the honour to address you on a very serious and important matter, a matter which concerns the public generally, and I hope that, though a perfect stranger to you, for the sake of many who may be in danger, you will- render what assietance you can in making the matter ab widely known as possible. It is this :—About, two years and six months ago, I, by observation and hard etudy, was forced to the conclusion that Australia anditssurroundings would be visited by a severe earthquake which would raise up a past age in the world's history, and I sent my opinion to the editors of several of the leading papers in Australia at the time.

" About 15 months afterwards I had discovered by further reflection that I would 6nd the locality which will expose these hidden relics, viz., long. 1174 east, lat. 36 south, which is so near the North Island of New Zealand that the shock will probably be felt severely there in .some places. The low-lying coasts are too, I think, in- danger of being for a time ab least submerged by a tidal wave. It is because there is ab least a possibility of evil resulting from the upheaval that 1 believe it to be my duty, if possible, to warn people living on the low-lying coast lines of the North Island particularly to be prepared for a severe shook of earthquake, probably about the 9th of November next. I cannot, of course, be certain as to date, but there are to my mind marked indications of its very near approach at the present time. I possibly may be six months or even twelve, or more, out in my calculations, but that it will occur sooner or later lam positively sure. That is so far as any human being can be sure of any future event. But lam unknown in the scientific world as yet, and cannot expect to be believed until my prediction prove to be true. However, as it is possible thatfchere will be a noticeable change in the atmosphere immediately before the shock, there may be time for many to escape from a dangerous locality, if the people can be warned in time. ■ _

"Ib is of course in my opinion quite probable that there will be no seriously evil results attending the shock, but I feel it my duty to prepare you for the worst, and in the meantime I shall hope for the best. , "Permit me to say that if my opinion only go before the public as it were—for what it is worth, ib may prove of service to them.

"I have the honour to be your obedient ' "servant.

" Jambs Miller,"