LIEUT SAXBY

Otago Witness, Issue 930, 25 September 1869, Page 21

LIEUT SAXBY

Lieut. Saxby writes as follows in A recent issue of the London Standard :•— Sir, on the Ist Jane, 1863, you, in your journal, kindly permitted me to offer a special warning as to the period between the lOfch and 13th December of that year. After giving my reasons for exoeoting very Berious weather in that Deoember, I said, "Now let any mati tell me what other influence oan be adduced to coinoide for that period, so as to increase the chance of our having the most destructive storms, and the moat dangerous tide, with which tho earth can, without miracle, be visited." Well known and widely known fulfilments justified this prediotion, and those results are my apology for asking permission to acquaint the world, through your colnmnß, with what threatens, not only us in Great Britain, but all parts of the earth, as about to happen, in the coming year. Some of your readers may probably be inoredulouß a3 to weather warnings given at so long an interval before an expeoted danger. Allow me, therefore, first tn give at least one authentic instance of absolute fulfilment (aa published hy me some time early in 1864). A afcranger to me, Capt. Shirley, of Burnham Overv, wrote to me pn 2nd of November, 1863. as follows :— "Observing your letter in the Standard of Ist June, . , , would you still advise as to take every precaution a-ainsfc thi« coming tide ?" I strongly renewed my advice as to the sea walls of Lincolnshire and'Nbrf oik Fens. On 21st Deo. , 1863, he again wrote :— "Too tide made its appearance much earlier than usual, at 7.45 a.m. of Sunday, 13th; the tide was at its highest, being a vory large tide ; should we have had a gale from the N.W., it would havo overflowed all our banks. I think you were perfectly justified in giving warning. I may aay that your warning has induced a lonp-negleotod seabank to be put in repair." I need add no mere, except that on tbe same day (Deoember 13th) tha JDook- master of the Viotoria Dock, London, found 30ft. of water on tha dook sill, which enabled him to dook the largent merohant ahip afloat— tho Great Republic—and also the ironclad Monitor there being an exoeasive rise of about Bft. I now beg leave to state, with regard to 1869, that at 7 a.m. on Ootober sth, the moon will be at that part of her orbit whioh is nfarert to the earth. Her attraction will, therefore, be at its maximum force. At noon of the cam« day the moon will be on the earth's equator, a oironmstanoe whioh never occurs without marked atmospheric disturbance, and at 2 p m. of the same day lines drawn for tho earth's centre would cut the ran and moon, in the same aro of right aaoencion; the moon's attraction and the son's attraction will, therefore, be acting in the same direction ; in other wordi, tho new moon will be on the earth's equator when in perigee, and nothing more threatening oan, I say, ooour without miraole. The earth, it is truo, will not be in perihelion by iome 16 or 17 fooxxAa of semi- diameter. At the period referred to in 18S3, the moon happonod to be in the extreme aouth deolina* tion, and, accordingly tho greatest dovastaturn occurred in the Southern hemisphere, but next year the two hemispheres will be affeotod alike.