The Storm Part 5

In the Cities of _London_ and _Westminster_, especially on the Bridge and near _Wallingford-house_, several Persons were blown down one on the Top of another.

In _Hertfordshire_, a Man was taken up, carried a Pole in Length, and blown over a very high Hedge; and the like in other Places.

The Water in the River of _Thames_, and other Places, was in a very strange manner blown up into the Air: Yea, in the new Pond in _James's Park_, the Fish, to the Number of at least two Hundred, where blown out and lay by the Bank-side, whereof many were Eye-witnesses.

At _Moreclack_ in _Surry_, the _Birds_, as they attempted to fly, were beaten down to the Ground by the Violence of the Wind.

At _Epping_ in the County of _Ess.e.x_, a very great Oak was blown down, which of it self was raised again, and doth grow firmly at this Day.

At _Taunton_, a great Tree was blown down, the upper Part whereof rested upon a Brick or Stone-wall, and after a little time, by the force of the Wind, the lower part of the Tree was blown quite over the Wall.

In the City of _Hereford_, several persons were, by the Violence of the Wind, borne up from the Ground; one Man (as it is credibly reported) at least six Yards.

The great Fane at _Whitehall_ was blown down; and one of the four which were upon the _white Tower_, and two more of them strangely bent; which are to be seen at this Day, to the Admiration of all that behold them.

The several _Triumphant Arches_ in the City of _London_ were much shattered and torn; That in _Leaden-hall-Street_ lost the King's Arms, and many other rare Pieces that were affixed to it; That in _Cheapside_, which represented the Church, suffered very much by the Fury of the Storm; and a great Part of that in _Fleet Street_ (which represented Plenty) was blown down: but, blessed be G.o.d, none as we hear of were either killed or hurt by the Fall of it.

The Wind was so strong, that it blew down several Carts loaded with Hay in the Road between _Barnet_ and _London_; and in other Roads leading to the City of _London_.

_Norwich_ Coach, with four or six Horses, was not able to come towards _London_, but stayed by the way till the Storm was somewhat abated.

It is also credibly reported, That all, or some of the Heads which were set up upon _Westminster-Hall_, were that Day blown down.

There was a very dreadful Lightning which did at first accompany the Storm, and by it some of his Majesty's Houshold conceive that the Fire which happened at _Whitehall_ that Morning, was kindled; as also that at _Greenwich_, by which (as we are informed) seven or eight Houses were burnt down.

_Thus far the Author of_ Mirabilis Annis.

'Tis very observable, that this Storm blew from the same Quarter as the last, and that they had less of it Northward than here; in which they were much alike.

Now as these Storms were perhaps very furious in some Places, yet they neither came up to the Violence of this, nor any way to be compar'd for the Extent, and when ruinous in one County, were hardly heard of in the next.

But this terrible Night shook all _Europe_; and how much farther it extended, he only knows who _has his way in the Whirlwind, and in the Storm, and the Clouds are the Dust of his Feet_.

As this Storm was first felt from the West, some have conjectur'd that the first Generation or rather Collection of Materials, was from the Continent of _America_, possibly from that part of _Florida_ and _Virginia_ where, if we respect natural Causes, the Confluence of Vapours rais'd by the Sun from the vast and unknown Lakes and Inland Seas of Water, which as some relate are incredibly large as well as numerous, might afford sufficient Matter for the Exhalation; and where time adding to the Preparation, G.o.d, who has generally confin'd his Providence to the Chain of natural Causes, might muster together those Troops of Combustion till they made a sufficient Army duly proportion'd to the Expedition design'd.

I am the rather inclin'd to this Opinion, because we are told, they felt upon that Coast an unusual Tempest a few Days before the fatal 27th of _November_.

I confess, I have never studied the Motion of the Clouds so nicely, as to calculate how long time this Army of Terror might take up in its furious March; possibly the Velocity of its Motion might not be so great at its first setting out as it was afterward, as a Horse that is to run a Race does not immediately put himself into the height of his Speed: and tho' it may be true, that by the length of the way the force of the Wind spends it self, and so by degrees ceases as the Vapour finds more room for Dilation; besides, yet we may suppose a Conjunction of some confederate Matter which might fall in with it by the way, or which meeting it at its Arrival here, might join Forces in executing the Commission receiv'd from above, all natural Causes being allow'd a Subserviency to the Direction of the great supream Cause; yet where the vast Collection of Matter had its first Motion, as it did not all take Motion in one and the same moment, so when all the Parts had felt the Influence, as they advanc'd and press'd those before them, the Violence must increase in proportion: and thus we may conceive that the Motion might not have arriv'd at its Meridian Violence till it reach'd our Island; and even then it blew some Days with more than common fury, yet much less than that last Night of its force; and even that Night the Violence was not at its extremity till about an hour before Sun-rise, and then it continued declining, tho' it blew a full Storm for four Days after it.

Thus Providence, by whose special Direction the Quant.i.ty and Conduct of this Judgment was manag'd, seem'd to proportion things so, as that by the course of things the proportion of Matter being suited to Distance of Place, the Motion shou'd arrive at its full Force just at the Place where its Execution was to begin.

As then our Island was the first, this way, to receive the Impressions of the violent Motion, it had the terriblest Effects here; and continuing its steady Course, we find it carried a true Line clear over the Continent of _Europe_, travers'd _England_, _France_, _Germany_, the _Baltick_ Sea, and pa.s.sing the Northern Continent of _Sweedland_, _Finland_, _Muscovy_, and part of _Tartary_, must at last lose it self in the vast Northern Ocean, where Man never came, and Ship never sail'd; and its Violence cou'd have no effect, but upon the vast Mountains of Ice and the huge Drifts of Snow, in which Abyss of Moisture and Cold it is very probable the Force of it was check'd, and the World restor'd to Calmness and Quiet: and in this Circle of Fury it might find its End not far off from where it had its Beginning, the Fierceness of the Motion perhaps not arriving to a Period, till having pa.s.s'd the Pole, it reached again the Northern Parts of _America_.

The Effects of this impetuous Course, are the proper Subjects of this Book; and what they might be before our Island felt its Fury, who can tell? Those unhappy Wretches who had the misfortune to meet it in its first Approach, can tell us little, having been hurried by its irresistible Force directly into Eternity: how many they are, we cannot pretend to give an Account; we are told of about seventeen Ships, which having been out at Sea are never heard of: which is the common way of Discourse of Ships founder'd in the Ocean: and indeed all we can say of them is, the fearful _Exit_ they have made among the Mountains of Waters, can only be duly reflected on by those who have seen those Wonders of G.o.d in the Deep.

Yet I cannot omit here to observe, That this Loss was in all probability much less than it would otherwise have been; because the Winds having blown with very great Fury, at the same Point, for near fourteen Days before the Violence grew to its more uncommon height, all those Ships which were newly gone to Sea were forc'd back, of which some were driven into _Plymouth_ and _Falmouth_ who had been above a hundred and fifty Leagues at Sea; others, which had been farther, took Sanctuary in _Ireland_.

On the other hand, All those Ships which were homeward bound, and were within 500 Leagues of the _English_ Sh.o.r.e, had been hurried so furiously on _afore it_ (_as the Seamen say_) that they had reach'd their Port before the Extremity of the Storm came on; so that the Sea was as it were swept clean of all Shipping, those which were coming home were blown home before their time; those that had attempted to put to Sea, were driven back again in spight of all their Skill and Courage: for the Wind had blown so very hard, directly into the Channel, that there was no possibility of their keeping the Sea whose Course was not right afore the Wind.

On the other hand, these two Circ.u.mstances had fill'd all our Ports with unusual Fleets of Ships, either just come home or outward-bound, and consequently the Loss among them was very terrible; and the Havock it made among them, tho' it was not so much as every body expected, was such as no Age or Circ.u.mstance can ever parallel, and we hope will never feel again.

Nay, so high the Winds blew even before _that we call the Storm_, that had not that intolerable Tempest follow'd so soon after, we should have counted those Winds extraordinary high: and any one may judge of the Truth of this from these few Particulars; That the _Russia_ Fleet, compos'd of near a hundred Sail, which happen'd to be then upon the Coast, was absolutely dispers'd and scatter'd, some got into _Newcastle_, some into _Hull_, and some into _Yarmouth_ Roads; two founder'd in the Sea; one or two more run a-sh.o.r.e, and were lost; and the _Reserve_ Frigat, their Convoy, founder'd in _Yarmouth_ Roads, all her Men being lost, and no Boat from the Sh.o.r.e durst go off to relieve her, tho' it was in the Day-time, but all her Men perished.

In the same previous Storms the--Man of War was lost off of _Harwich_; but by the help of smaller Vessels most of her Men were sav'd.

And so high the Winds blew for near a Fortnight, that no Ship stirr'd out of Harbour; and all the Vessels, great or small, that were out at Sea, made for some Port or other for shelter.

In this juncture of time it happen'd, that together with the _Russia_ Fleet, a great Fleet of Laden Colliers, near 400 Sail, were just put out of the River _Tine_: and these being generally deep and unweildy Ships, met with hard measure, tho' not so fatal to them as was expected: such of them as could run in for _Humber_, where a great many were lost afterwards, as I shall relate in its course; some got shelter under the high Lands of _Cromer_ and the Northern Sh.o.r.es of the County of _Norfolk_, and the greater number reach'd into _Yarmouth_ Roads.

So that when the Great Storm came, our Ports round the Sea-Coast of _England_ were exceeding full of Ships of all sorts: a brief account whereof take as follows.

At _Grimsby_, _Hull_, and the other Roads of the _Humber_, lay about 80 Sail, great and small, of which about 50 were Colliers, and part of the _Russia_ Fleet as aforesaid.

In _Yarmouth_ Roads there rode at least 400 Sail, being most of them Laden Colliers, _Russia_ Men, and Coasters from _Lynn_ and _Hull_.

In the River of _Thames_, at the _Nore_, lay about 12 Sail of the Queen's hir'd Ships and Store-ships, and only two Men of War.

Sir _Cloudsly Shovel_ was just arriv'd from the _Mediterranean_ with the Royal Navy: Part of them lay at _St. h.e.l.lens_, part in the _Downs_, and with 12 of the biggest Ships he was coming round the _Foreland_ to bring them into _Chatham_; and when the Great Storm began was at an Anchor at the _Gunfleet_, from whence the _a.s.sociation_ was driven off from Sea as far as the Coast of _Norway_: What became of the rest, I refer to a Chapter by it self.

At _Gravesend_ there rode five _East India_ Men, and about 30 Sail of other Merchant-men, all outward bound.

In the _Downs_ 160 Sail of Merchant Ships outward bound, besides that part of the Fleet which came in with Sir _Cloudsly Shovel_, which consisted of about 18 Men of War, with Tenders and Victuallers.

At _Portsmouth_ and _Cowes_ there lay three Fleets; first, a Fleet of Transports and Tenders, who with Admiral _Dilks_ brought the Forces from _Ireland_ that were to accompany the King of _Spain_ to _Lisbon_; secondly, a great Fleet of Victuallers, Tenders, Store-ships, and Transports, which lay ready for the same Voyage, together with about 40 Merchant-ships, who lay for the benefit of their Convoy; and the third Article was, the Remainder of the Grand Fleet which came in with Sir _Cloudsly Shovel_; in all almost 300 Sail, great and small.

In _Plymouth_ Sound, _Falmouth_ and _Milford_ Havens, were particularly several small Fleets of Merchant-ships, driven in for Shelter and Harbour from the Storm, most homeward bound from the Islands and Colonies of _America_.

The _Virginia_ Fleet, _Barbadoes_ Fleet, and some _East India_ Men, lay scatter'd in all our Ports, and in _Kinsale_ in _Ireland_ there lay near 80 Sail, homeward bound and richly laden.

At _Bristol_ about 20 Sail of home-bound _West India_ Men, not yet unladen.

In _Holland_, the Fleet of Transports for _Lisbon_ waited for the King of _Spain_, and several _English_ Men of War lay at _Helvoet Sluice_; the _Dutch_ Fleet from the _Texel_ lay off of _Cadsandt_, with their Forces on Board, under the Admiral _Callenberge_. Both these Fleets made 180 Sail.

I think I may very safely affirm, That hardly in the Memory of the oldest Man living, was a juncture of Time when an Accident of this nature could have happen'd, that so much Shipping, laden out and home, ever was in Port at one time.

No Man will wonder that the Damages to this Nation were so great, if they consider these unhappy Circ.u.mstances: it shou'd rather be wonder'd at, that we have no more Disasters to account to Posterity, but that the Navigation of this Country came off so well.

And therefore some People have excus'd the Extravagancies of the _Paris Gazetteer_, who affirm'd in Print, that there was 30000 Sea-men lost in the several Ports of _England_, and 300 Sail of Ships; which they say was a probable Conjecture; and that considering the mult.i.tude of Shipping, the Openness of the Roads in the _Downs_, _Yarmouth_, and the _Nore_, and the prodigious Fury of the Wind, any Man would have guess'd the same as he.

'Tis certain, It is a thing wonderful to consider, that especially in the _Downs_ and _Yarmouth_ Roads any thing shou'd be safe: all Men that know how wild a Road the first is, and what Crowds of Ships there lay in the last; how almost every thing quitted the Road, and neither Anchor nor Cable would hold; must wonder what Shift or what Course the Mariners could direct themselves to for Safety.

Some which had not a Mast standing, nor an Anchor or Cable left them, went out to Sea wherever the Winds drove them; and lying like a Trough in the Water, wallow'd about till the Winds abated; and after were driven, some into one Port, some into another, as Providence guided them.

In short, Horror and Confusion seiz'd upon all, whether on Sh.o.r.e or at Sea: No Pen can describe it, no Tongue can express it, no Thought conceive it, unless some of those who were in the Extremity of it; and who, being touch'd with a due sense of the sparing Mercy of their Maker, retain the deep Impressions of his Goodness upon their Minds, tho' the Danger be past: and of those I doubt the Number is but few.