The Storm Part 7

The blowing down of Trees may come in for another Article in this Part; of which, in Proportion to the Quant.i.ty, here was as much as in any Part of _England_: Some printed Accounts tell us of Seventy Trees in _Moorfields_ blown down, which may be true; but that some of them were Three Yards about, as is affirmed by the Authors, I cannot allow: above a Hundred Elms in St. _James's Park_, some whereof were of such Growth, as they tell us they were planted by Cardinal _Woolsey_; whether that Part of it be true or not, is little to the Matter, but only to imply that they were very great Trees: about _Baums_, commonly call'd _Whitmore house_, there were above Two Hundred Trees blown down, and some of them of extraordinary Size broken off in the middle.

And 'twas observ'd, that in the Morning after the Storm was abated, it blew so hard, the Women, who usually go for Milk to the Cow-keepers in the Villages round the City, were not able to go along with their Pails on their Heads; and One, that was more hardy than the rest, was blown away by the Fury of the Storm, and forced into a Pond, but by strugling hard got out, and avoided being drowned; and some that ventured out with Milk the Evening after, had their Pails and Milk blown off from their Heads.

'Tis impossible to enumerate the Particulars of the Damage suffered, and of the Accidents which happened under these several Heads, in and about the City of _London_: The Houses looked like Skeletons, and an universal Air of Horror seem'd to sit on the Countenances of the People; all Business seem'd to be laid aside for the Time, and People were generally intent upon getting Help to repair their Habitations.

It pleased G.o.d so to direct things, that there fell no Rain in any considerable Quant.i.ty, except what fell the same Night or the ensuing Day, for near Three Weeks after the Storm, though it was a Time of the Year that is generally dripping. Had a wet Rainy Season followed the Storm, the Damage which would have been suffered in and about this City to Houshold Goods, Furniture and Merchandise, would have been incredible, and might have equall'd all the the rest of the Calamity: but the Weather prov'd fair and temperate for near a Month after the Storm, which gave People a great deal of Leisure in providing themselves Shelter, and fortifying their Houses against the Accidents of Weather by Deal Boards, old Tiles, Pieces of Sail-Cloth, Tarpaulin, and the like.

_II. Of the Damages in the Country_

As the Author of this was an Eye-witness and Sharer of the Particulars in the former Chapter; so, to furnish the Reader with Accounts as authentick, and which he has as much cause to depend upon as if he had seen them, he has the several Particulars following from like Eye-witnesses; and that in such a manner, as I think their Testimony is not to be question'd, most of the Gentlemen being of Piety and Reputation.

And as a Publication was made to desire all Persons who were willing to contribute to the forwarding this Work, and to transmit the Memory of so signal a Judgment to Posterity, that they would be pleas'd to send up such authentick Accounts of the Mischiefs, Damages, and Disasters in their respective Counties that the World might rely on; it cannot, without a great breach of Charity, be suppos'd that Men mov'd by such Principles, without any private Interest or Advantage, would forge any thing to impose upon the World, and abuse Mankind in Ages to come.

Interest, Parties, Strife, Faction, and particular Malice, with all the scurvy Circ.u.mstances attending such things, may prompt Men to strain a Tale beyond its real Extent; but, that Men shou'd invent a Story to amuse Posterity, in a case where they have no manner of Motive, where the only Design is to preserve the Remembrance of Divine Vengeance, and put our Children in mind of G.o.d's Judgments upon their sinful Fathers, this would be telling a Lye for G.o.d's sake, and doing Evil for the sake of it self, which is a step beyond the Devil.

Besides, as most of our Relators have not only given us their Names, and sign'd the Accounts they have sent, but have also given us Leave to hand their Names down to Posterity with the Record of the Relation they give, we would hope no Man will be so uncharitable to believe that Men would be forward to set their Names to a voluntary Untruth, and have themselves recorded to Posterity for having, without Motion, Hope, Reward, or any other reason, impos'd a Falsity upon the World, and dishonour'd our Relation with the useless Banter of an Untruth.

We cannot therefore but think, that as the Author believes himself sufficiently back'd by the Authority of the Vouchers he presents, so after what has been here premis'd, no Man will have any room to suspect us of Forgery.

The ensuing Relation therefore, as to Damages in the Country, shall consist chiefly of Letters from the respective Places where such things have happen'd; only that as all our Letters are not concise enough to be printed as they are, where it is otherwise the Letter is digested into a Relation only; in which the Reader is a.s.sur'd we have always kept close to the matter of fact.

And first, I shall present such Accounts as are entire, and related by Men of Letters, princ.i.p.ally by the Clergy; which shall be given you in their own Words.

The first is from _Stowmarket_ in _Suffolk_, where, by the Violence of the Storm, the finest Spire in that County, and but new built, _viz._ within thirty Years, was overthrown, and fell upon the Church. The Letter is sign'd by the reverend Minister of the Place, and vouched by two of the princ.i.p.al Inhabitants, as follows.

_SIR_,

Having seen an Advertis.e.m.e.nt of a Design to perpetuate the Remembrance of the late dreadful Storm, by publishing a Collection of all the remarkable Accidents occasion'd by it, and supposing the Damage done to our Church to be none of the least, we were willing to contribute something to your Design, by sending you an Account thereof as follows.

We had formerly a Spire of Timber covered with Lead, of the height of 77 Foot; which being in danger of falling, was taken down: and in the Year 1674, with the Addition of 10 Loads of new Timber, 21 thousand and 8 hundred weight of Lead, a new one was erected, 100 Foot high from the Steeple, with a Gallery at the height of 40 Foot all open, wherein hung a Clock-Bell of between 2 and 3 hundred Weight. The Spire stood but 8 Yards above the Roof of the Church; and yet by the extreme Violence of the Storm, a little before 6 in the Morning the Spire was thrown down; and carrying with it all the Battlements on the East side, it fell upon the Church at the distance of 28 Foot; for so much is the distance between the Steeple and the first Breach, which is on the North-side of the middle Roof, of the length of 17 Foot, where it brake down 9 Spars clean, each 23 Foot long, and severally supported with very strong Braces. The Spire inclining to the North, fell cross the middle Wall, and broke off at the Gallery, the lower part falling in at the aforesaid Breach, and the upper upon the North Isle, which is 24 Foot wide, with a flat Roof lately built, all new and very strong: It carried all before it from side to side, making a Breach 37 Foot long, breaking in sunder two large Beams that went a-cross, which were 12 Inches broad and 15 deep, besides several other smaller. Besides these two Breaches, there is a great deal of Damage done by the Fall of great Stones upon other parts of the Roof, as well as by the Wind's riving up the Lead, and a third part of the Pews broken all in pieces, every thing falling into the Church, except the Weather-c.o.c.k, which was found in the Church-yard, at a considerable distance, in the great Path that goes cross by the East End of the Church. It will cost above 400 _l._ to make all good as it was before. There were 3 single Chimneys blown down, and a Stack of 4 more together, all about the same time; and some others so shaken, that they were forc'd to be pull'd down; but, we thank G.o.d, no body hurt, tho' one Bed was broken in pieces that was very oft lain in: no body lay in it that Night. Most Houses suffered something in their Tiling, and generally all round the Country, there is incredible Damage done to Churches, Houses, and Barns.

_Samuel Farr_, Vicar.

_John Gaudy._ _William Garrard._

From _Oxfordshire_ we have an Account very authentick, and yet unaccountably strange: but the reverend Author of the Story being a Gentleman whose Credit we cannot dispute, in acknowledgment to his Civility, and for the Advantage of our true Design, we give his Letter also _verbatim_.

_SIR_,

Meeting with an Advertis.e.m.e.nt of yours in the _Gazette_ of _Monday_ last, I very much approved of the Design, thinking it might be a great Motive towards making People, when they hear the Fate of others, return Thanks to Almighty G.o.d for his Providence in preserving them. I accordingly was resolved to send you all I knew.

The Place where I have for some time lived is _Besselsleigh_, in _Barkshire_, about four Miles S.W. of _Oxon_. The Wind began with us much about One of the Clock in the Morning, and did not do much harm, only in untiling Houses, blowing down a Chimney or two, without any Person hurt, and a few Trees: but what was the only thing that was strange, and to be observed, was a very tall Elm, which was found the next Morning standing, but perfectly twisted round; the Root a little loosen'd, but not torn up. But what happened the Afternoon preceding, is abundantly more surprizing, and is indeed the Intent of this Letter.

On _Friday_ the 26th of _November_, in the Afternoon, about Four of the Clock, a Country Fellow came running to me in a great Fright, and very earnestly entreated me to go and see a Pillar, as he call'd it, in the Air, in a Field hard by. I went with the Fellow; and when I came, found it to be a Spout marching directly with the Wind: and I can think of nothing I can compare it to better than the Trunk of an Elephant, which it resembled, only much bigger. It was extended to a great Length, and swept the Ground as it went, leaving a Mark behind. It crossed a Field; and what was very strange (and which I should scarce have been induced to believe had I not my self seen it, besides several Country-men who were astonish'd at it) meeting with an Oak that stood towards the middle of the Field snapped the Body of it asunder. Afterwards crossing a Road, it sucked up the Water that was in the Cart-ruts: then coming to an old Barn, it tumbled it down, and the Thatch that was on the Top was carried about by the Wind, which was then very high, in great confusion.

After this I followed it no farther, and therefore saw no more of it. But a Parishoner of mine going from hence to _Hinksey_, in a Field about a quarter of a Mile off of this Place, was on the sudden knock'd down, and lay upon the Place till some People came by and brought him home; and he is not yet quite recovered. Having examined him, by all I can collect both from the Time, and Place, and Manner of his being knock'd down, I must conclude it was done by the Spout, which, if its Force had not been much abated, had certainly kill'd him: and indeed I attribute his Illness more to the Fright, than the sudden Force with which he was struck down.

I will not now enter into a Dissertation on the Cause of Spouts, but by what I can understand they are caused by nothing but the Circ.u.mgyration of the Clouds, made by two contrary Winds meeting in a Point, and condensing the Cloud till it falls in the Shape we see it; which by the twisting Motion sucks up Water, and doth much Mischief to Ships at Sea, where they happen oftner than at Land.

Whichever of the two Winds prevails, as in the above-mentioned was the S.W. at last dissolves and dissipates the Cloud, and then the Spout disappears.

This is all I have to communicate to you, wishing you all imaginable Success in your Collection. Whether you insert this Account, I leave wholly to your own Discretion; but can a.s.sure you, that to most of these things, tho' very surprizing, I was my self an Eye-witness. I am,

SIR, _Your humble Servant_, _Dec._ 12. 1703. Joseph Ralton.

The judicious Reader will observe here, that this strange Spout, or Cloud, or what else it may be call'd, was seen the Evening before the great Storm: from whence is confirm'd what I have said before of the violent Agitation of the Air for some time before the Tempest.

A short, but very regular Account, from _Northampton_, the Reader may take in the following Letter; the Person being of undoubted Credit and Reputation in the Town, and the Particulars very well worth remark.

_SIR_,

Having seen in the _Gazette_ an Intimation, that there would be a Memorial drawn up of the late terrible Wind, and the Effects of it, and that the Composer desired Informations from credible Persons, the better to enable him to do the same, I thought good to intimate what happen'd in this Town, and its Neighbourhood. 1. The Weather-c.o.c.k of _All-Saints_ Church being placed on a mighty Spindle of Iron, was bowed together, and made useless. Many Sheets of Lead on that Church, as also on St. _Giles_'s and St. _Sepulchres_, rowled up like a Scroll. Three Windmills belonging to the Town blown down, to the Amazement of all Beholders; the mighty upright Post below the Floor of the Mills being snapt in two like a Reed. Two entire Stacks of Chimneys in a House uninhabited fell on two several Roofs, and made a most amazing Ruin in the Chambers, Floors, and even to the lower Windows and Wainscot, splitting and tearing it as if a Blow by Gun-powder had happen'd. The Floods at this instant about the South Bridge, from a violent S.W. Wind, rose to a great and amazing height; the Wind coming over or a-thwart large open Meadows, did exceeding damage in that part of the Town, by blowing down some whole Houses, carrying whole Roofs at once into the Streets, and very many lesser Buildings of Tanners, Fell-mongers, Dyers, Glue-makers, _&c._ yet, through the Goodness of G.o.d, no Person killed or maimed: the mighty Doors of the Sessions-house, barr'd and lock'd, forced open, whereby the Wind entring, made a miserable Havock of the large and lofty Windows: a Pinnacle on the _Guild-hall_, with the Fane, was also blown down. To speak of Houses shatter'd, Corn-ricks and Hovels blown from their Standings, would be endless. In Sir _Thomas Samwell_'s Park a very great headed Elm was blown over the Park-Wall into the Road, and yet never touched the Wall, being carried some Yards. I have confined my self to this Town. If the Composer finds any thing agreeable to his Design, he may use it or dismiss it at his Discretion. Such Works of Providence are worth recording. I am

_Your loving Friend,_ _Northampton_, Dec. 12. 1703. Ben. Bullivant.

The following Account from _Berkly_ and other Places in _Gloucestershire_ and _Somersetshire_, &c. are the sad Effects of the prodigious Tide in the _Severn_. The Wind blowing directly into the Mouth of that Channel we call the _Severn_ Sea, forced the Waters up in such quant.i.ty, that 'tis allow'd the Flood was eight Foot higher than ever was known in the Memory of Man; and at one Place, near _Huntspill_, it drove several Vessels a long way upon the Land; from whence, no succeeding Tide rising to near that height, they can never be gotten off: as will appear in the two following Letters.

_SIR_,

This Parish is a very large one in the County of _Gloucester_, on one Side whereof runneth the River _Severn_, which by Reason of the Violence of the late Storm beat down and tore to pieces the Sea Wall (which is made of great Stones, and Sticks which they call Rouses; a Yard and half long, about the Bigness of ones Thigh rammed into the Ground as firm as possible) in many Places, and levell'd it almost with the Ground, forcing vast Quant.i.ties of Earth a great Distance from the Sh.o.r.e, and Stones, many of which were above a Hundred Weight: and hereby the _Severn_ was let in above a Mile over one part of the Parish, and did great Damage to the Land; it carried away one House which was by the Sea-side, and a Gentleman's Stable, wherein was a Horse, into the next Ground; and then the Stable fell to pieces, and so the Horse came out. There is one thing more remarkable in this Parish, and 'tis this: Twenty Six Sheets of Lead, hanging all together, were blown off from the middle Isle of our Church, and were carried over the North Isle, which is a very large one, without touching it; and into the Church-yard ten Yards distant from the Church; and they were took up all joyned together as they were on the Roof; the Plummer told me that the Sheets weighed each Three Hundred and a half one with another. This is what is most observable in our Parish; but I shall give you an Account of one thing (which perhaps you may have from other Hands) that happen'd in another, call'd _Kingscote_, a little Village about Three Miles from _Tedbury_, and Seven from us; where _William Kingscote_ Esq; has many Woods; among which was one Grove of very tall Trees, being each near Eighty Foot high; the which he greatly valued for the Tallness and Prospect of them, and therefore resolv'd never to cut them down: But it so happen'd, that Six Hundred of them, within the Compa.s.s of Five Acres were wholly blown down; (and suppos'd to be much at the same time) each Tree tearing up the Ground with its Root; so that the Roots of most of the Trees, with the Turf and Earth about them, stood up at least Fifteen or Sixteen Foot high; the lying down of which Trees is an amazing Sight to all Beholders. This Account was given by the Gentleman himself, whom I know very well. I have no more to add, but that I am, _Your humble Servant_, wishing you good Success in your Undertaking,

_Henry Head_, Vicar of _Berkly_.

Jan. 24.

The Damage of the Sea-wall may amount to about five Hundred Pounds.

_SIR_,

I Received a printed Paper sometime since, wherein I was desired to send you an Account of what happen'd in the late Storm: and I should have answered it sooner, but was willing to make some Enquiry first about this County; and by what I can hear or learn, the dismal Accident of our late Bishop and Lady was most remarkable; who was killed by the Fall of two Chimney Stacks, which fell on the Roof, and drove it in upon my Lord's Bed, forced it quite through the next Flower down into the Hall, and buried them both in the Rubbish; and 'tis suppos'd my Lord was getting up, for he was found some Distance from my Lady, who was found in her Bed; but my Lord had his Morning Gown on, so that 'tis suppos'd he was coming from the Bed just as it fell. We had likewise two small Houses blown flat down just as the People were gone out to a Neighbour's House; and several other Chimney Stacks fell down, and some through the Roof, but no other Accident as to Death in this Town or near it: abundance of Tiles are blown off, and likewise Thatch in and about this Town, and several Houses uncover'd, in the Country all about us, abundance of Apple and Elm Trees are rooted up by the Ground; and also abundance of Wheat and Hay-mows blown down: at _Huntspil_, about twelve Miles from this Town, there was Four or Five small Vessels drove a-sh.o.a.r which remain there still, and 'tis suppos'd cannot be got off; and in the same Parish, the Tide broke in Breast high; but all the People escap'd only one Woman, who was drowned. These are all the remarkable Things that happen'd near us, as I can hear of; and is all, but my humble Service; and beg Leave to subscribe my self,

SIR, _Your most humble Servant_, _Wells_ in _Somersetshire_, Feb. 9. 1703. Edith. Conyers.

_SIR_,

The Dreadful Storm did this Church but little Damage, but our Houses were terribly shaken hereabouts, and the Tide drowned the greatest part of the Sheep on our Common; as it likewise did, besides many Cows, between this Place and _Bristol_; on the opposite Sh.o.r.e of _Glamorganshire_, as (I suppose you may also know) it brake down part of _Chepstow_ Bridge, o'er the _Wye_. In the midst of this Church-yard grew a vast Tree, thought to be the most large and flourishing Elm in the Land which was torn up by the Roots, some of which are really bigger than ones Middle, and several than a Man's Thigh; the Compa.s.s of them curiously interwoven with the Earth, being from the Surface (or Turf) to the Basis, full an Ell in Depth, and Eighteen Foot and half in the Diameter, and yet thrown up near Perpendicular; the Trunk, together with the loaden Roots, is well judg'd to be Thirteen Tun at least, and the Limbs to make Six Load of Billets with f.a.ggots; and, about Two Years since, our Minister observ'd, that the circ.u.mambient Boughs dropt round above Two Hundred Yards: He hath given it for a SINGERS SEAT in our said Church, with this Inscription thereon; _Nov. 27. A.D._ 1703.

_Miserere_, &c.

_Slimbrige near Severn_ Dec. 28. 1703. _William Frith_ Church-Warden.

_SIR_,

By the late Dreadful Storm a considerable Breach was made in our Town Wall, and Part of the Church Steeple blown down; besides most of the Inhabitants suffered very much by untiling their Houses, _&c._ and abundance of Trees unrooted: at the same time our River overflowed, and drowned the low Grounds of both Sides the Town, whereby several Hundreds of Sheep were lost, and some Cattle; and one of our Market Boats lifted upon our Key. This is a true Account of most of our Damages. I am,

_Your humble Servant_, _Cardiff_, Jan. 10. 1703. William Jones.