The Storm

by Daniel Defoe

  Barly and Oats suffered the same casualty, only that the weight of the Corn settled it sooner to the Ground than the Hay.

  As to the Stacks of Wheat, the Accounts are very strange; from many places we have Letters, and some so incredible, that we dare not venture on the Readers faith to transmit them, least they should shock their belief in those very strange Relations already set down, and better Attested, as of a great Stack of Corn taken from the Hovel on which it stood, and without Dislocating the Sheaves, set upon another Hovel, from whence the Wind had just before remov’d another Stack of equal Dimensions; of a Stack of Wheat taken up with the Wind, and set down whole 16 Rod off, and the like. But as we have other Relations equally strange, their Truth considered, we refer the Reader to them, and assure the World we have several Accounts of Stacks of Wheat taken clear off from the Frame or Steddal, and set down whole, abundance more over-set, and thrown off from their standings, and others quite dispers’d, and in a great measure destroy’d.

  Tis true, Corn was exceeding cheap all the Winter after, but they who bring that as a reason to prove there was no great quantity destroy’d, are oblig’d to bear with me in telling them they are mistaken, for the true reason was as follows,

  The Stacks of Corn in some Counties, the West chiefly, where the People generally lay up their Corn in Stacks, being so damnify’d as above, and the Barns in all parts being Universally uncovered, and a vast number of them overturn’d, and blown down, the Country People were under a necessity of Threshing out their Corn with all possible speed, least if a Rain had follow’d, as at that time of Year was not unlikely, it might ha’ been all spoil’d.

  And it was a special Providence to those People also, as well as to us in London; that it did not Rain, at least to any quantity, for near three Weeks after the Storm.

  Besides this, the Country People were obliged to thresh out their Corn for the sake of the Straw, which they wanted to repair the Thatch, and covering of their Barns, in order to secure the rest.

  All these Circumstances forc’d the Corn to Market in unusual quantities, and that by Consequence made it Cheaper than ordinary, and not the exceeding quantity then in Store.

  The Seats of the Gentlemen in all places had an extraordinary share in the Damage; their Parks were in many places perfectly dismantled, the Trees before their Doors levelled, their Garden Walls blown down, and I could give a List, I believe, of a thousand Seats in England, within the compass of our Collected Papers, who had from 5 to 20 Stacks of Chimnies blown down, some more, some less, according to the several Dimentions of the Houses.

  I am not obliging the Reader to comply with the Calculations here following, and it would have took up too much room in this small Tract to name particulars; but according to the best estimate I have been able to make from the general Accounts sent up by Persons forward to have this matter recorded, the following particulars are rather under than over the real Truth.

  25 Parks in the several Counties, who have above 1000 Trees in each Park, blown down.

  New Forest in Hampshire above 4000, and some of prodigious Bigness; above 450 Parks and Groves, who have from 200 large Trees to 1000 blown down in them.

  Above 100 Churches covered with Lead, the Lead roll’d up, the Churches uncover’d; and on some of them, the Lead in prodigious Quantities blown to incredible Distances from the Church.

  Above 400 Wind-mils overset, and broken to pieces; or the Sails so blown round, that the Timbers and Wheels have heat and set the rest on Fire, and so burnt them down, as particularly several were in the Isle of Ely.

  Seven Steeples quite blown down, besides abundance of Pinacles and Battlements from those which stood; and the Churches where it happened most of them Demolish’d, or terribly Shattered.

  Above 800 dwelling Houses blown down, in most of which the Inhabitants received some Bruise or Wounds, and many lost their Lives.

  We have reckoned, including the City of London, about 123 People kill’d; besides such as we have had no account of; the Number of People drowned are not easily Guest; but by all the Calculations I have made and seen made, we are within compass, if we reckon 8000 Men lost, including what were lost on the Coast of Holland, what in Ships blown away, and never heard of, and what were drowned in the Flood of the Severn, and in the River of Thames.

  What the Loss, how many poor Families ruin’d, is not to be Estimated, the Fire of London was an exceeding Loss, and was by some reckon’d at four Millions sterling; which, tho’ it was a great Loss, and happened upon the spot, where vast Quantities of Goods being expos’d to the fury of the Flames, were destroy’d in a hurry, and 14000 dwelling Houses entirely consum’d.

  Yet on the other Hand, that Desolation was confin’d to a small Space, the loss fell on the wealthiest part of the People; but this loss is Universal, and its extent general, not a House, not a Family that had any thing to lose, but have lost something by this Storm, the Sea, the Land, the Houses, the Churches, the Corn, the Trees, the Rivers, all have felt the fury of the Winds.

  I cannot therefore think I speak too large, if I say, I am of the Opinion, that the Damage done by this Tempest far exceeded the Fire of London.

  They tell us the Damages done by the Tide, on the Banks of the Severn, amounts to above 200000 pounds, 15000 Sheep drown’d in one Level, Multitudes of Cattle on all the sides, and the covering the Lands with Salt Water is a Damage cannot well be Estimated: The High Tide at Bristol spoil’d or damnify’d 1500 Hogsheds25 of Sugars and Tobaccoes, besides great quantities of other Goods.

  ’Tis impossible to describe the general Calamity, and the most we can do is, to lead our Reader to supply by his Immagination what we omit; and to believe, that as the Head of the particulars is thus collected, an infinite Variety at the same time happened in every place, which cannot be expected to be found in this Relation.

  There are some additional Remarks to be made as to this Tempests, which I cannot think improper to come in here: As,

  1. That in some Parts of England it was join’d with terrible Lightnings and Flashings of Fire, and in other places none at all; as to Thunder the Noise the Wind made, was so Terrible, and so Unusual, that I will not say, People might not mistake it for Thunder; but I have not met with any, who will be positive that they heard it Thunder.

  2. Others, as in many Letters we have received to that purpose insist upon it, that they felt an Earthquake; and this I am doubtful of for several Reasons.

  Ist. We find few People either in City or Country ventur’d out of their Houses, or at least till they were forced out, and I cannot find any Voucher to this opinion of an Earthquake, from those whose Feet stood upon the Terra Firma, felt it move, and will affirm it to be so.

  2d. As to all those People who were in Houses, I cannot allow them to be competent Judges, for as no House was so strong as not to move and shake with the force of the Wind, so it must be impossible for them to distinguish whither that motion came from above or below: As to those in Ships, they will not pretend to be competent Judges in this case, and I think the People within doors as improper to decide, for what might not that motion they felt in their Houses, from the Wind do, that an Earthquake could do. We found it rockt the strongest Buildings, and in several places made the Bells in the Steeples strike, loosen’d the Foundations of the Houses, and in some below them quite down, but still if it had been an Earthquake, it must have been felt in every house, and every place; and whereas in those Streets of London, where the Houses stand thick and well Built, they could not be so shaken with the Wind as in opener places; yet there the other would have equally been felt, and better distinguisht; and this particularly by the Watch,26 who stood on the Ground, under shelter of publick Buildings, as in St. Pauls’ Church, the Exchange Gates, the Gates of the City, and such like; wherefore, as I am not for handing to Posterity any matter of Fact upon ill Evidence, so I cannot transmit what has its Foundation only in the Amazements of the People.

  Tis true, that there was an Earthquake felt in the North Eas
t parts of the Kingdoms, about a Month afterwards, of which several Letters here inserted make mention, and one very particularly from Hull; but that there was any such thing as an Earthquake during the Storm, I cannot agree.

  Another remarkable thing I have observ’d, and have several Letters to show of the Water which fell in the Storm, being brackish, and at Cranbrook in Kent, which is at least 16 Miles from the Sea, and above 25 from any Part of the Sea to windward, from whence the Wind could bring any moisture, for it could not be suppos’d to fly against the Wind; the Grass was so salt, the Cattel would not eat for several Days, from whence the ignorant People suggested another Miracle, viz. that it rain’d salt Water.

  The answer to this, I leave to two Letters printed in the Philosophical Transactions; as follows,

  Part of a Letter from Mr. Denham to the Royal Society,

  SIR,

  I have just now, since my writing, receiv’d an account from a Clergy-man, an Intelligent Person at Lewes in Sussex, not only that the Storm made great desolations thereabouts, but also an odd Phánomenon occasioned by it, viz. ‘That a Physician travelling soon after the Storm to Tisehyrst, about 20 Miles from Lewes, and as far from the Sea, as he rode he pluckt some tops of Hedges, and chawing them found them Salt. Some Ladies of Lewes hearing this, tasted some Grapes that were still on the Vines, and they also had the same relish. The Grass on the Downs in his Parish was so salt, that the Sheep in the Morning would not feed till hunger compelled them, and afterwards drank like Fishes, as the Shepherds report. This he attributeth to Saline Particles driven from the Sea. – He heareth also, that People about Portsmouth were much annoyed with sulphurous Fumes, complaining they were most suffocated therewith’.27

  V. Part of a Letter from Mr. Anthony van Lauwenhoek, F. R. S.28 giving his Observations on the late Storm.

  Delft, Jan. 8. 1704. N.S.

  SIR,

  I affirmed in my Letter of the 3d of November last past, that Water may be so dash’d and beaten against the Banks and Dikes by a strong Wind, and divided into such small Particles, as to be carried far up into the Land.

  Upon the 8th of December, 1703. N. S. We had a dreadful Storm from the South West, insomuch, that the Water mingled with small parts of Chalk and Stone, was so dasht against the Glass-windows, that many of them were darkned therewith, and the lower Windows of my House, which are made of very fine Glass, and always kept well scower’d, and were not open’d till 8-a-Clock that Morning, notwithstanding that they look to the North East, and consequently stood from the Wind; and moreover, were guarded from the Rain by a kind of Shelf or Pent-house over them; were yet so cover’d with the Particles of the Water which the Whirl-wind cast against them, that in less than half an hour they were deprived of most of their transparency, and, forasmuch as these Particles of Water were not quite exhaled, I concluded that it must be Sea-water, which the said Storm had not only dasht against our Windows, but spread also over the whole Country.

  That I might be satisfied herein, I blow’d two small Glasses, such as I thought most proper to make my Observations with, concerning the Particles of Water that adhered to my Windows.

  Pressing these Glasses gently against my Windows, that were covered with the suppos’d Particles of Sea-water, my Glasses were tinged with a few of the said Particles.

  These Glasses, with the Water I had thus collected on them, I placed at about half a Foot distance from the Candle, I view’d them by my Microscope, reck’ning, that by the warmth of the Candle, and my Face together, the Particles of the said Water would be put into such a motion, that they would exhale for the most part, and the Salts that were in ’em would be expos’d naked to the sight, and so it happened; for in a little time a great many Salt Particles did, as it were, come out of the Water, having the Figure of our common Salt, but very small, because the Water was little, from whence those small Particles proceeded; and where the Water had lain very thin upon the Glass, there were indeed a great number of Salt Particles, but so exceeding fine, that they almost escaped the Sight through a very good Microscope.

  From whence I concluded, that these Glass windows could not be brought to their former Lustre, but by washing them with a great deal of Water; for if the Air were very clear, and the Weather dry, the watry Particles would soon exhale, but the Salts would cleave fast to the Glass, which said Salts would be again dissolv’d in moist Weather, and sit like a Dew or Mist upon the Windows.

  And accordingly my People found it when they came to wash the afore-mentioned lower Windows of my House: but as to the upper Windows, where the Rain had beat against them, there was little or no Salt to be found sticking upon that Glass.

  Now, if we consider, what a quantity of Sea-water is spread all over the Country by such a terrible Storm, and consequently, how greatly impregnated the Air is with the same; we ought not to wonder, that such a quantity of Water, being moved with so great a force, should do so much mischief to Chimneys, tops of Houses, &c. not to mention the Damages at Sea.

  During the said Storm, and about 8-a-Clock in the Morning, I cast my Eye upon my Barometer, and observ’d, that I had never seen the Quick-silver29 so low; but half an hour after the Quicksilver began to rise, tho’ the Storm was not at all abated, at least to any appearance; from whence I concluded, and said it to those that were about me, that the Storm would not last long; and so it happened.

  There are some that affirm, that the scattering of this Salt-water by the Storm will do a great deal of harm to the Fruits of the Earth; but for my part I am of a quite different Opinion, for I believe that a little Salt spread over the surface of the Earth, especially where it is heavy Clay-ground, does render it exceeding Fruitful; and so it would be, if the Sand out of the Sea were made use of to the same purpose.

  These Letters are too well, and too judiciously Written to need any comment of mine; ’tis plain, the watry Particles taken up from the Sprye of the Sea into the Air, might by the impetuosity of the Winds be carried a great way, and if it had been much farther, it would have been no Miracle in my account; and this is the reason, why I have not related these Things, among the extraordinary Articles of the Storm.

  That the Air was full of Meteors, and fiery Vapours, and that the extraordinary Motion occasion’d the firing more of them than usual, a small stock of Philosophy will make very rational; and of these we have various Accounts, more in some places than in others, and I am apt to believe these were the Lightnings we have been told of; for I am of Opinion, that there was really no Lightning, such as we call so in the common Acceptation of it; for the Clouds that flew with so much Violence through the Air, were not, as to my Observation, such as usually are fraighted with Thunder and Lightning, the Hurries nature was then in, do not consist with the System of Thunder, which is Air pent in between the Clouds; and as for the Clouds that were seen here flying in the Air, they were by the fury of the Winds so seperated, and in such small Bodies, that there was no room for a Collection suitable, and necessary to the Case we speak of.

  These Cautions I thought necessary to set down here, for the satisfaction of the Curious; and as they are only my Opinions, I submit them to the judgment of the Reader.

  Of the Damages on the Water

  As this might consist of several Parts, I was inclin’d to have divided it into Sections or Chapters, relating particularly to the publick Loss, and the private; to the Merchant, or the Navy, to Floods by the Tides, to the River Damage, and that of the Sea; but for brevity, I shall confine it to the following particulars.

  First, The Damage to Trade.

  Secondly, The Damage to the Royal Navy.

  Thirdly, The Damage by High Tides.

  First, of the Damage to Trade.

  I might call it a Damage to Trade, that this Season was both for some time before and after the Tempest, so exceeding, and so continually Stormy, that the Seas were in a manner Unnavigable and Negoce,1 at a kind of a general Stop, and when the Storm was over, and the Weather began to be tolerable; almost all the Shipping in Engla
nd was more or less out of Repair, for there was very little Shipping in the Nation, but what had receiv’d some Damage or other.

  It is impossible, but a Nation so full of Shipping as this, must be exceeding Sufferers in such a general Disaster, and who ever considers the Violence of this Storm by its other dreadful Effects will rather wonder, and be thankful that we receiv’d no farther Damage, than we shall be able to give an Account of by Sea.

  I have already observ’d what Fleets were in the several Ports of this Nation, and from whence they came: As to Ships lost of whom we have no other Account than that they were never heard of. I am not able to give any Perticulars, other than that about three and forty Sail of all Sorts are reckon’d to have perished in that manner. I mean of such Ships as were at Sea, when the Storm began, and had no Shelter or Port to make for their Safety: Of these, some were of the Russia Fleet, of whom we had an Account of 20 Sail lost the Week before the great Storm, but most of them reach’d the Ports of Newcastle, Humber and Yarmouth, and some of the Men suffered in the general Distress afterwards.

  But to proceed to the most general Disasters, by the same Method, as in the former Articles of Damages by Land. Several Persons having given themselves the Trouble to further this Design with Authentick Particulars from the respective Ports. I conceive we cannot give the World a clearer and more Satisfactory Relation than from their own Words.

  The first Account, and plac’d so, because ’tis very Authentick and Particular, and the furthest Port Westward, and therefore proper to begin our Relation, is from on Board her Majesty’s Ship the Dolphin in Milford Haven, and sent to us by Capt. Soanes, the Commodore of a Squadron of Men of War then in that Harbour, to whom the Public is very much oblig’d for the Relation, and which we thought our selves bound there to acknowledge. The Account is as follows,