The Storm

by Daniel Defoe

  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 passing 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 pass’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 God 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 Leagues17 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 Shore, 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 Circumstances 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 Circumstance 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-shore, and were lost; and the Reserve Frigat, their Convoy, founder’d in Yarmouth Roads, all her Men being lost, and no Boat from the Shore 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 Shores 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,18 lay about 12 Sail of the Queen’s hir’d Ships and Store-ships, and only two Men of War.

  Sir Cloudsly Shovel19 was just arriv’d from the Mediterranean with the Royal Navy: Part of them lay at St. Hellens, 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,20 from whence the Association 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.21

  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;22 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.23 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 Circumstances: 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,24 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 multitude 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 Shore 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.

  OF THE EFFECTS OF

  THE STORM

  The particular dreadful Effects of this Tempest, are the Subject of the ensuing Part of this History: And tho’ the Reader is not to expect that all the Particulars can be put into this Account, and perhaps many very remarkable Passages may never come to our Knowledge; yet as we have endeavour’d to furnish our selves with the most authentick Accounts we could from all Parts of the Nation, and a great many worthy Gentlemen have contributed their Assistance in various, and some very exact Relations and curious Remarks; so we pretend, not to be meanly furnish’d for this Work.

  Some Gentlemen, whose Accounts are but of common and trivial Damages, we hope will not take it ill from the Author, if they are not inserted at large; for that we are willing to put in nothing here common with other Accidents of like nature; or which may not be worthy of a History and a Historian to record them; nothing but, what may serve to assist in convincing Posterity that this was the most violent Tempest the World ever saw.

  From hence ’twill follow, that those Towns who only had their Houses until’d, their Barns and Hovels levell’d with the Ground, and the like, will find very little notice taken of them in this Account; because if these were to be the Subject of a History, I presume it must be equally voluminous with Fox, Grimston, Holinshead or Stow.1

  Nor shall I often trouble the Reader with the Multitude or Magnitude of Trees blown down, whole Parks ruin’d, fine Walks defac’d, and Orchards laid flat, and the like: and tho’ I had, my self, the Curiosity to count the Number of Trees, in a Circuit I rode, over most part of Kent, in which being tired with the Number, I left off reckoning after I had gone on to 17000; and tho’ I have great reason to believe I did not observe one half of the Quantity; yet in some Parts of England, as in Devonshire especially, and the Counties of Worcester, Gloucester, and Hereford, which are full of very large Orchards of Fruit-Trees, they had much more mischief.

  In the Pursuit of this Work, I shall divide it into the following Chapters or Sections, that I may put it into as good Order as possible.

  1. Of the Damage in the City of London, &c.

  2. in the Counties.

  3. On the Water in the Royal Navy.

  4. On the Water to Shipping in general.

  5. by Earthquake.

  6. by High Tides.

  7. Remarkable Providences and Deliverances.

  8. Hardned and blasphemous Contemners both of the Storm and its Effects.

  9. Some Calculations of Damage sustain’d.

  10. The Conclusion.

  We had design’d a Chapter for the Damages abroad, and have been at no small Charge to procure the Particulars from foreign Parts; which are now doing in a very authentick manner: but as the World has been long expecting this Work, and several Gentlemen who were not a little contributing to the Information of the Author, being unwilling to stay any longer for the Account, it was resolved to put it into the Press without any farther Delay: and if the foreign Accounts can be obtain’d in time, they shall be a Supplement to the Work; if not, some other Method shall be found out to make them publick.

  I. Of the Damages in the City of London, and Parts adjacent

  Indeed the City was a strange Spectacle, the Morning after the Storm, as soon as the People could put their Heads out of Doors: though I believe, every Body expected the Destruction was bad enough; yet I question very much, if any Body believed the Hundredth Part of what they saw.

  The Streets lay so covered with Tiles and Slates, from the Tops of the Houses, especially in the Out-parts, that the Quantity is incredible: and the Houses were so universally stript, that all the Tiles in Fifty Miles round would be able to repair but a small Part of it.

  Something may be guest at on this Head, from the sudden Rise of the Price of Tiles; which rise from 21 s. per Thousand to 6 l. for plain Tiles; and from 50s. per Thousand for Pantiles, to 10 l. and Bricklayers Labour to 5s. per Day: And tho’ after the first Hurry the Prices fell again, it was not that the Quantity was supply’d; but because,

  1st, The Charge was so extravagant, that an universal Neglect of themselves, appear’d both in Landlord and Tenant; an incredible Number of Houses remain’d all the Winter uncovered, and expos’d to all the Inconveniences of Wet and Cold; and are so even at the Writing of this Chapter.

  2. Those People who found it absolutely necessary to cover their Houses, but were unwilling to go to the extravagant Price of Tiles; chang’d their Covering to that of Wood, as a present Expedient, till the Season for making of Tiles should come on; and the first Hurry being over, the Prices abate: and ’tis on this Score, that we see, to this Day, whole Ranks of Buildings, as in Christ Church Hospital, the Temple, Asks-Hospital, Old-street, Hogsden-Squares, and infinite other Places, covered entirely with Deal Boards; and are like to continue so, perhaps a Year or two longer, for Want of Tiles.

  These two Reasons reduc’d the Tile-Merchants to sell at a more moderate Price: But ’tis not an irrational Suggestion, that all the Tiles which shall be made this whole Summer, will not repair the Damage in the covering of Houses within the Circumference of the City, and Ten Miles round.

  The next Article in our Street Damage was, the Fall of Chimneys; and as the Chimneys in the City Buildings are built in large Stacks, the Houses being so high, the Fall of them had the more Power, by their own Weight, to demolish the Houses they fell upon.

  ’Tis not possible to give a distinct Account of the Number, or particular Stacks of Chimneys, which fell in this fatal Night; but the Reader may guess by this Particular, that in Cambray-House, commonly so called, a great House near Islington, belonging to the Family of the Comptons, Earls of Northampton,1 but now let out into Tenements; the Collector of these Remarks counted Eleven or Thirteen Stacks of Chimneys, either wholly thrown in, or the greatest Parts of them at least, what was expos’d to the Wind, blown off. I have heard Persons, who pretended to observe the Desolation of that terrible Night very nicely; and who, by what they had seen and enquired into, thought themselves capable of making some Calculations, affirm, They could give an Account of above Two Thousand Stacks of Chimneys blown down in and about London; besides Gable Ends of Houses, some whole Roofs, and Sixteen or Twenty whole Houses in the Out-Parts.

  Under the Disaster of this Article, it seems most proper to place the Loss of the Peoples Lives, who fell in this Calamity; since most of those, who had the Misfortune to be killed, were buried, or beaten to Pieces with the Rubbish of the several Stacks of Chimneys that fell.

  Of these, our Weekly Bills of Mortality2 gave us an Account of Twenty One; besides such as were drown’d in the River, and never found: and besides above Two Hundred People very much wounded and maim’d.

  One Woman was kill’d by the Fall of a Chimney in or near the Palace of St. Jamess’, and a Stack of Chimneys falling in the new unfinish’d Building there, and carried away a Piece of the Coin of the House.3

  Nine Souldiers were hurt, with the Fall of the Roof of the Guard-house at Whitehall, but none of them died.

  A Distiller in Duke-Street, with his Wife, and Maid-servant, were all buried in the Rubbish of a Stack of Chimneys, which forced a
ll the Floors, and broke down to the Bottom of the House; the Wife was taken out alive, though very much bruised, but her Husband and the Maid lost their Lives.

  One Mr. Dyer, a Plaisterer in Fetter-Lane, finding the Danger he was in by the shaking of the House, jumpt out of Bed to save himself; and had, in all Probability, Time enough to have got out of the House, but staying to strike a Light, a Stack of Chimneys fell in upon him, kill’d him, and wounded his Wife.

  Two Boys at one Mr. Purefoys’, in Cross-Street Hatton-Garden, were both kill’d, and buried in the Rubbish of a Stack of Chimneys; and a third very much wounded.

  A Woman in Jewin-Street, and Two Persons more near Aldersgate-Street, were kill’d; the first, as it is reported, by venturing to run out of the House into the Street; and the other Two by the Fall of a House.

  In Threadneedle-Street, one Mr. Simpson, a Scrivener being in Bed and fast a-sleep, heard nothing of the Storm; but the rest of the Family being more sensible of Danger, some of them went up, and wak’d him; and telling him their own Apprehensions, press’d him to rise; but he too fatally sleepy, and consequently unconcern’d at the Danger, told them, he did not apprehend any Thing; and so, notwithstanding all their Persuasions, could not be prevailed with to rise: they had not been gone many Minutes out of his Chamber, before the Chimneys fell in, broke through the Roof over him, and kill’d him in his Bed.

  A Carpenter in White-Cross-Street was kill’d almost in the same Manner, by a Stack of Chimneys of the Swan Tavern, which fell into his House; it was reported, That his Wife earnestly desir’d him not to go to Bedand had prevail’d upon him to sit up till near two a Clock, but then finding himself very heavy, he would go to Bed against all his Wife’s Intreaties; after which she wak’d him, and desir’d him to rise, which he refus’d, being something angry for being disturb’d; and going to sleep again, was kill’d in his Bed: and his Wife, who would not go to Bed, escap’d.