The Storm: or, a Collection of the most Remarkable Casualties and Disasters which Happen'd in the Late Dreadful Tempest, both by Sea and LandDefoe, Daniel
History
The Storm: or, a Collection of the most Remarkable Casualties and Disasters which Happen'd in the Late Dreadful Tempest, both by Sea and Land
Defoe, Daniel
Storms -- Early works to 1800
And yet I cannot but observe here, how fearless such People as are
addicted to Wickedness, are both of God's Judgments and uncommon
Prodigies; which is visible in this Particular, That a Gang of hardned
Rogues assaulted a Family at _Poplar_, in the very Height of the Storm,
broke into the House, and robb'd them: it is observable, that the People
cryed Thieves, and after that cryed Fire, in hopes to raise the
Neighbourhood, and to get some Assistance; but such is the Power of
Self-Preservation, and such was the Fear, the Minds of the People were
possess'd with, that no Body would venture out to the Assistance of the
distressed Family, who were rifled and plundered in the middle of all
the Extremity of the Tempest.
It would admit of a large Comment here, and perhaps not very
unprofitable, to examine from what sad Defect in Principle it must be
that Men can be so destitute of all manner of Regard to invisible and
superiour Power, to be acting one of the vilest Parts of a Villain,
while infinite Power was threatning the whole World with Disolation, and
Multitudes of People expected the Last Day was at Hand.
Several Women in the City of _London_ who were in Travail, or who fell
into Travail by the Fright of the Storm, were oblig'd to run the risque
of being delivered with such Help as they had; and Midwives found their
own Lives in such Danger, that few of them thought themselves oblig'd to
shew any Concern for the Lives of others.
Fire was the only Mischief that did not happen to make the Night
compleatly dreadful; and yet that was not so every where, for in
_Norfolk_ the Town of ---- was almost ruin'd by a furious Fire, which
burnt with such Vehemence, and was so fann'd by the Tempest, that the
Inhabitants had no Power to concern themselves in the extinguishing it;
the Wind blew the Flames, together with the Ruines, so about, that there
was no standing near it; for if the People came to Windward they were in
Danger to be blown into the Flames; and if to Leeward the Flames were so
blown up in their Faces, they could not bear to come near it.
If this Disaster had happen'd in _London_, it must have been very fatal;
for as no regular Application could have been made for the extinguishing
it, so the very People in Danger would have had no Opportunity to have
sav'd their Goods, and hardly their Lives: for though a Man will run any
Risque to avoid being burnt, yet it must have been next to a Miracle, if
any Person so oblig'd to escape from the Flames had escap'd being
knock'd on the Head in the Streets; for the Bricks and Tiles flew about
like small Shot; and 'twas a miserable Sight, in the Morning after the
Storm, to see the Streets covered with Tyle-sherds, and Heaps of
Rubbish, from the Tops of the Houses, lying almost at every Door.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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