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
Stacks of Corn and Hay were in all places either blown down, or so torn,
that they receiv'd great damage, and in this Article 'tis very
observable, those which were only blown down receiv'd the least Injury;
when the main body of a Stack of Hay stood safe, the top being loosen'd
by the Violence of the Wind, the Hay was driven up into the Air, and
flew about like Feathers; that it was entirely lost and hung about in
the Neighbouring Trees, and spread on the Ground for a great distance
and so perfectly seperated, that there was no gathering it together.
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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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