THE NARRATIVE of the Late DREADFƲL STORM in HOLLAND.
ON Wednesday the twentie second of Ju [...] last (old stile) being a day set apart by Orde [...] of our Superiours to be observed as a Fast fo [...] Imploring a bl [...]ssing from Heaven, on the Forces o [...] this State, under the Conduct of his Highness th [...] Prince of Orange, the weather was all day very ho [...] and sultry, and continued fair and clear till about seven of the Clock in the Evening: when there a [...]eared at this City of Amsterdam, to Windward, from [Page 4] [...]d very black thick Cloud. Which being furiously [...] ought on by the Wind, suddenly filled the whole [...]emisphere with a terrible Darkness, which was in [...]ntly supplied by more dreadful Flashes of Light [...]ng, that continued for some time without Intermis [...]n, and made the whole Heavens seem as if they [...]d been in a Flame: in the mean time it thundred [...]st horribly, and haild excessively, several of the [...]nes that fell, being (as it is credibly reported, and [...]th been here attested before the Magistrates) [...] that extraordinary, and almost incredible bigness [...]at they weighed above a quarter (some say almost [...]f) a pound a piece. but that which was yet more [...]righting and prejudicial was the extream fury of [...]e wind, which blew with such excess of violence, [...]at the like was never before seen or heard of in [...]ese parts. The noise of the Thunder, continual [...]sh [...]s of Lightning without the least respit, the [...] [...]s Hail, and roaring of the wind, most horrible [Page 5] to hear, coming thus all at once, made the am [...] people conlude the Day of Doom, or final di [...] of the World was come wpon them: All that in the Streets were presently forced to take shel [...] some Houses, partly to avoid the Hail, and p [...] for that otherwise they were blown into the [...] halls: wherein many, especially Children and [...] persons by that means perished, or dasht again [...] Walls, and their breath struck out of their B [...] or if they were strong enough, or in places secu [...] avoid those mischiefs, they were knocked on the [...] by the falls of Houses, Steeples, and Chimneys [...] were wofully shattered down in all parts, such [...] the violence of the storm, that the ground i [...] [...] seemed to move and tremble as if it had be [...] Earth-quake (which some do still believ it in p [...] have been) and this City being generally bu [...] piles, such shakings threw down great [...]umb [...] Houses, and blew avvay others quite o [...] [...]om [...] [Page 6] [...]ions; whereby multitudes of people, both Men and Women, and [...]n were miserably destroyed, or sadly named and hurt; and those other [...]hat happened to escape standing, were generally uncovered, [...]heir Tiles [...] off, and their Walls o [...] sides broke down, whereby G [...]ds to an [...]a [...]e value were spoiled and damaged. Most part of the Trees [...]me Leagues from hence were p [...]uck d up by the Roots, and some [...]e very biggest of them) carryed above half a Mile from the place they [...] in, above Thirty Miles are quite blown down, and most of the other [...] City shattered beyond repair; nor was the mischief less by water then [...] all the Vessels that lay before the Pales being broke loose, and a do [...]em over-set, thirty Ships turned up side down in a strange manner, [...]ats and small Vessels that were out in the Weilings were cast away [...]t part of their men, of whom, some are [...]ffirmed by their surviv ng [...]ons, to have been fi [...]st k [...]lled by the violence of the Hail-stones, which [...]reat, and withal so sharp, that several persons going to help their [...]r Friend out, when blown into the Ditches and ready to be drown [...] [...]eir heads and hands almost batter'd to pieces, so that they were for [...]t that charitable office to provide for their own safety. This pr [...]di [...]m continued not in its fury here abov [...] half an hour, and yet the da [...]d losses sustained are fearce to be computed, Water [...]eugh, I nir [...]s, [...] and other Villages have been in the same Condition, in some scarce [...] st nding.
[...]tretch we have received an accompt that as this Tempest continued [...]e, so it was more dreadfu & prejudicial, insomuch that it hath almost [...]ed that City, which had not yet well recovered it self from these [...]ately susteine [...] whi [...]st in the hand of an Enemy, the great D [...]om or [...]the [...]ral of that place, a structu [...]e renowned throughout Christen [...] the body of the Church was beat down and buried in its own rub [...] [...]he Pilla [...]s near the Ministers Pue, and the seven Crown Candlesticks [...]es Pu [...], and the stately Clock-work are all beaten to pieces but the [...]elf remains whole; the antient and stately Spire of St. Jameses [...]as likew [...] [...]hrown down, but provide [...]ce ordered it so that it fell [...]e b [...] [...]n the houses, which must otherwise hav [...] beaten down [...]m, a [...] [...] many of the Inhabitants. The Burr Kirk is beaten [Page 7] in on both sides and half the Roof of it. T [...]e Spire of St. Nicholas [...] blown away, and the Tower that stood by Agnus Cloyster also b [...] Magdalen Church and the Duke house, are demolisht, so like [...] Towers of St. Peters Chu [...]ch, and the body of the Church ruined.
A Schute lying full of Turf in the Gralt was beaten all to pieces, [...] the Toll-steek port, another Turf Ship destroyed in the same manner [...] nine Corn-mills on the Will, there is but three left standing, the Mill [...] Griest-Streigh blown up from the ground, so are the Mills without t [...] strick port; several Passengers were blown some into the Water, and s [...] to the Air as they were travelling thither, and several W [...]ggons that ca [...] P [...]ssengers from Arnhenime were by violence of the Wind overturn most of the people very much hurt, and five k [...]lled. The St. Martins [...] is destroyed, and some poor people Killed in it, and in short, [...]at City [...] so eminently that there s sca [...]ce a House but has received and retains considerable m [...]k [...] of this Tempests violence. It is reported to arise [...] B [...]ssels, w [...]erei [...] did much hurt, and thence passed into North-Hollan [...] Causing grea [...] Devastations in all its Progress.
We every mo [...]ent receive fresh tyding of further damages from a and t [...]ough it be certain that very many persons have perished herein, y [...] perfect account of them as yet brought in to assertain the number; Nor [...] to [...]l of the d [...]mages su [...]tained be computed, for as it's Horror whilst [...] tinued was in [...]xpressible, so the mischief done thereby is conceived t [...] valuable.