Page:The Philosophy of Earthquakes, Natural and Religious.djvu/80

14 wings. Mrs. Allicock of Loddington, Northamptonſhire, a lady in child-bed, was ſo affected, that it cauſed her death. Mrs. Hardy, another lady in the ſame circumſtance, and in the ſame county, likewiſe expired upon it. Some people felt a ſudden ſhortneſs of breath, that they were forc’d to go out into the open air, it ſo affected the pulmonary nerves. Many were taken with head-achs, and other ſickneſſes.

Theſe are, in general, the circumſtances and obſervations made, at the time of theſe earthquakes; when we recollect ourſelves, after the ſuddeneſs, and fright. Give me leave to make the following remarks therefrom.

1ſt. As far as we can poſſibly learn, where no one can be prepar’d, at different places, by time keepers; this mighty concuſſion was felt, preciſely at the ſame inſtant of time; being about half an hour after twelve at noon. This, I preſume, cannot be accounted for, by any natural power, but by that of an electrical vibration; which, we know, acts inſtantaneouſly.

2dly, Let us reflect on the vaſt extent of this trembling, 100 miles in length, 40 in breadth, which amounts to 4000 ſquare miles in ſurface. That this ſhould be put into ſuch an agitation, in one moment of time, is ſuch a prodigy; as we ſhould never believe, or conceive,