222  Mr.  henry’s  Account  of  an 
previous  to  any  ftorms  or  confiderable  changes  in  the 
atmofphere.  About  five  minutes  before  eleven  o'clock,  I 
was  alarmed  by  a noife  which  teemed  as  if  it  might  have 
proceeded  from  a large  bale  of  goods  thrown  down  on  a 
boarded  floor  below  flairs:  the  houfe  lhook.  I called 
out  to  my  wife,  who  was  in  an  adjoining  clol'et,  to  know 
what  could  have  fallen ; when  inftantly  I was  aflonillied 
by  fuch  a rattling  noife  at  the  North-eafl  corner  of  the 
houfe,  that  I cried  out  that  a part  of  the  houfe  (which 
had  been  built  within  thefe  few  years,  and  was  not  fo 
firmly  connected  with  the  old  part  as  it  lhould  have  been) 
was  fallen ; and  in  this  opinion  I was  immediately  con- 
firmed by  a third  and  more  violent  crafh,  relembling  the 
tumbling  down  of  a large  and  lofty  wall.  Each  of  thefe 
noifes  was  fucceeded  by  a feparate  concuflion. 
Thefe  events  muft  have  taken  up  the  fpaCe  of  at  leaft 
half  a minute.  During  that  time  I got  out  of  bed,  and 
putting  on  my  coat  and  waifleoat,  ran  to  a window  which 
commanded  a view  of  orie  fide  of  the  fufpe<5ted  building, 
and  to  my  great  furprize  found  it  ftanding.  I then  went 
to  a window  at  the  front  of  the  houfe,  where  I alfo  found 
every  thing  fafe ; and  on  being  informed  by  feveral  peo- 
ple, who  had  fled  affrighted  into  the  ftreets,  that  their 
houfes  and  furniture  had  been  violently  fhaken,  I con- 
cluded 
