Earthquake  at  Manchefler..  223 
eluded  the  difturbance  muft  have  been  occafioned  by  an 
earthquake. 
I had  now  time  to  make  inquiry  how  my  wife  had 
been  affected;  for  my  mind  had  been  hitherto  filled 
with  anxious  fears  for  the  fafety  of  my  two  youngeft 
children,  who  were  in  that  part  of  the  houfe  where  1 had 
apprehended  the  danger  to  be.  The  dimenfions  of  the 
clofet  in  which  fhe  flood  were  three  yards  by  two.  At 
the  North-eaft  corner,  on  the  outfide  of  the  wall,  is  a 
leaden  fpout,  wrhich  communicating  with  a wooden  one 
conveying  water  from  a lower  building,  difeharges  it, 
without  coming  into  contacfl,  into  a leaden  ciftern,  from 
whence  a fmall  pipe  defeends  into  the  cellar.  At  a con- 
fiderable  height  above  thefe,  another  leaden  fpout  pro- 
ceeds obliquely  from  the  Northern  along  the  Eaftern 
fide  of  the  houfe,  collecting  the  water  from  the  whole 
furface  of  the  roof.  From  this  quarter  the  noife,  which 
was  heard  before  the  two  laft  concullions, Teemed  to  have 
proceeded. 
My  wife  informed  me,  that  at  the  inftant  of  the  fecond 
explofion  fhe  had  received  a very  fmart  flroke  on  the  top 
of  her  head,  and,  imagining  that  fomething  had  fallen 
off  a fhelf,  looked  down  on  the  floor  and  perceived  it 
heaving  under  her,  but  could  fee  nothing  that  could  have 
given  the  blow.  Lifting  up  her  eyes  file  faw  her  china  and' 
every 
