877 
felt in England, November 18, 1795. 
The wind felt in the mine at Ashover, was probably the 
effect of the blast mentioned by Mr. Gregory. Similar blasts 
have been taken notice of in many other earthquakes; a rush- 
ing wind is said to have accompanied that felt in England, 
September 14, 1777.* 
With respect to the other unusual atmospherical circum- 
stances with which this earthquake was accompanied, I shall 
only observe, that similar ones, particularly black dense clouds, 
coruscations in the air, & c. have been noticed in several other 
earthquakes ; yet, upon the whole, perhaps few have been at- 
tended with more remarkable circumstances of that kind. 
How far they were connected with the earthquake, it is im- 
possible to determine ; be that as it may, it must be allowed 
that they appeared to be so, to such a degree as very naturally 
to incline those who noticed them to be of opinion, that the 
cause of the earthquake was situated in the atmosphere. Upon 
this head I cannot help remarking, that those who entertain 
that opinion respecting the cause of earthquakes, seem always 
to conclude that the electric fluid must, in that case, necessa- 
rily be the agent. This, I think, is going too far : we surely 
do not know' enough of the nature of the atmosphere to war- 
rant us in making such a conclusion ; and what we do know 
of electricity (either natural or artificial) rather leads us to 
conceive that the electric fluid is formidable only when con- 
centrated, or collected within a certain space, and moving with 
" premier Novembre, que de celui du neuvieme Decembre ; qucique le premier ne sc 
“ soit fait sentir dans les terres que legerement, et dans un petit nombre d’endroits ; 
“ au lieu que le dernier a secoue tout le terrein, sans emouvoir les eaux. Pourquoj 
" cette difference dans les effets?” Bertrand, Recueil de divers Traite's, &c. page 
283. 
* See Phil. Trans. Vol. LXVIII. p. 227. 
3 c 3 
