92. "Some Account of the Earthquake that shook New-England" (1727)
Cotton Mather, most voluminous of colonial writers, was for many years minister at the North Church in Boston. — Bibliography: Barrett Wendell, Cotton Mather; Tyler, American Literature, II, 73-89. See also Contemporaries, I, No. 148. — For other extracts on New England life, see Contemporaries, I, ch. xxi.
THE Night that followed the Twenty ninth of October [1727.] was Night whereto NEW-ENGLAND had never in the Memory of Man, seen the like before. The Air never more Calm, the Sky never more Fair ; every thing in all imaginable Tranquillity : But about a quarter of an Hour before Eleven, there was heard in BOSTON, from one end of the Town to the other, an horrid rumbling like the Noise of many Coaches together, driving on the paved Stones with the utmost Rapidity. But it was attended with a most awful Trembling of the Earth, which did heave and shake so as to Rocque the Houses, and cause here and there the falling of some smaller Things, both within Doors and without. It cannot be imagined, but that it gave an uncommon Concern unto all the Inhabitants, and even a degree of Consternation, unto very many of them. This first Shock, which was the most Violent, was followed with several others, and some Repetition of the Noise, at sundry times, pretty distant from one another. The Number of them is not entirely agreed ; but at least Four or Five are allow'd for ; The last of which was between Five and Six of the Clock in the Morning.
How far this Earthquake extended thro' the Countrey, we are not yet informed ; But that it extended Scores of Miles, we have already a certain Information. And what added unto the Terrors of it, were the terrible Flames and Lights, in the Atmosphere, which accompanied it. The Vessels on the Coast were also made sensible of it, by a shivering that siezed on them.
When the greatly affected People, had a little Opportunity to look about them in the Morning, the Pastors of the Old North-Church, directed the Bells to be rung, that such of the People as could and would, might assemble immediately unto some seasonable Exercises of Religion. The Pastors of the New joined with them in sending up unto Heaven, the Supplications which the solemn Occasion called for. And
