A Letter from the Rev. Mr. John Nixon, F. R. S. to the President, Serving to Accompany a Letter from Mr. William Smith to Mr. Nixon, Giving a Very Particular Account of the Earthquake Felt on Sept. 30. 1750

sensible Heaving of the Ground: But, he says, he is credibly informed, that, in one House in that County, the Mud Floor was cracked not a little in three or Four Places. In one House, in the Town of Uppingham, where two Men and a Woman were sitting, upon the Approach of the Sound (tho' they had no Thought of an Earthquake), the Men could hardly draw their Breath in the House; but were immediately obliged to go out for fresh Air; but the Woman felt no Disorder. My Friend adds, that attentive Observers apprehended the Sound to have moved from the N. to the S. or from N.W. to S.E. and that himself had the same Apprehension; and that, according to his present Intelligence, the whole Shock was felt in the Counties of Northampton, Leicester, Nottingham, Rutland, and Lincoln, affecting a Tract of the County of about 60 Miles in Length, and as much in Breadth. I have given you the Account in his own Words, with very small Variation. LVI. A Letter from the Rev. Mr. John Nixon, F.R.S. to the President, serving to accompany a Letter from Mr. William Smith to Mr. Nixon, giving a very particular Account of the Earthquake felt on Sept. 30. 1750. SIR, Higham, November 8. Read Nov. 15. 1750. THIS waits upon you with a Letter from Peterborough. I hope the Veracity of my Correspondent, who who is Register of the Place above-mentioned, and a Gentleman of good Credit, will atone for some Defects in the Form of his Account. Since I had the Honour to write to you last, I have met with two Gentlemen in my Neighbourhood, one of them a Clergyman, who assured me, that, about 6 or 7 o’Clock on the Morning before the late Earthquake, they both saw a Ball of Fire in the Air, resembling the Meteor commonly called a falling Star; only with this Difference, that this Phænomenon, after running some Space, burst into several streaming Rays, consisting of Sparks of Fire, in the manner of a Sky-rocket. I am, SIR, Your most obedient humble Servant, J. Nixon. Reverend Sir. I Received your Favour of the 16th current; and the following Account of the late Earthquake, as it was variously felt here, is an Answer thereto; which (as I could gather it from others, and collect of myself) please to take as follows: Some little time after Morning Service at the Cathedral Church was over, as near as I can guess about 25 or 30 Minutes past Noon, as I was in my Garden with two Friends, it being exceedingly calm, the Sky somewhat covered with light mottled Clouds, I took Notice of a hollow odd Noise, and at first judged it to be a Coach under the Monastery Walls; Walls; but soon found it was otherwise; and all of us then judged it to be Thunder at a Distance, but pretty loud, and of a hollow Report. I was then 40 Yards at least from my own House, and about half that Distance from Mr. Archdeacon Browne's, and not any Buildings to the South of us. I heard the Noise of the Explosion at least two Minutes after I took Notice of it. Its Course, as I could plainly distinguish, was from N.E. to S.W. or thereabouts. We felt no sort of Shake, nor did my Wife or Family in the House. My next Neighbour to the South of me, and his Family, being at Dinner, felt the Shock after the Noise had partly passed, and were sensible what it was; but not very much, and but for a short Space of Time. A Person of very good Reputation, who lives in the Minster Close, was then in a Chamber, heard the Noise, suspected the Cause (it being Sunday, and no Carr about), immediately threw up the Sash, and observed, as the Noise of the Explosion decreased, the Shock came on: The Tables, Chairs, &c. in the Chamber shook; the Windows clattered: He very sensibly felt the Shock, which he affirms lasted a Minute at least; only, when it first shook, it was with the greater Violence, and dwindled away by little and little, till 'twas gone, in the same manner as went the Noise. The People below were all affected by it; but not so much, or so long.—One other Person in a narrow Street in the Town, sitting in a low Room, with a Brick Floor, heard the Noise, but judged it to be an odd Lumber above Stairs, or some Carriages coming on (as most People first thought who were within Doors); and presently the Floor under his Chair heaved, and continued in a surprising Agitation for one Minute. He was very much alarmed, and ran into the Street, where a great Number of People instantly appeared; some to see if any Coaches or Carriages were coming, others to get away, expecting their Houses were tumbling; and others finding somewhat extraordinary had happened, but at that Instant did not know what, and came to see, &c. The Person who felt the Ground heave was so frighted, that he became sick thereupon. At Longthorpe, a Mile West of us, the Clergyman who did Duty there was just then sat down to Dinner with Sir Francis St. John, Bart. and his Daughter, when a rumbling Noise was heard, particularly in the Chimney. Sir Francis expected the same was on Fire, got up to see; which suddenly ceased, and immediately was succeeded by a Concussion of the Ground. I had this from the Clergyman, who tells me further, that he felt it so sensibly, that he was obliged to relinquish his Chair, and, when upon his Legs, to lay his Hands on the Table to support himself. Miss St. John was in like manner affected. Sir Francis only heard the Noise, which he compared (and, for what I know, very properly) to the Explosion of a Cannon at a Distance, not being in the least sensible of any Motion under Foot, altho' the Distance between the Parties was very inconsiderable. The Sideboard, with the clattering of Glasses, &c. they thought was tumbling: They were so surprised, that he doth not remember how long the trembling continued. A Person in the same Village affirms, that, being sitting, he was suddenly lifted twice or thrice on the Ground, as as with a Spring, and drop'd again. Many People felt it there in various Shapes. — At Caistor, a Mile and Half still farther West, one Mr. Serjeant says, that, looking out of a Window a considerable Height, he found the House reel more than once, and then come into its Place again with a Jolt.—Many very odd Instances we have of it. Some heard the Noise, and felt not the Shock; others felt it, and did not hear the Noise. I am informed it was felt at Boston, which lies about 30 Miles near North of us; and it was felt a few Miles to the South: So that its Extent here, from N.W. to S.E. or thereabouts, seems to be about 40 Miles.—Upon the Whole, I find, the higher one was, as farther from the Centre, the more the Shock was felt; that it was local; the Sound of the Explosion was heard as well abroad as in the Houses, tho' People differently situated judged differently what the Sound was; that not any Smoke, Vapour, or Flame, appeared on the Surface, as I have heard. —— I am Your most obedient Servant, Wm. Smith. LVII. The Philosophy of Earthquakes; by the Rev. William Stukeley, M.D. F.R.S. &c. in a Letter to Martin Folkes, Esq; LL.D. and President of the Royal Society, &c. Read Dec. 6. 1750. SINCE I had the Honour to lay before the Society, in the Spring, my Thoughts upon Earthquakes, we have had many