The Advent of Natural Disaster: The Earthquake in the Philosophical Transactions (1664/5–1700)

Abstract

Extreme events have been described and documented for centuries in folklore, varied narratives, iconographies and numismatics, constituting an essential archive, which in Delort’s terms enables proper and enlarged understanding of present events (Delort 1996, 7–25).

Appendix A

Volume Issues	Issue	Date	Title
1 Issues 1–22		1665
	8		Some observations of strange swarms of insects, and the mischiefs done by them: as also of the brooding of snakes and vipers	1
	10		A relation concerning the late earthquake neer Oxford; together with some observations of the sealed weatherglass, and the barometer both upon that phænomenon, and in general - John Wallis	2
	11		A confirmation of the former account, touching the late earth-quake near Oxford, and the concomitants thereof, by Mr. Boyle	3
2 Issues 23–32		1666
	26		An account of hail-stones of an unusual bigness, communicated by D. Nath. Fairfax, with his reflections on them	4
4 Issues 45–56		1669
	48		A Chronological accompt of the several Incendium’s or fires of mount Ætna	5
	51		An answer to some inquiries concerning the eruptions of Mount Ætna, an. 1669. Communicated by some inquisitive English merchants, now residing in sicily	6
	52		A particular accompt of divers minerals, cast up and burned by the late fire of mount Ætna; mentioning the several specimina, expected in numb. 51. p. 1031. from some ingenious marchants of England being upon the place, and since come to the hands of the publisher, for the repository of the R. Society	7
5 Issues 57–68		1670
	65		A narrative of divers odd effects of a dreadful thunder clap, at Stralsund in Pomerania, 19/29 June 1670; taken out of a relation, there printed by authority in high Dutch	8
6 Issues 69–80		1671
	71		A relation of two considerable hurricans, happened in Northampton-shire, not above four miles distance from one another, within the compass of less then twelve calendar-months: Communicated by Mr. John Templer of Braybrook to a friend of his in London	9
7 Issue 81–91		1672
	90		The copy of a letter from Somersetshire, concerning a strange frost, which hath lately done much hurt about Bristol; together with some useful hints suggested upon that occasion	10
8 Issues 92–100		1673
	92		A confirmation, given by Dr. Wallis, of what was deliver’d in numb. 90. about the strange freezing in Somersetshire	11
13 Issues143 -154		1683
	151		An account of the earthquake that happened at Oxford and the parts adjacent Sept. 17. 1683. by a Fellow of a College in that University, and of the Royal Society	12
14 Issues155-166		1684
	157		Three papers of Dr. Martin Lyster, the first of the nature of Earth-quakes; more particularly of the origine of the matter of them, from the Pyrites alone	13
			The second paper of the same person concerning the spontaneous firing of the pyrites	14
			The third paper of the same person, concerning thunder and lightning being from the Pyrites	15
	165		A discourse concerning the effects of the great frost, on trees and other plants anno 1683. drawn from the answers to fame Queries sent into divers Countries by Dr. Rob. Plot S. R. S. and from several observations made at Oxford, by the skilful Botanist Mr. Jacob Bobart	16
15 Issues 167–178		1685
	169		A letter from Dr. Robert Plot of Oxford, to Dr. Martin Lister F. of the R. S. concerning the use which may be made of the following history of the weather, made by him at Oxford through out the year 1684	17
	171		A discourse concerning Weather, &c. By the learned Dr Garden of Aberdene. Written by way of letter, to Mr. Henry Scougall, Professor of Theology in that University; and communicated to the Phil. Soc. of Oxford, by the reverend Dr Middleton, Provost of the Kings College in Aberdeen	18
	175		Extracts of two letters, written by Dr. Garden of Aberdeen; one concerning the causes of several winds, &c. to Dr. Plot: the other concerning the proboscis of bees; &c. to Dr. Middleton	19
	177		Some remarkable effects of a great Storm of Thunder and lightning at Portsmouth Oct. 23. 85	20
16 Issues 179–191		1687
	182		An extract of a letter written from Aramont in Languedoc near Avignon, giving an account of an extraordinary swarm of grasshoppers in those parts; communicated by Mr. Justell R. S. S	21
	185		An extract of a letter written from Rome, dated the 16th. of November last, to Signior Sarotti, concerning a discovery made upon the inundation of the Tevere. Translated out of the Italian	22
17 Issues 192–206		1693
	199		The relation of a storm of thunder, lightning and hail at Oundle in Northamptonshire on the 20th of March 1692/3	23
	202		A letter from Mr. Martin Hartop at Naples, to the publisher. Together with an account of the late earthquake in Sicily	24
	202		An extract of the account mentioned in the foregoing letter, taken out of an Italian paper. Written by P. Alessandro Burgos. Printed first at Palermo, and afterwards at Naples. 1693	25
	203		The extract of a letter from Lislo in Flanders, May 25. N. S. 1686. giving an account of an unusual storm of hail which fell there	26
18 Issues 207–214		1694
	207		An account of the earthquakes in Sicilia, on the ninth and eleventh of January, 1692/3. Translated from an Italian letter from Sicily by the noble Vincentius Bonajutus, and communicated to the Royal Society by the learned Marcellus Malpighius, physician to his present Holineß	27
	208		Part of a letter from Mr. Edward Floyd, Cim. Ashm. Oxon. To Dr. M. Lister, giving an account of locusts lately observed in Wales	28
	208		The extract of another letter to the same purpose	29
	209		A letter from Hans Sloane, M. D. and S. R. S: with several accounts of the earthquakes in Peru October the 20th. 1687. and at Jamaica, February 19th. 1687/8 and June the 7th. 1692	30
19 Issues 215–235		1695
	216		An account of the sad mischief befallen the inhabitants of the Isle of Sorea, near unto the Molucco’s, for which they have been forced to leave their countrey. Contained in a letter, written in those Parts, to the Right Worshipful, Nicholas Witzen, Burgermaster of Amsterdam, &c. in the Year 1693. And by him communicated to Dr. Martin Lister, S. R. S	31
	216		An account of the upper part of the burning mountain in the Isle of Ternata according to the view taken thereof; written to the Right Worshipful Nicholas Witzen, Burgermaster of Amsterdam & c. And by him communicated to Dr. Martin Lister, S. R. S	32
	228		Part of a letter from Mr. Nicolas Witsen, Burgermaster of Amsterdam; giving a farther relation of the horrible burning of some Mountains of the Molucco Islands	33
	229		A note concerning an extraordinary hail in Monmouthshire, extracted out of a letter sent from Mr. Edward Lhwyd to Dr. Tancred Robinson, Fell. of Coll. of Phys. & R. S. Dat. Usk in Monmouthshire, June 15. 1697	34
	231		A letter of Dr. Wallis to Dr. Sloane, concerning the generation of hail, and of thunder and lightning, and effects thereof	35
	233		A letter of Dr. Wallis, dated Oxford, Sept 6. 1697. Containing some additions to his letter about thunder and lightning, and a correction of his 109th cap. of his Algebra	36
	234		A letter from Dr. Thomas Molyneux, Fellow of the Royal Society, to the right Reverend St. George, Lord Bishop of Clogher; concerning swarms of insects, that of late tears have much infested some parts of the province of Connought in Ireland	37
	235		A true and exact relation of the dismal and surprising effects of a terrible and unusual clap of thunder with lighting, that fell upon the Trumbull-Galley, on Thursday the 26th Day of November, 1696. Communicated in a letter unto Mr. W. Griffith, M. A. by Mr. Robert Mawgridge, Kettle Drummer unto his Majesty, and then Chirurgeon of the Said Galley	38
20 Issues 236–247		1698
	236		A letter from Dr. Wallis of Jan. 11. 1697/98, to Dr. Sloane, concerning the effects of a great storm of thunder and lightning at Everdon in Northamptonshire, (wherein divers persons were killed) on July 27. 1691	39
	242		Part of a letter written by Roelof Diodati, supream director of the council of Mauricius; to Mr. Witsen, Burger Master of Amsterdam, and F. R. S. Dated August 8. 1697. Concerning an extraordinary inundation in that Island	40
	245		A copy of a letter from R. P. Vicar of Kildwick in Yorkshire, to a friend of his in those parts, wherein he gives an account of an extraordinary eruption of water, which happened in June, 1686	41
	246		Captain Langford’s observations of his own experience upon Huricanes, and their prognosticks. Communicated by Mr. Bonavert	42
21 Issues 248–259		1699
	249		An account of a young man slain with thunder and lighting, Dec 22, 1698	43