The New Hampshire Gazette And General Advertiser

LONDON, February 27.

Extract of a letter from Rochelle, January 20.

The night of the 17th to the 18th of this month, has been for us a most dreadful one. The end of the world could hardly have a more terrifying spectacle. On the 17th, towards evening, a strong wind arose, at nine o'clock was felt a shock of an earthquake, attended with thunder, lightning and hail. The largest trees were torn by the roots; the tiles and windows flew about the streets. Two hundred chimneys were thrown down; the upper stories were demolished, and even some houses have been totally destroyed. In this general destruction we were threatened with a fire, the progress of which we could not possibly have stopped. The fall of the chimneys in the places where the fire was beginning to catch, prevented the conflagration: the roofs of several churches, and among the rest the cathedral, were stripped off; the wind even carried away the lead. The postilion from Vantz says, that he saw many trees lying in the road, torn up by the roots: that from Bourdeaux assures, that the country between Rochefort and Saintes, has suffered much; the lightning fell within 20 paces of the said postilion, who was thrown from his horse on different times. The disasters at sea are still more melancholy. Many ships have foundered, both on our coast and that of the Isle of Rhe. Twenty-four dead bodies have been taken out of the water here, and a much greater number were taken up at the Isle of Rhe.