A RELATION OF THE LATE Dreadful Tempest, OR HURRICANE That happened in HOLLAND and UTRECH, ON Wednesday the 22d. of July, 1674. between Seven and Eight of the Clock at Night, taken out of several Letters to Merchants in London.  
Published to prevent false Reports.  
LONDON, Printed for Dorman Newman, at the Sign of the Kings-Armes in the poultry, 1674.   

A RELATION OF THE LATE Dreadful Tempest, OR, HURRICANE, &c.  
Utrech the 2d. of August, 1674.  
SIR,  
MY heart doth tremble, and my hand doth shake, now I am taking my Pen to inform you of a dreadful passage of Providence that hath befallen this poor Province of Utrech; and not only us, but also that famous and rich City of Amsterdam and Dort, with several of the places Adjacent: For upon yesterday, being the first day of August, and with your style, the 22d. of July, upon the day whereon our Fast was kept as a day of Humiliation( which our Magistrates had caused to be set apart for the obtaining in the first place, Reconciliation with Almighty God; and in the next, a Blessing upon our Armies; Now ready to Engage with our Friends against our Enemies the French) between 7 and 8 of the Clock at Night, a sudden and most terrible Tempest began with great thundering and Lightning; upon which followed such a dreadful shower of hail stones of exceeding bigness, that the People in the Streets were almost knocked down to the ground, before they could get shelter; the hail that fell, being as big as a Musquet-Bullet, the rattling appearing like great stones falling out of the Clouds; upon which followed a most violent Wind, of the manner of a Hurry-cain, which on a sudden threw down our great Church, which was built in the manner of your Cathedials; rasing the greatest part of it to the ground, for much of the Building is thrown on the Earth, and two Churches more much spoyled, only the two pillars where the pulpit stood are left standing, as a Monument of Gods judgement upon this present Generation: The Houses are fallen into the Streets, so that the Inhabitants cannot pass to each other for the abundance of Tember and Rubbish that stops up the way; and in many places we are filled with Desolation, so that this sad place, that hath been so long the seat of War under a Conquering Enemy, and was just lifting up its head above all the sad things that had but lately befallen it, is now become a Terror, not only to itself, but to all that are round about it, to the grief and astonishment of all our Neighbours and Friends; nor was this direful passage among us only, that were at home, but all along the River where there was not a Skuyt or Boat but received the effects of this Storm; at Dort also the wagons that were traveling by Land were hurried upon the ground, as if they had been but some light Goods, notwithstanding the Horses that drew them.  
I cannot in so short a time, give you a particular Account of the many Persons who have lost their Lives, Limbs, or otherwise sustained damages by this sad Accident both here and in several Parts of Holland, especially Amsterdam( of which I doubt not but you will have an Account from themselves.) This Tempest began from the South East of that City, and went all along to the North-West, not only Untiling several Houses, but also taking away several whole Roofs of some of them; by which means most of the Goods that were in the cranny Ware-houses, were spoyled with the abundance of Wet that fell in upon the upper parts of them. Among the rest, Mr. T. D. hath 2000 l. Sterl. of wears that will not yield him any thing considerable; 70 sail of Ships in the Texel, not one of them Escaped without some damage; those of them that could cut their Cables soonest, and get out from the rest, escaped best, but some of them were over set, and others striking one against another, were instrumental to one anothers destruction: We are  told here that the great three at Amsterdam, so considerable for its height and bigness, was plucked up by the roots, and thrown several yards from the place where it stood. I am informed Mr. I. P. was going with his Friend from Dort in the Skuyte, and the Skuyte was over- turned, that he himself is saved, but his Friend perished in the waters: How many more of these sad things we shall further hear of, the Lord knows; I am afraid they will not be a few.   

FROM UTRECH. The 2d. of August, 1674.  
I Cannot but inform you of the Great and Miraculous judgement of Almighty God, whose hand hath been very heavy on the Netherlands, and Especially this famous City of Utrecht, that is now almost destroyed, the wounds are fresh bleeding which we had received from the French, and by which we are much Impoverished, and now when we hoped that the worst had been past, and that we should have had a recruiting time; God Almighty hath powred one viol more of his wrath and Indignation upon us: for, on Wednesday last between Seven and Eight of the Clock at Night, fell such a heavy storm of Wind mixed with Lightning, hail, Thunder, and Rain, which seemed as though it would have turned all things upside-down, the earth Moving as with a great Earth-quake, which produced the dreadful effects which follow.  
The houses and tiles that fell caused such heaps of Rubbish, that the Streets are not Passable, The Old comely structure, the Principle Church, which had stood out so many Ages, is now more then half fallen Down; the costly Pillars that were by the Ministers Pew with the 7 Crown Candlestrick spoyled, although indeed the 2 Pillars with the state-pew are still standing, But wholly made useless, the Steeple remaineth standing. The Spire of St. James Church is broken down, to the out works the Costly and famous Clockwork is fallen into the Church, and the Glass Windows all broken: and that which is much to be wondered at, there is not one house near that Church which is Damnified with the fall of the Steeple, although it fell across between the houses and the Church, the Buer Church hath both its sides beaten into one, and half the roof of it fallen Down, of St. Nic. Church the Spires are beaten Down, the Tower that stood by Agnes cloister is beaten down, the Magdelen Church and the Dutch house is beaten Down, As also the Towers of St. Peters Church are both fallen down, and the church by the fall of the Towers Demolished; the house of my Lord De Hare upon the old Graft at the corner of Draken-burgh-Ally hath half its roof fallen into it, by which a Woman Living on the key was killed in the Cellar.  
A Skuyte lying full of Turf in the Graft was beaten all to pieces, and the Turf remains Swimming up and down the Graft, another out at the Tollesteek-Port was also served in the like manner: the K. Church had the Walls beaten down, and of the nine Corn mills that stood on the walls, there are but three left standing.  
The Mill on the Gans-sleugh is blown up from the Ground; Also two Saw-Mills that stood without the Tolle-steek-port. Divers other Mills and places Destroyed, and Persons blown up into the air; and the wagons Coming and going from hence with their Passengers, Driven into the Rhyne were choked in the River, and an hospital called Martyns Hospital is totally destroyed, and but one man killed in it, most of the Steeples of Villages Adjacent are broken down, and the Trees blown up by the roots, the Mills on the other side of the River, have their Sails and frames taken off together, and one Woman is found dead under one of those Mills, with a hammer in her hand. The great Martyn Tavern is also fallen down, but we do not hear of any more then one Person killed in it, many such fad effects it hath produced, of which you will hear more by the next. The Lord help us to see now his hand is lifted so soar upon us, and enable us to learn righteousness by his many Judgments we have been under.〈…〉