And thus in the earthquake of 1692, Deal castle is one of them built by Henry VIII. the walls are of immense thickness, and strength; yet they shook so sensibly, that the people living in it, expected it was falling on their heads. And this is the case in all earthquakes: the more substantial the building, the more violent is the shock: exactly the mode of electrical vibration. And this Dr. Hales takes notice of and others; that an earthquake shatters rocks of marble, more easily than the strata of sand, earth, or gravel. In the earthquake here of 1692, a great cliff fell down near Dover; and part of Saltwood-castle wall.
'Tis from hence we account for that observation, that when we electrify any person; upon a touch, the pain and blow of the shock is felt at the joints, the wrist, elbow, and shoulder, for instance, more than in the intermediate parts; because there is the greatest quantity of solid.
At the same time, that the force of electricity in solids, is as the quantity of matter: we see most evidently, by innumerable experiments, that water is equally assistant in strengthening, and conveying the force of electricity; and that in proportion too to its quantity. And hence is to be deduc'd the reason of my observation; that the most frequent and dreadful earthquakes have fallen upon maritime places. And I find the same is taken notice of in some degree, by Acosta, by Dolittle, who wrote on that in 1692, and others.
In the dreadful catastrophe at Port-Royal then, 'tis notorious, that its violence was chiefly near the sea. So Lima could not suffer without its port of Callao. Even in those so lately felt by us, they were sensibly more violent towards the river, than farther from it.
In that earthquake which was felt in England, in the year 1692, (which was very much like these with us) there were no houses thrown down, nor persons kill'd: but it reach'd more particularly Sheerness, Sandwich, Deal, Dover, Portsmouth, and the maritime parts of Holland, Flanders, and Normandy.
In this that happened on Sunday the 18th of March last, at Bath; it was felt particularly and strongly at Portsmouth, seven miles above and below it, on the sea-side; all round the isle of Wight, at Southampton, the sea-coast of Selsey, south of Chichester, Arundel, and the whole coast of Sussex, without going up the land; and across the sea to the islands of Jersey and Guernsey.
On Monday night, the 2d of this instant April, 1750, at ten o'clock, at Leverpool, a shock of an earthquake. And felt in several other places in the neighbourhood; but particularly at Chester, and Warington.
If we look into ancient history, we find 197 years before Christ, an earthquake shook terribly the isle of Rhodes, damag'd many cities: and some quite swallow'd up.
Seventeen years before Christ, many cities in the isle of Cyprus destroy'd.