Quote 182 of 281

From the diary of Samuel Pepys (1663-1703)

... and my Lord and I, the wind being again very furious, so as we
durst not go by water, walked to London quite round the Bridge, no
boat being able to Stirre; and Lord, what a dirty walk we had, and
so strong the wind, that in the fields we many times could not carry
our bodies against it, but was driven backward. ... It was dangerous
to walk the streets, the bricks and tiles falling from the houses,
that the whole streets were covered in them---and whole chimneys,
nay, whole houses in two or three places, blowed down.  But above
all, the pales on London bridge on both sides were blown away, so
that we were fain to stoop very low, for fear of blowing off the
bridge.  We could see no boats in the Thames afloat but what were
broke loose and carried through the bridge, it being ebbing water.
		-- Pepys' Diary, 24 Jan. 1666

Tags: fear diary boats thames tiles bricks blownaway chimneys pales londonbridge