Early Modern CLimate History

In 1671, there was a tornado in Cadiz that was severe enough to be discussed across Europe. This blog post presents the version of events recounted to the Russian court, as well as the German-language newssheet from which it was taken. I post here the transcriptions from the publication Vesti-Kuranty, 1671-1672, with my own translations of each text into English. Both of my translations are preliminary, and may need to be revised.

German Text:

Original:
Aus Cadix vom 22. Martii.
AM 15. dieses früh umb halb 4. Uhr nach dem es fast eine halbe Stunde lang geregnet man auch einige Donnerschläge  {bald schleunig  bald langsam} gehöret  und das Gewitter sich {umb 4. Uhr} nach den Süd-Westen gekehret hatte merkete man ein Erdbeben  man hörete auch einen Orcan (ist einer von den mächtigsten Sturm-Winden die in West-Indien grossen Schaden thun) es krachete in der Stadt hiervon als wann alle Gebäude sich übern Hauffen stürtzten. Dieser Sturm {war mit vielen Blitzen vermenget  welches allhier was seltzames ist. Er kam mitten in die Stadt } und begunte seine Macht erstlich bey den Capucinern zu erweisen da er denn die gantze Mauer übern Hauffen warff  in den Zellen schlug er alle Mauern darnieder  {wie auch das Gasthaus und die Küche  er kam durch eine Hinterthür  durch ein klein Loch  das darinnen war  und machete umb wieder daraus zu kommen  ein solches Loch durch eine Mauer von 3. Fuß dick  einer halben Ellen weit  als eine Canonen-Kugel hätte thun können. Es wurde auch ein dickes Creutz für dem Closter entzwey geschlagen.} Von diesen ging er nach den Barfüsser-München  wo er auch ihres Klosters Aussen-Mauer zur Erden legte. {Von hier rasete er nach der Stratenmacher Strassen  wo er 3. Häuser ruinirte. Hiervon kam er nach unser lieben frauen Lichtmeß  da er den Glockenthurn zur Erden fället  und einige Balcken aus einem Hause wegführete.} Hierauf kam er zu den Jesuiten  die nebenst den Capucinern ihren Schaden mit 6000. Stücken von Achten kaum ersetzen werden {...} Hierüber entstunde in dem Hafen ein besonder Schrecken  weil ein schweflichter Gestanck gerochen wurde. Der Barquen  so nach Sivilien beladen waren  sind in 45. geblieben  so vermißt man auch bey 500. Menschen.

My Translation:
From Cadiz, 22nd March [1671]
On the 15th of this month early around half 4 (AM) there was nearly half an hour of rain and also some thunder was heard {sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly} and that storm {from 4AM} had turned to the south-west and an earthquake was noticed and an Orcan {which is one of the most powerful storm winds which do great damage in western India} was heard, there was a crash in the city  as all the buildings fell over in a heap. This storm {which was mixed up with a lot of lightning which is something strange here. It came into the middle of the city} and began to show his power first with the Capuchins because it threw a whole wall in a heap in the cells, it knocked down all the walls [of their monastery] {as well as the guesthouse and the kitchen, [where] it blew in through a back door through a small hole that was in it and made such a hole through a wall 3 feet thick and half a cubit wide as a cannon ball could have done. A thick Cross in the Cloister was also broken in two}. After this [destruction] it went to the Barefoot Monks [monastery] where it also threw the outer wall of their monastery to the ground. {From here it raced to Stratenmacher street   where it ruined 3 houses. After this it came to our dear women lightmakers/candlestickmakers [?] where he threw the belltower to the earth and carried away a few beams from one house}. Thereupon he came to the Jesuits who [live] next to the Capuchins and will hardly compensate their damage with 6000 Pieces of Eight {...} This [storm] created a special horror in the harbour where a sulfur-covered stench was smelled. 45 of the barges that were loaded to [travel to] Seville went missing, as did 500 people.

Russian Text:

Original:
Из Гишпанские земли из города Кадиса марта въ КВ днь
Въ .ЕІ,м числѣ сего мсца поутру в оддачю часовъ шол дождь с полчаса и грому немало было, и после того вѣтръ обратился к западу и повстало земное трясение и великая и силная буря. а в Западнои Индѣи, от таковыхъ бурь бываят великои вред, а немало и здѣс вредила. и каменные домы и стѣны ломала, а сперва сия буря учала моч свою являт среди града у иноков в мнстрѣ и опровергла цѣлую каменную стѣну, и всѣ келеиные стѣны, и людеи побило немало а оттуду тою ж своею мочю в басацком мнстрѣ великие шкоды учинило. которого строения невозможно учинить за шесть тысечъ еѳимков, и многие караблі на море розбило. и людеи с пятсот чл҃вкъ безвѣстно пропало.. и в мори повстал зело смраднои шкодливои сѣрнои дух

My Translation:
From the Spanish lands from the city of Cadiz on the 22 day of March [1671]
On the 15th day of this month in the morning at a certain hour  it rained for half an hour and there was much thunder, and after that wind blew towards the West and there was a shaking of the earth and a great and mighty storm. And in the West Indies much damage is caused by such storms, and there was not a little damage caused here [too]. And [the storm] broke stone houses and walls and from the start that storm learned to use its might amongst the town, amongst the monks in the monastery a whole stone wall was destroyed and all the cell walls, and not a few people were beaten and from their [the storm took] its might to the Basatsky monastery and created great harm. Those buildings will be impossible to repair [even] for 6 thousand efimki [silver thalers], and many ships were torn apart on the sea. And at least 500 people were lost without trace. And in the sea there remained a stinking, mischievous, grey air.

Bibliography:
Both quotes are from
A. M. Moldovana and Ingrid Maier, ed., Vesti-Kuranty, 1671-1672gg., (Moscow: Azbukovnik, 2017), pp. 103 and 379. You can find this publication online here.
On the 1671 Cadiz tornado see for example Gayà, Miquel. "Tornadoes and severe storms in Spain." Atmospheric research 100, no. 4 (2011): 334-343.