The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1844-10-23
THE GREAT EARTHQUAKE AT LISBON

From an article on "Porugal,n in Blackwood's
Magazine, which comprises short bographics
sketch Of the celebrated Marquis of Pombal we
quote description Of the great earthquake a,
Lisbon, which took place il may be remembered
during the administration Of that enlightened states.
man:
On the morning of All Saints day the Isl of No.
vember, 1855, Lisbon almost torn up from The
foundations by the most terrible earthquake on Eu.
ropean record. As il was high festival the popu-
lation we're crowding to the churches, which were
lighted up in honor OF the day. About quarter
before ten, the first shock felt which as ed the
extraordinary length Of six or seven minutes then
followed an interval Of about five minutes, after which
the shock was renewed, lasting about three mia.
utes. The conclusions violent in both instan.
ces that nearly all the solid buildings dashed to
the ground, and the principal part Of the city almost
wholly ruined The terror Of the population, rush.
ing through the falling streets, gathered in lie
churches, or madly attempting to escape into The
fields may be Imagined but the whole scene of hor-
ror death, and ruin exceeds all description. The
ground split into chasms, into which the people were
plunged in their fright. Crowds fled TO the water,
but The Tagus, agtated like the land, suddenly rose
to an extraordinary height burst upon the land and
swept away all within It's reach 1t is said TO have
risen to the height of five aDd-twenty or thirty ee
above its usual level, and 10 have sunk again as much
below II. And this phenomenon occurred four tnes
The despatch from the British Consul stated that
the especial force Of the earthquake seemed 10 be dr.
recty under the city; for while Lisbon was lifted
from the ground, if by the explosion Of gunpow-
DER mine The damage either above or below was not
so considerable. One of the principal quays TO
whch II Was said that many people had crowded for
safety was plunged under The Tagus and totally dis
appeared Ships were carried down by the sh, ok on
the river and dashed to pieces against each other
flung upon the shore. To complete the catastrophe
hres broke out In the ruins, which spread lie
lace oil ihe city, burned for five SIX days, app re-
duced all the goods and property Of the people to
ashes. For forty days the shocks con,iDed with
more or less violence, but they had 4othng lett
10 destroy. The people were thus kepfin a constant
state OF alarm, and forced 10 encap4, IN The open
helds, though IL was winter. The Royal Fami-
ly were epcamped in the gardens Of the palace; and
as II all the elements OF society had been shaken to-
geher, Lisbon and its veinily became the place Of
gathering Tor bandiid rom all quarter. Of tie king.
dom. A numbse OF Spanish deserters made ths,s
way to the city, and robberies and murders OF Tie
most desperate kind were constantly perpetrated.
&" Dang this awful PERIOD The whoie weiah bit Of
Government fell upon the shoulders of the Minisier
and he bore II well. lie adopted the most active
measures for provisioning the city--for depressing
plumber and violence, and for enabling the population
to support themselves during he peri ID OF suffering.
IL was calculated that seven millions sterling could
scarcely repair the damage of the city, and that
less than eighty thousand lives have been lost either
crushed by the earth swallowed up by the waters,
Some conception of the native mortality may be
formed from that OF the English Of the compa alive
~ small numbers OF whom, resident at that tine
~ sbon, no less than twenty-eght men and
my women we're among the sufferers. The
Royal Family were at the palace of Belem when
Tue tremendous calamity occurred. Pomba instant
~ FASTENED there. Tie found every one in consttrna-
uon W hat is to he done, exclaimed the King, q.
0e entered, 10 meet tins infection of Divine Justice
he calm and resolue answer Of Pombal was Bury
the dead, and feed the living This sentence is ,ui
recorded with honor in the memory Of Portugal.