The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1854-02-07
MisfRllauRulls.
The Earthquake i'm Lisbon.

given admonition "f its presence and peht'uP
bower in earth's deep caverns. In the 'our
preceding years the drought was excessive,
The water springs dried up. Ihe, ground
moaned for moisture The prevailing and sea'
tie winds breathed from the North. frequent
subterrauean terrors told that earth was III
trouble, and shuddered in her panSS one
was gathering up her strergt tn to break her Pr'
son doors. The early months OF that eventtul
wear we're very wet The summer was very
cool F.r forty days before the catastrophe
rho weather was very clear. Early in the
morninp of the fatal day, a thick fog arose and
enveloped the city. BUTT was soon dissIpated
nv the heat of the advancing sun, aud The whole
otmosphere had become clear, serene and
cloudless. Nature seemed hushed IN profound
reuse awaiting the catastrophe. Al thirty
five minutes past nine o'clock A. N. a low rum.
Hing sound was heard resembling that "t dis
tant thunder. Gradually it Increased till it be
came loud as the roar of heavy parks OF artillery.
Al that moment earth's subterranean p lSon
doors bnrst open, and the ground retied an"
staggered like a drunken man, under the ire
mendous cnncu>sion. 1t WAS the hrst awi"l
EARTHQUAKE shock. The tall editlces AMI build
ings Of The city rocked from side to side like Il
shin in heavy rolling sea. Such was the n
olence uf the oscillations that the upper StofI',
of the buildings Immediately gave way, top
pling and falling, crushing their occupants to
death. and those who were walking Ia the mar
row streets below. Terror and alarm 1iled
every mind. ~,
Earth reeied on her deep foundations. lhe
motion was so great that it was impossible TO
stand. The terrors of that sudden aud dread
ful catastrophe were fearfully Increased 10y the
deep darkness which succeeded aud shut out
the light Of the day. Many leaped from the
windows to escape heing buried beneath the
ruins Of their falling habitati"nS. Muit'tudeS
groped their way ami the darkness over the
fallen ruins to the open squares, or 10 lhe rl'-
er side, to tind safety from the stones ana li"i'
hers that threatened to fall from the t"ttersnS
houses in the narrow streets.
The first day of November was the great
feast day of All Saints. The churches OF LIS
bnn were crowded with devoteeS. Great num-
hers were crushed and peri>hcd beneath the
massive walls. Most OF the churches IN the
city were destroyed Bishops aud priests were
in their sacerdotal robes and vestmehts eeie
bra,iuc mass. A few escaped many were
crushed. A mingled multitude, in deep terror,
rushed along the streets to the quay by the
river side, and falling on ther'knees, raised u
heaven the loud and earnest cry OF surpllca
tiou, excaimlng in agony OF spirit, Mercy'
mercy, o Lord, have mercy, miserecord'a meu
Dios p
In the midst of this fearful desoa'ion Sec
ond shock occurred. 1t was nearly as vic!ent
as the first aud greatly incr" ased the work o'
destruction. Shrieks of agony iesoumded on
every side. The splendid Gothic Church OF
st. GATHERINGS already much shattered by the
conclusion Of the first shock, fell t"'the groun
with tremendous crash, killing vast numbers
who had fed tor safety to the height upon
which the building stood. We walk among
the desolate ruins and fallen fragments which
still remain upon this des'late spot. is on
elevated ground, some two hundred feet from
the waters of the Tagus. But this second shock
produced still more dreadful consequences. =
Vast multitudes had c"ngregated along The
.shores aud quays Of the Tagus as place I"
safety. Suddenly the sea retired, leaving the
ground at the mouth of the Tagus bare. A.
suddenly the waters returned, and came rolling
more, overwhelming in its course the streets
and wharves and quays along the banks. In
vain the crowds attempted l." fly or escape
The rolling and impending waters rushed too
suddenly upon its victims All were swept d.
way and buried beneath the RELENTLESS waves
Al the same moment the earth opened, anC
the new and immense marble quay, the Terei
70 Pace, built at vast expense, welt down anC
sunk out of sight, with all the c"ngrega'eC
mutitudes Gpbn it, into one awful and Inn'eas
urabe grave. We spent hours in examining
this memorable and impressive spot. The
opening and sinking of the yawn"g earth was
SO sudden and large that many boats and sn'al
vessels, anchored near the quay, and filed viii
people who had escaped on board, went dowr
at The same time, into the awful guilt, S" deeI
that no vestiges OF the vessels or bodies OF the
drowned we're Ever known so have risen t.
the surface Other and larger vessels turthe
from the shore were tossed and whIrled arount
torn from their anchors, dashed against eact
other, and driven to the opp'>ite shore by the
heaving of the waters aud the violence OF the
waves.
The captain of a ship anchored further off
who survived the dreadful perils, and who wit
messed the phenomena Of the scene, stated thai
the city appeared to him as if waving to anc
fro, like the waves of the sea, when agtatec
by a driving wind. Such was the subterrane
an commotion under water, that the anchor o
his ship became visible at the surface.
Suddenly the waters of tho Tagus rose agair
three fathoms high, and as suddenly fell. Their