Wilmington daily gazette., 1874-07-07
The Destruction Of Lisbon,

The morning OF November l, 1855, dawned se-
rene, but the heavens were hazy. Since mid
night the Thermometer had risen one degree and
stood at nine o'clock, at fourteen degrees above
lreezng, heaumur. As it was the feast Of All
Saints, the churches were thronged from an early
hour, and all their affairs brilliantly Illuminated
with thousands OF tapers and decorated with gar
lands OF various tinted -uuslius and thin silks.
AT quarter of ten o'clock the first shock was
iet. 1t was SO slight that many persons attribu.
ted ~ to the passage of heavy wagons in the
street, and even To mere fancy. Three minutes
aitsrward second shock occurred, 50 violent
that \ seemed as II the heavens and earth were
passing away.
Ihe agitation lasted fully ten minutes and ere
1t diminished the greater portion Of the civ was
in ruins. The dust raised obscured the sui, an
Egyptian darkness prevailed, and to add to the
universal horror, the fearful OF the living
and the groans Of the dying rose through the air
In twenty minutes all became calm again, and
people begaa TO look around them and consider
The best means of escape, Some were for going
to the hills, but were soon discouraged from so
doing by the rumors that those who had already
gone thither were suficating from fhe effects OF
the dbnse fog of drst which still rose from the
falling buildings Then they rushed toward the
quays " hich line part OF the Tagus, but only to
learn the horrible news that these had sunk into
the earth with all the people and edilices upon
them. Those who thought To put out To sea were
told tb look at the river, and lol IN its centre
they bebeld whirlpool which was sucking i'll all
the vessels and boats in It's vicinity, not iraR-
ment of any Of them being ever seen again The
royal palace had been entirely swallowed up, and
over its sito Is now The vast square OF the Paco,
or Black Horse, one Of the largest pubic places
In Europe. The great library OF the Holy Ghost
was in flames, aud its priceless Moorish and lie
brew manuscripts were fast becoming ashes.
The opera house had fallen in, the InquisItion
was np more, and the great Church of San Do
mngo was but heap of stone, beneath which
lay crushed to atoms the entire congregation.
The Irish Church oil ST. Paul was the death.
place Of ono thousand perSons, and the palace oi
Bemposta, v here Catharine Of Braganzs, widow
of Charles III lived and died. had fallen over
from the heights on which II was built and utter
ly destroyed the poor but popuous part OF the
town which lay beneath ii. In word where but
an hour since was Lisbon was now nothing but
desoaton. As to tue people, who can describe
their condition. At least seventy thousand per.
sons had pershed, and the majority of The survi-
yors were cruelty wounded, and in agony ot mind
and body. Some went mad with fright, others
lost forever the power OF speech, sinners went
about eonies5ing their secret crimes, and ianaties
believing the last day had come, cried out to the
horror stricken multitude TO "repent, for Christ
coming to judge the quick aud the dead"
As the day waxej on the wretched Lisboness
grew cAlmer, and 1t vas universally declared that
the salest places, now that the dust " as dImn-
ishing, were the heights overlooking the city, and
thlther the majority He'd. Here they found their
court assembled, tor the royal family was fortu-
natey At HELEN, where. strngs 10 say. the earth
quake was scarcely felt at all. and had hastened
AT oncs to the hills. Tho cardinal patriarch vas
here also, aud 90 was Pombai; aud these two
men, with surprising presence OF mind, by their
admirable courage. were enabled before night to
inspire some feeling OF order among tie excited
throng. The King and Queen behaved nobly,
and the young Dake OF Laioons deserves to he
immortnlized for his splendid conduct. He or
ganized band OF noblemen who went about aid.
ing tue wounded, rescuing the children and even
buryinS the dead.
II was a strange and awful sight to see this
multitude gather together on the summit of the
hills which once overlooked their magnificent
capital, aud which now looked down upon a
mere mass OF ,moulderng ruins. As the day
declined and night came on the cardinal isssed a
proclamation ordering all to kneel In prayer aud
entreat the mercy Of God upon them, and then
rose on the air ths waiing tones OF that saddest
night had fully fallen a fnghtfuI discovery was
made-the city was In flames in hundred places
The conaagration was greatly increased by the
strong wind blowing in from .ns Sea-
There was now no hope of saving anything,
and 1t was but too well known that Thousands Of
human beings who had taken refuge in the cel-
lars and crypls were being roasted alive. But II
the anxiety OF the escaped was dreadful TO wit
ness, the scenes within the city itself were even
more terrible. Robbers, escaped jail-blrts, low
sAioIs M'o oes.Aued nsgroes iormed bantis and
went ahont amidst ihe rnias pillaeins the wound
ed OF their triakets and even numbering those
who vsntured 10 oppose their gbsstly ,lee.is Tbs
lewd Inhabitants Of the hrothel broke from th,,
rigid restraint in which they were confined hy
law and Joined the bandits. They plundered such
OF the wins stores as was left intact, and, mad.
dened WITH drink, and probably with terror cast
off their garments and went dancing and whoop.
ing their blasphenious songs through the desolate
streets, VI such they could now be Called "a b,le
the luria light from the inuumerable fires cast a
blood d-cOlored low ON their naked and contor,al