, 1874-06-28
THE LISBON EARTHQUAKE.
AEeurful Tragedy OF the Last Century


From tht July L1ppt,seott-
The morning Of Nov. l, 1755, dawned serene,
but the heavens Wcro hazy, since midnight the
! thermometer had risen l degree, and stood at
was the feast of All Saints, the churches were
thronged from early hour. and all their alta,s
brilliantly illuminated with thousands Of tapers.
aud decorated with garlandn Of various tinted
muslin aud thin silx. At quarter OF
10 o'clock the first shock WAS felt. It
utcd it to the passage Of heavy Wagons in
the street, AMI even to mere fancy. Thee mln-
utcs afterward second shock occurred, SO vio-
lent that 1t seemed as If tho heavens and earth
were passing away. This agitation lasted fully
ten minutes, and ere it diminished the greater
portion Of the city vas in ruins. The dust raised
obscured the sun an Egyptian da1kness pre-
vailed. aud to add to the universal horror,
the fearful screams Of the living and tho
gtoans Of the dying roeo through the air. In
twenty minutes all became calm again, and peo-
ple began to look around them, aud consider
the best means Of escape. Some were for going
to the hills, but we're soon discouraged from 30
doing by tho runors that thos9 who had already
gon- rhi1ler suflocating from tito effects OF
the dense fog of dust which still 1oss from tue
falling buildings. Then they rushed toward tho
quays which line ps1t Of the Tasus. but ouiy to
learu the horrible news that these bad sunk INTO
the earth, with al the people aud
edldces, upon them. Those who thought
81"
the river, and 10! in it's centre they be-
held whirlpool which was sucking in all the
vessels aud boats in its vicinity. not q fragment
of any Of them being ever seen again- The
Ioya1 palace bad been entirely Swallowed up,
aud over its site is the vast square OF the
Baco or Black Hurse, one Of the largest pub
lie places in Europe. The great library of the
Holy Ghost was in flames. and it's priceless
Moorish and Hebrew manu4crlpts were fast be-
coming ashes. The opera-house had fallen in,
he 1rru1Siti1r and the HTeAt
Church Of San Domingo Was heap OF stones,
beneath which lay crushed to atoms tho entire
congregation. The IRISH Church OF st. Paul
nas the death place Of thousand persons, and
the palace OF Bomposta, where Catherine OF
Braganza, widow of Charles H., lived and died,
had fallen over from the heights OH which it Was
butt, and utterly destroyed the poor but popu-
1ous part Of the town which lay beneath it. In u
word where but an hour s1uce Was Lisbon Was
now nothing but Gesola:ion. As to the people,
who can desc1ibe their condition? At least
10000 persons had perished, and tue majority
OF the survivors we're cruelty wounded and in an
agony OF mind aud body. Some went mad with
fright. eone lost forever the power Of speech
sinners went about confsssing their secret
crimes, and fanatice, believing the last day had
come cried out to the horror-stricken multitude
''to repent. for thai Christ was coming to judge
the quick md the dead"
Az the day wa1ed on tho rretched Lisbone.e
grew calmer, and it WAS universally declared
that tho safest places, now that the dust WAS
diminishing, were the heights overlooking tho
CITY. and thlther the majority fad. Here they
found the Court assembled, fer the Royal family
Was fortunately at Bele1n, where, strange to say,
FASTENED at once to the hills. The Cardinal
Patriarch MAS here also, and 80 WAS Pombal
and these two men, with ourprisiDg presence Of
mind. by their admirable courage, we're enabled
the excited throng. The Kiag and Queen
behaved nobly, and the young Duke Of
Lafoens deserves TO be imnort,llzed for his
spendid conduct He organized : band Of no
blenen who went about aiding the wounded
rescuing the children, and even burning tho
dead. It Vas = strange and awful sight to see
tnls multitude gather together on the summit OF
tue bills which once overlooked their lnagnid-
cent capital, and which now looxed down upon
d mere masb Of smou1dering ruins: As day de-
proclamation, ordering all to ]:neol in prayer
and entreat the mercy Of God upon them.
aud then rose on the air the wailinE tone OF
that saddest OF psalms, the Mlserere. When
the shndes OF night had fully iallen frightful
discovery vas made; tho city Uasin flames IN >
hundred places. The conhagration was greatly in
creased by strong wind blowing in from the
sea There Was now no hope of saving any,
thing, and it WAS but too well known that
thousands OF human beings who had taken
refuge in the cellars and crypts wore beng
roasted alive. But II the anxiety of the escaped
WAS dreadful to witness. the scenes within
the CITY itself were even more terrible. Rob
bers, escaped jall-b,rds, low salloTs, and de-
amidst the ruins pillagiEg the wounded Of their
taukets, and even numbering those who ven
tured to oppose their ghastly deeds. The lewd
inhabitants OF the brotheIs broke from the
rigid restraint IN which they we're confined BY
the law and Joined the bandits. They plum
det ed such Of the wine-stores rs were left in
tact, and. maddened with drink and probably
with terror, cast of their garments and went