The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1875-11-01
The Destruction Of Lisbon.

A writer in Hppincotts gives the fol.
lowing description Of the destruction OF
Lisbon tins morning Of November l
dawned serene, but the heavens were
hazy siuce midnight the thermometer
had risen one degree, and stood at nine
o'clock at fourteen above freezing,
Reaumur. As il WIS the feast OF All
Saints, the churches were throngsd from
IN early hour, aud all their affairs bril-
liantly Illuminated with thousands OF
tapers, and decorated with garlauds OF
yarious.tinted muslins and thin silks.
At n quarter OF ten o'clock the first
shock was felt. It was so slight that
many attributed it to the passage OF
heavy wagons in the street, and even to
mere fancy. Three minutes afterward a
second shock occurred, so violent that it
seemed rs il tho heavens and earth were
passing away. This agitation lasted
fully ten minutes, and ere it diminished
the greater portion Of the city was in
ruins. The dust r0ised obscured the
sun; an Egyptian darkness prevailed,
and to add to the universal horror the
fearful screams OF the living and the
groans OF the dying rose through the
mir. In twenty minutes all became calm
again, and people began 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 tho rumors that those who
had already gone thisher wcrc sufocat.
ing from the effects OF the dense fog OF
dust which still rose from the falling
buildings. Then they rlshed toward
the quays which line part OF tho
Tagus, but only to learn the horrible
news that these had sunk into the earth
with oil tho people and edifces upon
them. Those who thought to put out
to sea were told to look at theriver, and,
10! in its center they beheld whirlpool
which was sucking in all the boats and
vessels in its vicinity, and not frag
ment OF them ever being seen again.
The royal palace had been entirely swal-
lowed up, and over its site is now the
vast square OF tho Paco, Or Black
Horse, one Of the lnrgsst public places
III Europe.
The great library Of the Holy Ghost
was in flames, and its priceless Moorish
and Hebrew manuscripts fast becoming
ashes. The opera house had fallen in,
the Inqlisition was no more, and the
great church OF San Domingo was but
heap Of stones, beneath which lay
crushed to atoms the entire congrega-
tion. The Irish church OF st. Paul was
the death.place Of one thousand per-
sons, and the palace of Bemposta, where
Cathariue of Braganza, widow of
Charles H., lived and died, had fallen
over from tho heights on which it was
built, mud utterly destroyed tho poor
but populous part OF the town which lay
beneath it. In word, where but an
hour since was Lisbon was now nothing
but desolation. As to the people, who
can describe their condition. At least
1000 persons had perished, and the
majority Of tho survivors were cruelty
wounded and iu agony Of mind and
body. Some went mnl with fright,
some lost forever the power Of speech ;
sinners went about coniessing their
secret crimes, and fanatics, believing
the last day had come, cried out to the
horror.stricken multitude "to repent,
for that Christ was coming to judge tho
quick and the dead."