The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1902-08-30
THE LISBON EARTHQUAKE.
Graphic Description Of IN Awful
Gatastrophe.

Graphic Description Of IN Awful
Catastrophe.
In the early morning of All Saints
Day, Nov /, all Lisbon was abroad,
writes G. Brysen Taylor in Every
body's Magazine. The morning was
hot and still and yelled in film Ct
yellow haze in which the color of city
and sky and river ran riot. Behind
the seven hills ON which the town was
built rose higher hills, heaving softly
into green swells and pillows, a deeper
background for white walled monas-
teries and confusion Of red-tiled
roofs and turquoise towers and
minarets and the yellow outer walls
Tapped by the blue river. In the
streets people hurried in and out
among the booths and shops, gathering
into momentary groups to discuss the
absence of rain, the fact that the wells
Of the country had suddenly gone dry,
the coming bull fight, the latest scall-
dial perpetrated by armed and hooded
noblemen rowing after dark. The yell
low glare beat on lofty houses COW
cred with Dutch tiles done in blue
land white, highly glazed and wrought
into scenes from Bible tales; on the
small shrines to saints ca the Madonna
at every corner, and threw out into
sharp contrast the somber green Of
citron and lemon trees The process
sion of the Viaticum swung past,
through black lanes Of kneeling peo-
pie, with the host borne along by
barefooted men of rank under a can
opy that blazed with gold and jewels
White clad Dominican friars threaded
through the cloud, with austere faces
and dark-clouded eyes; negro fruit
vendors shouted their wares above the
babel of songs and laughter, the chant
ing of palms and droning prayers.
Rosy monks, black cowled, jostled
among the women. with coarse robes
trailing about fat white ankles. Slim
figures discreetly sllrouded slipped
through the throng, conveyed by alert
duemas. English and Dutch talked
business at the corners, intent on
finance or OH trade. Streams of dark
clad people tricklcd through the mas
sive entrance into the great church
of San Domingo. Above the hum and
swarm of the town the church bells
pes,led vibrant masculine, deep-toned
and slow, their mellow notes pulsing
over the blue river and drifting out
among the hills. And at the tenth
hour the ground quivered as though to
the rumble of Il heavily-loadcd wagon
in the streets.
Two minutes later, with a sudden
ripping crash, as of lightning bolt
struck home, the earth heaved like an
animal in pain. In an instant the air
was logged with binding dust, through
which could be seen the first sickening
lurch of buildings topping to their
fall; the wide downward sweep #
uprooted trees. In all directions were
flying figures that realed to the earths
motion and fell, and rose and stagger-
ed on. For ten minutes the convul-
sion lasted; minutes that seemed each
one an hour. The dust clouds then
lightened, and these who We're left
upon the broken streets got their bear
ings and started for the river and
quays. The great marble qumys at
the Ter1eiro Go Paco, crowded with
panic-frenzied refugees from all parts
of the town, sank suddenly beneath
the river, without warning, leaving
never trace or sign, and the waters
gulped over it and hurled themselves
forward on the city, seeking other
prey. Out OH the river stra ming
ships were sucked into the jaws of Il
whirlpool that drew each one remcrse-
lessly to itself, strive they never SO
hard to y-mcrchantmen, gallant
ships Of the line, tiny pleasure boats
with paintings of impotent saints on
their yellow sails-all with rows of
rigid faces staring over the rail into
the death that waited.