LISBON EARTHQUAKE SCOURGED.
BY TRUMBULL WHITE.
=Sixty Thousand Lives Lost in a Few Moments--An Opulent and
Populous Capital Destroyed--Graphic Account by an English
Merchant Who Resided in the Stricken City--Tidal Waves
Drown Thousands in the City Streets--Ships Engulfed in the
Harbor--Criminals Rob and Burn--Terrible Desolation and
Suffering.=
More than once in its history has Lisbon, the beautiful capital of
Portugal, on the Tagus river, been devastated by earthquakes and tidal
waves. Greatest of all these was the appalling disaster of 1755, when
in a few minutes thousands upon thousands of the inhabitants were
killed or drowned. An English merchant, Mr. Davy, who resided in the
ill-fated city at that time, and was an eye-witness of the whole
catastrophe, survived the event and wrote to a London friend the
following account of it. The narrative reproduced herewith brings the
details before the reader with a force and simplicity which leaves no
doubt of the exact truth. Mr. Davy wrote as follows:
"On the morning of November 1st I was seated in my apartment, just
finishing a letter, when the papers and the table I was writing on
began to tremble with a gentle motion, which rather surprised me, as I
could not perceive a breath of wind stirring. Whilst I was reflecting
with myself what this could be owing to, but without having the least
apprehension of the real cause, the whole house began to shake from
the very foundation, and a frightful noise came from underground,
resembling the hollow, distant rumbling of thunder.
"Upon this I threw down my pen, and started upon my feet, remaining a
moment in suspense, whether I should stay in the apartment or run into
the street, as the danger in both places seemed equal. In a moment I
was stunned with a most horrid crash, as if every edifice in the city
had tumbled down at once. The house I was in shook with such violence
that the upper stories immediately fell, and though my apartment,
which was on the first floor, did not then share the same fate, yet
everything was thrown out of its place in such a manner that it was
with no small difficulty I kept my feet, and expected nothing less
than to be soon crushed to death, as the walls continued rocking to
and fro, opening in several places; large stones falling down on every
side from the cracks, and the ends of most of the rafters starting out
from the roofs.
"To add to this terrifying scene, the sky in a moment became so gloomy
that I could now distinguish no particular object; it was an Egyptian
darkness indeed, such as might be felt.
"As soon as the gloom began to disperse and the violence of the shock
seemed pretty much abated, the first object I perceived in the room
was a woman sitting on the floor with an infant in her arms, all
covered with dust, pale and trembling. I asked her how she got hither,
but her consternation was so great that she could give me no account
of her escape. I suppose that when the tremor first began, she ran out
of her own house, and finding herself in such imminent danger from the
falling stones, retired into the door of mine, which was almost
contiguous to hers, for shelter, and when the shock increased, which
filled the door with dust and rubbish, she ran upstairs into my
apartment. The poor creature asked me, in the utmost agony, if I did
not think the world was at an end; at the same time she complained of
being choked, and begged me to procure her some water. Upon this I
went to a closet where I kept a large jar of water, but found it
broken to pieces. I told her she must not now think of quenching her
thirst, but saving her life, as the house was just falling on our
heads, and if a second shock came, would certainly bury us both.
"I hurried down stairs, the woman with me, holding by my arm, and made
directly to that end of the street which opens to the Tagus. Finding
the passage this way entirely blocked up with the fallen houses to the
height of their second stories, I turned back to the other end which
led to the main street, and there helped the woman over a vast heap of
ruins, with no small hazard to my own life; just as we were going into
this street, as there was one part that I could not well climb over
without the assistance of my hands as well as feet, I desired her to
let go her hold, which she did, remaining two or three feet behind me,
at which instant there fell a vast stone from a tottering wall, and
crushed both her and the child in pieces. So dismal a spectacle at any
other time would have affected me in the highest degree, but the dread
I was in of sharing the same fate myself, and the many instances of
the same kind which presented themselves all around, were too shocking
to make me dwell a moment on this single object.
"I now had a long, narrow street to pass, with the houses on each side
four or five stories high, all very old, the greater part already
thrown down, or continually falling, and threatening the passengers
with inevitable death at every step, numbers of whom lay killed before
me, or what I thought far more deplorable, so bruised and wounded that
they could not stir to help themselves. For my own part, as
destruction appeared to me unavoidable, I only wished I might be made
an end of at once, and not have my limbs broken, in which case I could
expect nothing else but to be left upon the spot, lingering in misery,
like those poor unhappy wretches, without receiving the least succor
from any person.
"As self-preservation, however, is the first law of nature, these sad
thoughts did not so far prevail as to make me totally despair. I
proceeded on as fast as I conveniently could, though with the utmost
caution, and having at length got clear of this horrid passage, I
found myself safe and unhurt in the large open space before St. Paul's
church, which had been thrown down a few minutes before, and buried a
great part of the congregation. Here I stood for some time,
considering what I should do, and not thinking myself safe in this
situation, I came to the resolution of climbing over the ruins of the
west end of the church, in order to get to the river's side, that I
might be removed as far as possible from the tottering houses, in case
of a second shock.
"This, with some difficulty, I accomplished, and here I found a
prodigious concourse of people of both sexes, and of all ranks and
conditions. There were several priests who had run from the altars in
their sacerdotal vestments; ladies half dressed, and some without
shoes; all these, whom their mutual dangers had here assembled as to a
place of safety, were on their knees at prayer, with the terrors of
death in their countenances.
"In the midst of these devotions the second great shock came on,
little less violent than the first, and completed the ruin of those
buildings which had been already much shattered. The consternation now
became so universal, that the shrieks and cries of the frightened
people could be distinctly heard from the top of St. Catherine's hill,
a considerable distance off, whither a vast number of the populace had
likewise retreated. At the same time we could hear the fall of the
parish church there, whereby many persons were killed on the spot, and
others mortally wounded. On a sudden I heard a general outcry, 'The
sea is coming in, we are lost!' Turning my eyes toward the river,
which at this place is nearly four miles broad, I could perceive it
heaving and swelling in a most unaccountable manner, as no wind was
stirring. In an instant there appeared, at some small distance, a
large body of water, rising as it were like a mountain. It came on
foaming and roaring, and rushed toward the shore with such
impetuosity, that we all immediately ran for our lives, as fast as
possible; many were actually swept away, and the rest were above their
waists in water, at a good distance from the bank.
"For my own part, I had the narrowest escape, and should certainly
have been lost, had I not grasped a large beam that lay on the ground,
till the water returned to its channel, which it did with equal
rapidity. As there now appeared at least as much danger from the sea
as the land, and I scarce knew whither to retire for shelter, I took a
sudden resolution of returning, with my clothes all dripping, to the
area of St. Paul's. Here I stood some time, and observed the ships
tumbling and tossing about as in a violent storm. Some had broken
their cables and were carried to the other side of the Tagus; others
were whirled around with incredible swiftness; several large boats
were turned keel upward; and all this without any wind, which seemed
the more astonishing.
"It was at the time of which I am now writing, that the fine new quay,
built entirely of rough marble, at an immense expense, was entirely
swallowed up, with all the people on it, who had fled thither for
safety, and had reason to think themselves out of danger in such a
place. At the same time a great number of boats and small vessels,
anchored near it, all likewise full of people, who had retired thither
for the same purpose, were all swallowed up, as in a whirlpool, and
never more appeared.
"This last dreadful incident I did not see with my own eyes, as it
passed three or four stone-throws from the spot where I then was, but
I had the account as here given from several masters of ships, who
were anchored within two or three hundred yards of the quay, and saw
the whole catastrophe. One of them in particular informed me that when
the second shock came on, he could perceive the whole city waving
backwards and forwards, like the sea when the wind first begins to
rise; that the agitation of the earth was so great, even under the
river, that it threw up his large anchor from the mooring, which
swam, as he termed it, on the surface of the water; that immediately
upon this extraordinary concussion, the river rose at once nearly
twenty feet, and in a moment subsided; at which instant he saw the
quay, with the whole concourse of people upon it, sink down, and at
the same time everyone of the boats and vessels that were near it were
drawn into the cavity, which he supposes instantly closed upon them,
inasmuch as not the least sign of a wreck was ever seen afterwards.
"I had not been long in the area of St. Paul's, when I felt the third
shock, which though somewhat less violent than the two former, the sea
rushed in again and retired with the same rapidity, and I remained up
to my knees in water, though I had gotten upon a small eminence at
some distance from the river, with the ruins of several intervening
houses to break its force. At this time I took notice the waters
retired so impetuously, that some vessels were left quite dry, which
rode in seven-fathom water. The river thus continued alternately
rushing on and retiring several times, in such sort that it was justly
dreaded Lisbon would now meet the same fate which a few years ago had
befallen the city of Lima. The master of a vessel which arrived here
just after the first of November assured me that he felt the shock
above forty leagues at sea so sensibly that he really concluded that
he had struck upon a rock, till he threw out the lead and could find
no bottom; nor could he possibly guess at the cause till the
melancholy sight of this desolate city left him no room to doubt it.
"I was now in such a situation that I knew not which way to turn; I
was faint from the constant fatigue I had undergone, and I had not yet
broken my fast. Yet this had not so much effect on me as the anxiety I
was under for a particular friend, who lodged at the top of a very
high house in the heart of the city, and being a stranger to the
language, could not but be in the utmost danger. I determined to go
and learn, if possible, what had become of him. I proceeded, with some
hazard, to the large space before the convent of Corpo Santo, which
had been thrown down, and buried a great number of people. Passing
through the new square of the palace, I found it full of coaches,
chariots, chaises, horses and mules, deserted by their drivers and
attendants, and left to starve.
"From this square the way led to my friend's lodgings through a long,
steep and narrow street. The new scenes of horror I met with here
exceed all description; nothing could be heard but sighs and groans. I
did not meet with a soul in the passage who was not bewailing the loss
of his nearest relations and dearest friends. I could hardly take a
single step without treading on the dead or dying. In some places lay
coaches, with their masters, horses and riders almost crushed in
pieces; here, mothers with infants in their arms; there, ladies richly
dressed, priests, friars, gentlemen, mechanics, either in the same
condition or just expiring; some had their backs broken, others great
stones on their breasts; some lay almost buried in the rubbish, and
crying out in vain for succor, were left to perish with the rest.
"At length I arrived at the spot opposite to the house where my
friend, for whom I was so anxious, resided; and finding this as well
as the other contiguous buildings thrown down, I gave him up for lost,
and thought only of saving my own life.
"In less than an hour I reached a public house, kept by a Mr. Morley,
near the English burying-ground, about a half a mile from the city,
where I found a great number of my countrymen in the same wretched
circumstances as myself.
"Perhaps you may think the present doleful subject here concluded; but
the horrors of the day are sufficient to fill a volume. As soon as it
grew dark, another scene presented itself, little less shocking than
those already described. The whole city appeared in a blaze, which was
so bright that I could easily see to read by it. It may be said
without exaggeration that it was on fire in at least a hundred
different places at once, and thus continued burning for six days
together, without intermission, or without the least attempt being
made to stop its progress.
"It went on consuming everything the earthquake had spared, and the
people were so dejected and terrified that few or none had courage
enough to venture down to save any part of their substance. I could
never learn that this terrible fire was owing to any subterraneous
eruption, as some reported, but to three causes, which all concurring
at the same time, will naturally account for the prodigious havoc it
made. The first of November being All Saint's Day, a high festival
among the Portuguese, every altar in every church and chapel, some of
which have more than twenty, was illuminated with a number of wax
tapers and lamps, as customary; these setting fire to the curtains and
timber work that fell with the shock, the conflagration soon spread to
the neighboring houses, and being there joined with the fires in the
kitchen chimneys, increased to such a degree, that it might easily
have destroyed the whole city, though no other cause had concurred,
especially as it met with no interruption.
"But what would appear almost incredible to you, were the fact less
notorious and public, is, that a gang of hardened villains, who had
escaped from prison when the wall fell, were busily employed in
setting fire to those buildings, which stood some chance of escaping
the general destruction. I cannot conceive what could have induced
them to this hellish work, except to add to the horror and confusion,
that they might, by this means, have the better opportunity of
plundering with security. But there was no necessity for taking this
trouble, as they might certainly have done their business without it,
since the whole city was so deserted before night, that I believe not
a soul remained in it, except those execrable villains, and others of
the same stamp. It is possible some of them might have had other
motives besides robbing, as one in particular being apprehended--they
say he was a Moor, condemned to the galleys--confessed at the gallows
that he had set fire to the King's palace with his own hand; at the
same time glorying in the action, and declaring with his last breath,
that he hoped to have burnt all the royal family.
"The whole number of persons that perished, including those who were
burnt or afterwards crushed to death whilst digging in the ruins, is
supposed, on the lowest calculation, to amount to more than sixty
thousand; and though the damage in other respects cannot be computed,
yet you may form some idea of it, when I assure you that this
extensive and opulent city is now nothing but a vast heap of ruins;
that the rich and poor are at present upon a level; some thousands of
families which but the day before had been in easy circumstances,
being now scattered about in the fields, wanting every convenience of
life, and finding none able to relieve them.
"In order that you may partly realize the prodigious havoc that has
been made, I will mention one more instance among the many that have
come under my notice. There was a high arched passage, like one of our
old city gates, fronting the west door of the ancient cathedral; on
the left hand was the famous church of St. Antonio, and on the right,
some private houses several stories high. The whole area surrounded by
all these buildings did not much exceed one of our small courts in
London. At the first shock, numbers of people who were then passing
under the arch, fled into the middle of this area for shelter; those
in the two churches, as many as could possibly get out, did the same.
At this instant, the arched gateway, with the fronts of the two
churches and contiguous buildings, all inclined one toward another
with the sudden violence of the shock, fell down and buried every soul
as they were standing here crowded together."
The portion of the earth's surface convulsed by this earthquake is
estimated by Humboldt to have been four times greater than the whole
extent of Europe. The shocks were felt not only over the Spanish
peninsula, but in Morocco and Algeria they were nearly as violent. At
a place about twenty-four miles from the city of Morocco, a great
fissure opened in the earth, and the entire village, with all its
inhabitants, upward of 8,000 in number, were precipitated into the
gulf, which immediately closed over its prey.
The earthquake was also felt as far to the westward as the West Indian
islands of Antigua, Barbados, and Martinique, where the tide, which
usually rises about two feet, was suddenly elevated above twenty feet,
the water being at the same time as black as ink. Toward the northwest
the shock was perceptible as far as Canada, whose great lakes were all
disturbed. Toward the east it extended to the Alps, to Thuringia, and
to Toeplitz, where the hot springs were first dried up, and soon after
overflowed with ochreous water. In Scotland the waters both of Loch
Lomond and Loch Ness rose and fell repeatedly. Toward the northeast,
the shock was sensibly felt throughout the flat country of northern
Germany, in Sweden, and along the shores of the Baltic.
At sea, 140 miles to the southward of Lisbon, the ship Denia was
strained as if she had struck on a rock; the seams of the deck opened,
and the compass was upset. On board another ship, 120 miles to the
westward of Cape St. Vincent, the shock was so violent as to toss the
men up perpendicularly from the deck. The great sea wave rose along
the whole southern and western coasts of Portugal and Spain; and at
Cadiz it is said to have risen to a height of sixty feet. At Tangier,
on the northern coast of Africa, the tide rose and fell eighteen times
in rapid succession. At Funchal in Madeira, where the usual ebb and
flow of the tide is seven feet, it being half tide at the time, the
great wave rolled in, and at once raised the level of the water
fifteen feet above high water mark. This immense tide, rushing into
the city, caused great damage, and several other parts of the island
were similarly flooded. The tide was also suddenly raised on the
southern coast of Ireland; the