Spadara. Having fainted at the moment of the first great shock, she
was lifted by her husband, who, bearing her in his arms, hurried with
her to the harbor. Here, on recovering her senses, she observed that
her infant boy had been left behind. Taking advantage of a moment when
her husband was too much occupied to notice her, she darted off, and,
running back to her house, which was still standing, she snatched her
babe from his cradle. Rushing with him in her arms toward the
staircase, she found the stair had fallen, barring all further
progress in that direction. She fled from room to room, chased by the
falling materials, and at length reached a balcony as her last refuge.
Holding up her infant, she implored the few passers-by for help; but
they all, intent on securing their own safety, turned a deaf ear to
her cries. Meanwhile her mansion had caught fire, and ere long the
balcony, with the devoted lady still grasping her darling, was hurled
into the devouring flames.

A few cases are recorded of devotion similar to that of this heroic
woman, but happily attended by more fortunate results. In the great
majority of instances, however, the instinct of self-preservation
triumphed over every other feeling, rendering the wretched people
callous to the dangers and sufferings of others. Still worse was the
conduct of the half savage peasantry. They hastened into the towns
like vultures to their prey. Instead of helping the sufferers, they
ransacked the smoking ruins for plunder, robbed the persons of the
dead, and of those entangled alive among the rubbish. They robbed the
very injured who would have paid them handsomely for rescuing them. At
Polistena, a gentleman had been buried head downward beneath the ruins
of his house, and when his servant saw what had happened he actually
stole the silver buckles off his shoes, while his legs were in the
air, and made off with them. The unfortunate gentleman, however,
managed to rescue himself from his perilous position.

Several cases occurred of persons being rescued alive from the ruins
after a lapse of three, four, and even five days, and one on the
seventh day after interment. Those who were thus rescued all declared
that their direst sufferings were from thirst.

CHAPTER XXVII.

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