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 an