THE EARTHQUAKE 1755:

The great Lisbon Earthquake hit at 9:30 on All Souls Day 1755 (november 1st) and was compromised of 3 distinct jolts and lasted approximately 10 minutes.

Hitting the south-west of Portugal the quake was so strong sheikhs where observed as far away as Finland ; it's magnitude reaching 8.6 and killing 60,000 people in Lisbon alone.

After the quake candles and cooking fires set the town alight. In densely populated areas the fires where overcome but man terrified inhabitants fled from their houses leaving them to burn ; the centre was abandoned as the fire grew to catastrophic proportions. The flames rages the town for 5 days, buildings that where spared by the earthquake where now being destroyed by the flames.

Approximately 30 minutes after the first jolt an enormous wave (the Tsunami) crashed over the quays at the mouth of the Tangus flattening houses and creating mass destruction. Waves up to 6 metres dragged people and debris out to sea, boats where wreaked and in some areas the seabed was left uncovered. Whole towns where heavily damaged in the South where waves crested 30 metres.

It was thought that the great earthquake was created by God as punishment for Lisbon's sinful ways but after a more scientific approach to the earthquake was studied objectively and people turned their attention to rebuilding Lisbon to it's former glory.