Lisbon Earthquake - Part 4: Rescue, chaos, and the first struggle for order

In the hours after the flames and the flood, Lisbon was a city where rescue and danger blurred together. Smoke filled the air, aftershocks rattled the broken walls, and every step through the ruins was a gamble.Survivors picked their way through debris, searching for family and salvage, but the city itself seemed determined to block every escape. The first response was not a plan, but a scramble. Authorities, soldiers, and ordinary people tried to impose order where none existed. Amid the chaos, one figure quickly rose to prominence: Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, later known as the Marquis of Pombal. Historians remember his response in a single phrase, preserved in later accounts—bury the dead, feed the living. That was not just a slogan. It was a doctrine for survival. Prevent disease. Prevent panic. Prevent the city from collapsing even further.Learn more at: https://thedisasterarchive.com/disaster/lisbon-earthquake

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