The Tay Bridge Disaster
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The Tay Bridge Disaster is an internationally-known poem by the Scottish poet William McGonagall and recounts the events of the evening of 28 December 1879, when, during a severe gale, Tay Rail Bridge near Dundee collapsed as a train was passing over it with the loss of all on board. The poem is still widely quoted:
- Beautiful Railway Bridge of the Silv'ry Tay!
- Alas! I am very sorry to say
- That ninety lives have been taken away
- On the last Sabbath day of 1879,
- Which will be remember'd for a very long time.
- 'Twas about seven o'clock at night,
- And the wind it blew with all its might,
- And the rain came pouring down,
- And the dark clouds seem'd to frown,
- And the Demon of the air seem'd to say-
- "I'll blow down the Bridge of Tay."
- When the train left Edinburgh
- The passengers' hearts were light and felt no sorrow,
- But Boreas blew a terrific gale,
- Which made their hearts for to quail,
- And many of the passengers with fear did say-
- "I hope God will send us safe across the Bridge of Tay."
- But when the train came near to Wormit Bay,
- Boreas he did loud and angry bray,
- And shook the central girders of the Bridge of Tay
- On the last Sabbath day of 1879,
- Which will be remember'd for a very long time.
- So the train sped on with all its might,
- And Bonnie Dundee soon hove in sight,
- And the passengers' hearts felt light,
- Thinking they would enjoy themselves on the New Year,
- With their friends at home they lov'd most dear,
- And wish them all a happy New Year.
- So the train mov'd slowly along the Bridge of Tay,
- Until it was about midway,
- Then the central girders with a crash gave way,
- And down went the train and passengers into the Tay!
- The Storm Fiend did loudly bray,
- Because ninety lives had been taken away,
- On the last Sabbath day of 1879,
- Which will be remember'd for a very long time.
- As soon as the catastrophe came to be known
- The alarm from mouth to mouth was blown,
- And the cry rang out all o'er the town,
- Good Heavens! the Tay Bridge is blown down,
- And a passenger train from Edinburgh,
- Which fill'd all the peoples hearts with sorrow,
- And made them for to turn pale,
- Because none of the passengers were sav'd to tell the tale
- How the disaster happen'd on the last Sabbath day of 1879,
- Which will be remember'd for a very long time.
- It must have been an awful sight,
- To witness in the dusky moonlight,
- While the Storm Fiend did laugh, and angry did bray,
- Along the Railway Bridge of the Silv'ry Tay,
- Oh! ill-fated Bridge of the Silv'ry Tay,
- I must now conclude my lay
- By telling the world fearlessly without the least dismay,
- That your central girders would not have given way,
- At least many sensible men do say,
- Had they been supported on each side with buttresses,
- At least many sensible men confesses,
- For the stronger we our houses do build,
- The less chance we have of being killed..