The
Tay
Bridge
Disaster
by
William
Topaz
MacGonagall
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
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
moved
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
people's
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
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.
