An
Address
to
the
New
Tay
Bridge
by
William
Topaz
MacGonagall
Beautiful
New
Railway
Bridge
of
the
Silvery
Tay,
With
your
strong
brick
piers
and
buttresses
in
so
grand
array,
And
your
thirteen
central
girders,
which
seem
to
my
eye
Strong
enough
all
windy
storms
to
defy.
And
as
I gaze
upon
thee
my
heart
feels
gay,
Because
thou
art
the
greatest
railway
bridge
of
the
present
day,
And
can
be
seen
for
miles
away
From
north,
south,
east,
or
west
of
the
Tay
On
a beautiful
and
clear
sunshiny
day,
And
ought
to
make
the
hearts
of
the
'Mars'
boys
feel
gay,
Because
thine
equal
nowhere
can
be
seen,
Only
near
by
Dundee
and
the
bonnie
Magdalen
Green.
Beautiful
New
Railway
Bridge
of
the
Silvery
Tay,
With
thy
beautiful
side-screens
along
your
railway,
Which
will
be
a great
protection
on
a windy
day,
So
as
the
railway
carriages
won't
be
blown
away,
And
ought
to
cheer
the
hearts
of
the
passengers
night
and
day
As
they
are
conveyed
along
thy
beautiful
railway,
And
towering
above
the
Silvery
Tay,
Spanning
the
beautiful
river
shore
to
shore
Upwards
of
two
miles
and
more,
Which
is
most
wonderful
to
be
seen
Near
by
Dundee
and
the
bonnie
Magdalen
Green.
Thy
structure
to
my
eye
seems
strong
and
grand,
And
the
workmanship
most
skillfully
planned;
And
I hope
the
designers,
Messrs
Barlow & Arrol,
will
prosper
for
many
a day
For
erecting
thee
across
the
beautiful
Tay,
And
I think
nobody
need
have
the
least
dismay
To
cross
o'er
thee
by
night
or
day,
Because
thy
strength
is
visible
to
be
seen
Near
by
Dundee
and
the
bonnie
Magdalen
Green.
Beautiful
New
Railway
Bridge
of
the
Silvery
Tay,
I wish
you
success
for
many
a year
and
a day,
And
I hope
thousands
of
people
will
come
from
far
away,
Both
high
and
low
without
delay,
From
the
north,
south,
east,
and
the
west,
Because
as
a railway
bridge
thou
art
the
best;
Thou
standest
unequalled
to
be
seen
Near
by
Dundee
and
the
bonnie
Magdalen
Green.
And
for
beauty
thou
art
most
lovely
to
be
seen
As
the
train
crosses
o'er
thee
with
her
cloud
of
steam;
And
you
look
well,
painted
the
colour
of
maroon,
And
to
find
thy
equal
there
is
none,
Which,
without
fear
of
contradiction,
I venture
to
say,
Because
you
are
the
longest
railway
bridge
of
the
present
day
That
now
crosses
o'er
a tidal
river
stream,
And
the
most
handsome
to
be
seen
Near
by
Dundee
and
the
bonnie
Magdalen
Green.
The
New
Yorkers
boast
about
their
Brooklyn
Bridge,
But
in
comparison
to
thee
it
seems
like
a midge,
Because
thou
spannest
the
Silvery
Tay
A mile
and
more
longer
I venture
to
say;
Besides
the
railway
carriages
are
pulled
along
by
a rope,
Therefore
Brooklyn
Bridge
cannot
with
thee
cope;
And
as
you
have
been
opened
on
the
20th
day
of
June,
I hope
Her
Majesty
Queen
Victoria
will
visit
thee
very
soon,
Because
thou
art
worthy
of
a visit
from
duke,
lord,
or
queen,
And
strong
and
securely
built,
which
is
most
worthy
to
be
seen
Near
by
Dundee
and
the
bonnie
Magdalen
Green.
