Tay Bridge Disaster
From Farewell to steam by Don Bilston. The song gives the details of the train and names David Mitchell of Dundee as the driver. The song describes the disaster in some detail.
From Farewell to steam by Don Bilston. The song gives the details of the train and names David Mitchell of Dundee as the driver. The song describes the disaster in some detail.
First line "The Bridge, the Bridge, the wondrous Bridge" seems to be the text on which bar659 is based. It starts by admiring the engineering of the bridge but says that nature is more powerful than human ingenuity. It puts the event in the wider context of the journey and sets the season as New Year rather than Christmas.
The preamble to the verses states "that over sixty lives were lost, and none were left to tell the tale. There are now Forty-six bodies recovered, two of which are women, and one a girl, and all identified" a level of detail hinting that the verses were written some days after the event.
First line "In this gay and festive season," emphasises that the disaster happened during the Christmas season. It also gives some technical detail about the causes of the accident.
First line "Beautiful Railway Bridge of the Silv'ry Tay!" Is the only piece that acknowledges the finding of the enquiry. McGonnagall overestimates the number of lives lost. As a true Scot, he sets the season as New Year rather than Christmas.
A children's game song.
Read more: Tay Bridge is Broken and I'm come to mend it, The
First line "Unto my sad heart rending tale" features the usual motifs but gives no substantial detail of the event. It wildly overestimates the numbers killed, stating...
From Farewell to steam by Don Bilston. The song gives the details of the train and names David Mitchell of Dundee as the driver. The song describes...
First line "The Bridge, the Bridge, the wondrous Bridge" seems to be the text on which bar659 is based. It starts by admiring the engineering of the...
First line "Beautiful Railway Bridge of the Silv'ry Tay!" Is the only piece that acknowledges the finding of the enquiry. McGonnagall overestimates the number of lives lost....
First line "In this gay and festive season," emphasises that the disaster happened during the Christmas season. It also gives some technical detail about the causes of...
A children's game song.
First line "Ye'll all have ye heard about the brig that spanned the river Tay" is a version of 175 ~ In Memory of the Tay Bridge...
First line "You people of Scotland I pray give attention" lists 23 victims by name and identifies a further 8 by their relationship to a named victim....
First line "The wintry wind blew loud and chill", was printed in the Dundee Courier of 6th January 1880 [Ref: British Newspaper Archive]. The poem was written...
The disaster has been well documented and the story will not detain us here. The salient points to bear in mind when looking at the songs and...