The Johnstown Disaster, 1889 Poem Rhyme Scheme

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Look down ye Alleghenies into the Conemaugh vale	A
And see the rising waters and hear the bitter wail	A
The swollen streams now empty their contents in the lake	B
The waters rise to kiss the skies and walls of granite shake	B
	-
Oh hear that awful booming the dam has given way	C
An avalanche of water God's hand alone can stay	C
Oh leap ye hills before it and keep this torrent back	D
Or devastated towns and homes will mark its onward track	D
	-
Look down ye Alleghenies upon this vale of woe	E
Ten thousand corpses at your base their soulless faces show	E
Some hid beneath the debris some covered o'er with slime	F
Their spirits fled to meet their God beyond the shores of time	F
The aged sire and lassie the careworn mother too	G
With her strong son whom she had hoped would guard life's journey thro'	H
Are lying there together the old and young alike	I
Their plans and purposes cut off no power to love or strike	I
	-
Bow down ye Alleghenies and weep o'er thousands slain	J
Who yesterday were all intent this present world to gain	J
Their active brain is sleeping their busy hands are still	K
Bright hopes are blasted in an hour ambitions cease to thrill	K
Their mansions with their bodies the flood has borne away	C
The rich and poor together rest till resurrection day	C
	-
Now leap for joy ye mountains for all is not in vain	J
For as it was in Noah's flood it ever will remain	J
God cares for those who love Him He holds them in His hand	L
And wind and wave obey His will and rest at His command	L
Some sank beneath the freshet and now with others lie	M
But God prepared another ark to bear their souls on high	M
	-
See floating with the wreckage borne onward by the tide	N
A loving mother with her babe close sheltered at her side	N
One hand has grasped a rafter the other guards her child	O
Oh how she pleads with God and man in accents loud and wild	O
Men hear but give no answer no human hand can save	P
Her voice alas is hushed in death by the relentless wave	P
	-
But God has heard her pleading and now His angel bears	Q
Their deathless souls to dwell with Him where free from toils and cares	Q
Her voice rings out in gladness the notes of that blest psalm	R
The prophet heard the elders sing of Moses and the Lamb	S
	-
And see this lovely maiden a mother's hope and pride	N
The sunbeam of a Christian home and the affianced bride	N
Of one who loved her dearly and loved her not in vain	J
For he had won a loyal heart and hand without a stain	J
But he lies 'neath the billows and she will join him soon	T
Hark hark she sings in accents sweet to old familiar tune	T
Jesus lover of my soul	U
Let me to Thy bosom fly etc	V
	-
Her prayer also is answered for see the roof is bare	H
The current swept the slippery raft the maiden is not there	H
An angel band descended her lover led the way	C
And now she joins her loved and lost in realms of endless day	C
	-
Look down ye Alleghenies from your colossal heights	W
And witness an heroic deed bright gleam 'midst horrid sights	W
See Periton has mounted his famous large bay steed	X
And flies not to the mountains but at his greatest speed	X
He gallops down the valley to warn of pending fate	Y
And cries aloud Flee for your lives flee ere it be too late	Y
The Conemaugh dam is broken destruction comes apace	Z
Leave all and to the mountains flee leave all and win the race	Z
	-
Each creek becomes a river each pool a little sea	A2
The tidal wave comes rushing on men know not where to flee	A2
But on he rides still shouting as angels did of old	B2
Flee Flee ye to the mountain Flee forsake your homes and gold	B2
	-
His horse now shares his spirit and leaps each swollen stream	C2
With panting flanks and nostrils wide and breath like scalding steam	C2
He dashes down the roadway and fairly seems to fly	M
Obedient to his rider's rein resolved to do or die	M
	-
Some heed our hero's warning See toward the hills they fly	M
Will Periton now turn aside or like a hero die	M
Straight on he goes brave fellow to turn aside he scorned	D2
His life he deems of little worth if other men be warned	D2
	-
We honor those brave soldiers who scaled the rampart height	E2
To plant the standard of their queen in the defence of right	E2
The fire was hot before them and bursting shells o'erhead	E2
Yet on they pressed till bullet pierced they fell our honored dead	E2
But he I hold was braver who ran his race alone	F2
No comrade's cheer to urge him on no bugle blast was blown	F2
Nor grand review to follow if he should win the day	E2
But thoughts of self were all too weak his onward course to stay	E2
	-
Spur up your steed brave fellow the flood is at his heels	G2
Too late the waves now gird him round the gallant rider reels	G2
Entombed beneath the debris his warning voice is stilled	E2
But he I trust ran not in vain his mission is fulfilled	E2
	-
Like Jesus he saved others yet would not save himself	H2
The plaudits of the world sought not but scorned its praise and pelf	H2
He still sat in the saddle and held the guiding rein	J
Yet wind and wave awoke him not and thunders roared in vain	J
His spirit had ascended death set the hero free	A2
And God shall say in His great day Thou didst it unto Me	A2
	-
Look down ye Alleghenies with ever darkening frown	I2
Upon the selfishness which caused the ruin of Johnstown	I2
A reservoir was fashioned of full three miles in length	J2
An inland lake kept back by dam of insufficient strength	J2
No mills were driven by it no water works supplied	E2
A few rich men for selfish sport claimed all these waters wide	E2
	-
They rode upon its surface in skiff and bark canoe	G
Shot grouse and duck caught fish and eel and held their title true	G
For other people's safety took not a single thought	E2
Ten thousand lives were less to them than fish thus daily caught	E2
The dam revealed its weakness by frequent leaks but they	E2
Turned not aside to strengthen it till came the fateful day	E2
But God who rules the nations to whom all bow the knee	A2
Will say to them on judgment day Ye did it not to Me	A2

Joseph Horatio Chant

The Johnstown Disaster, 1889 Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

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