The Albion Battleship Calamity Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCD EEFF GGHH IIJK GGII IILL MMNN OOPP QQLL RRCD SST PPTL UJVVLL JJWWXX YYAB ZZQQ IITTA2A2| 'Twas in the year of ond on the st of June | A |
| The launching of the Battleship Albion caused a great gloom | B |
| Amongst the relatives of many persons who were drowned in the River Thames | C |
| Which their relatives will remember while life remains | D |
| - | |
| The vessel was christened by the Duchess of York | E |
| And the spectators' hearts felt light as cork | E |
| As the Duchess cut the cord that was holding the fine ship | F |
| Then the spectators loudly cheered as the vessel slid down the slip | F |
| - | |
| The launching of the vessel was very well carried out | G |
| While the guests on the stands cheered without any doubt | G |
| Under the impression that everything would go well | H |
| But alas instantaneously a bridge and staging fell | H |
| - | |
| - | |
| Oh little did the Duchess of York think that day | I |
| That so many lives would be taken away | I |
| At the launching of the good ship Albion | J |
| But when she heard of the catastrophe she felt woebegone | K |
| - | |
| But accidents will happen without any doubt | G |
| And often the cause thereof is hard to find out | G |
| And according to report I've heard people say | I |
| 'Twas the great crowd on the bridge caused it to give way | I |
| - | |
| Just as the vessel entered the water the bridge and staging gave way | I |
| Immersing some three hundred people which caused great dismay | I |
| Amongst the thousands of spectators that were standing there | L |
| And in the faces of the bystanders were depicted despair | L |
| - | |
| Then the police boats instantly made for the fatal spot | M |
| And with the aid of dockyard hands several people were got | M |
| While some scrambled out themselves the best way they could | N |
| And the most of them were the inhabitants of the neighborhood | N |
| - | |
| Part of them were the wives and daughters of the dockyard hands | O |
| And as they gazed upon them they in amazement stands | O |
| And several bodies were hauled up quite dead | P |
| Which filled the onlookers' hearts with pity and dread | P |
| - | |
| One of the first rescued was a little baby | Q |
| Which was conveyed away to the mortuary | Q |
| And several were taken to the fitter's shed and attended to there | L |
| By the firemen and several nurses with the greatest care | L |
| - | |
| Meanwhile heartrending scenes were taking place | R |
| Whilst the tears ran down many a Mother and Father's face | R |
| That had lost their children in the River Thames | C |
| Which they will remember while life remains | D |
| - | |
| Oh Heaven it was horrible to see the bodies laid out in rows | S |
| And as Fathers and Mothers passed along adown their cheeks the tears flows | S |
| While their poor sickly hearts were throbbing with fear | T |
| - | |
| - | |
| A great crowd had gathered to search for the missing dead | P |
| And many strong men broke down because their heart with pity bled | P |
| As they looked upon the distorted faces of their relatives dear | T |
| While adown their cheeks flowed many a silent tear | L |
| - | |
| The tenderest sympathy no doubt was shown to them | U |
| By the kind hearted Police and Firemen | J |
| The scene in fact was most sickening to behold | V |
| And enough to make one's blood run cold | V |
| To see tear stained men and women there | L |
| Searching for their relatives and in their eyes a pitiful stare | L |
| - | |
| There's one brave man in particular I must mention | J |
| And I'm sure he's worthy of the people's attention | J |
| His name is Thomas Cooke of No Percy Road Canning Town | W |
| Who's name ought to be to posterity handed down | W |
| Because he leapt into the River Thames and heroically did behave | X |
| And rescued five persons from a watery grave | X |
| - | |
| Mr Wilson a young electrician got a terrible fright | Y |
| When he saw his mother and sister dead he was shocked at the sight | Y |
| Because his sister had not many days returned from her honeymoon | A |
| And in his countenance alas there was a sad gloom | B |
| - | |
| His Majesty has sent a message of sympathy to the bereaved ones in distress | Z |
| And the Duke and Duchess of York have sent guineas I must confess | Z |
| And from the Directors of the Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company | Q |
| Which I hope will help to fill the bereaved one's hearts with glee | Q |
| - | |
| And in conclusion I will venture to say | I |
| That accidents will happen by night and by day | I |
| And I will say without any fear | T |
| Because to me it appears quite clear | T |
| That the stronger we our houses do build | A2 |
| The less chance we have of being killed | A2 |
William Topaz Mcgonagall
(1)
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