Lyr Add: The Wreck of the S.S. Penguin

Subject: Lyr Add: THE WRECK OF THE S.S. PENGUIN
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 15 May 10 - 10:37 PM

THE WRECK OF THE S.S. PENGUIN

The night is wild, and stormy seas
Come swirling on the misty breeze;
Abnormal currents here prevail,
Which add a terror to the gale.
2
And through the hedge-like fog they dash,
Till ho, alas! A tearing crash
Is heard above the roaring tide,
As from the tragic rock they glide.
3
"All hands on deck!" the orders ring,
As helpless hands to mothers cling.
"All hands on deck! The boats are ready!
Now seamen all, keep cool and steady!"
4
The boats are filled with precious freight
Amid the darkness of the night;
The moaning waves and winds are sighing
For mothers fond and children crying.
5
The boats are lowered, but, sad to say,
Engulfed amid the briny spray;
Leave all their occupants to lave,
And welter in the angry wave.
6
By this the gallant ship goes down,
Whilst o'er her sweeping billows frown;
Some now are swimming for the shore,
Some sink, alas! to rise no more.
7
Along the beach- ah, what a sight
That greets the dawn and morning light!
Poor, lifeless hands lie stark and cold;
Poor, pallid cheeks and locks of gold.
8
I cannot dwell upon this scene;
It gives me pain too strong and keen;
But trust a kindly word may cheer
Those left to mourn their loved ones dear.
9
There's consolation in the thought,
Tho' o'er and o'er most dearly bought,
That those poor lambs who fled away
Are happy now in endless day.
10
And there will welcome dear ones home,
The stormy seas no more to roam;
Now mothers think, what gift you've given
To swell the melody of heaven.

Charley, I started to enter this before reading it through- my apologies, it's terrible!

Angus Cameron Robertson, the link above.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Wreck of the S. S. Penguin
From: Joe Offer
Date: 15 May 10 - 11:02 PM

Where did you find the song, Q? Songwriter name?
Some photos (click).

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Wreck of the S.S. Penguin
From: Little Robyn
Date: 16 May 10 - 02:26 AM

That's pretty horrible.
My Grandfather and his twin brother were stewards on the Penguin - but not that night.
They went out on the town, got drunk, and missed the boat!
I've been waiting for someone to write a song about it but this one isn't very singable.
Was it penned as a fund raiser maybe?
Robyn

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Wreck of the S.S. Penguin
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 16 May 10 - 12:00 PM

The 'link' is in the thread "Old Tea Clipper Days, (A. C. Robertson)" thread 127763, post by Artful Codger:
Tea Clipper Days

Sorry I didn't make that clear. There are other poems by Robertson in the same article linked by Artful Codger. They are interesting, but Robertson wasn't a very good poet.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Wreck of the S.S. Penguin
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 17 May 10 - 10:16 PM

The same poem can be found here: in the The Grey River Argus and Blackball News, Greymouth, NZ, Tuesday, March 2, 1909, page 1—from the National Library of New Zealand.

A few words are different, but not enough to redeem it. The title is THE WRECK OF THE PENGUIN and the byline is "A. C. Robertson, Belleknowes, Dunedin." It is arranged into 5 stanzas of 8 lines each.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Wreck of the S.S. Penguin
From: GUEST,highlandman at work
Date: 18 May 10 - 01:42 PM

Meaning no disrespect to the poor souls who perished...

as I was reading I fully expected to see Wm. McGonnagal's (sp?) name at the bottom.

Whew!

-Glenn

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Wreck of the S.S. Penguin
From: Charley Noble
Date: 18 May 10 - 04:07 PM

I would also agree that this poem isn't Robertson's best work, even if it is based on a real shipwreck.

Robyn-

Maybe you can do something with it, given your interest and talent, rework it into a stronger ballad.

Charley Noble