Out of Southampton she swung with the stream,
A poem of iron and steel, A sea dream.
And thousands on shore, watched her steaming away:
The largest, and grandest of all ships that day.
And the thousand on board, did security feel,
For no eye saw death, as he stood at the wheel;
Directing her course to the echoless shore,
Her first and last haven of nevermore.
She was the last, best work of men,
And on her first voyage was speeding—when:
Out of the darkness, Out of the night,
Loomed an ominous form of ghostly white.
“Twas a towering mountain of ice-gigantic,
As ever was seen on the North Atlantic.
She struck, with a shiver from stem to stern:
And was rapidly sinking—All soon did learn.
Then Captain Smith, her commander brave,
Thought not one moment, his own life to save,
But stood on the bridge, calling out to the crew:
“Remember your country, Be British, be true.
And England, and Ireland, and Scotland, And Wales,
Proved there to the World: Their valor Ne’er fails,
“The women and children first,” Was their cry,
And every one of the Crew, stood by.
And the boats were lowered and sent away,
That cut off all hope, save eternity,
And, The Titanic sank from sight, ‘neath the Sea
While her band played, Nearer My God to Thee.
Was There ever a scene so awfully grand?
As that sinking ship, with her playing band.
All glory to Smith, and the Titanic’s men,
They bring Trafalgar’s heroes to memory again.
And that heart thrilling tale of the Alamo,
And the last grand-charge at Waterloo,
And that charge of “The Light Brigade” as well,
And Jim Bludso’s act on “The Prairie Belle.”
And with these down the corridors of all time,
The Titanic’s story shall sound sublime,
For never was courage more noble and true,
Than was shown on that night, by The Titanic’s Crew.
NOTE.—Captain Smith, the commander of the ill-fated Titanic, was
censured by an investigating board, appointed by congress. He was last seen on the bridge of the Titanic, where he gave up his life. It seems to me that his heroic conduct was worthy of some mention, and should have gone far in palliation, of any other former mistakes.
