Dull and dark, unsettled weather,
rain and hail, a touch of snow,
gale force winds, a hurricane threatens,
no mercy when a cyclone blows.
Through the night the wind increased,
spiralling inwards as the pressure grew.
A violent storm - a hurricane,
all at sea now in danger
no place to hide from whence it came.
Gale force winds hit the coastline,
travelling north in a shift of wind,
early morning the storm engulfed
no one aware what was destined.
Disaster struck outside the harbour,
boats in danger all around,
pilot boats that could not lead,
their paths unable to be found.
Distress signals, flares galore,
vanished in the night-time air,
swallowed up by a storm of darkness,
helpless feelings everywhere.
That night there were many wrecks, the 'Royal Charter' the
biggest yet,
The greatest tragedy ever, in peacetime
not in war,
four hundred and fifty lives were lost, the
biggest loss by far.
Just yards from safety, the storm caused such a plight,
men, women, and children snatched from their beds in the black
of night.
The wreck that shocked a nation,
no hope of rescue or salvation.
The 'Iron Ship' a large steam clipper,
tossed at sea like a velvet slipper.
Three thirty early morning on the face of the vessel's clock,
when the ill fated ship was tossed and thrown against the
jagged rock.
The 'Royal Charter' was it's name,
lost, destroyed, a storm to blame.
Families returning home with their hard earned wealth,
fruits of their labour, honest work,
no underhanded stealth.
Ingots of gold, down in the hold,
money belts filled with nuggets,
around their waists and in their pockets,
riches from where they had dug it.
A rough and rocky journey home,
fatal endings in a storm.
Only forty men survived that night
when the 'Clipper Ship' plunged out of sight.
Hitting the rocks and splitting in two,
when cyclonic winds battered and blew.