|
| [Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note |
This is the Tay Railway Bridge taken from its southern end, at Wormit in Fife.
The original bridge was designed and built by Sir Thomas Bouch and opened in September, 1877. It was at that time the longest bridge in the World. But, on the night of 28th. December, 1879, a train left this point at Wormit and was passing over the bridge to Dundee when the bridge collapsed during a violent storm with the loss of all of the seventy-odd passengers on board. This is still recounted as the greatest railway disaster of all time.
After the disaster, a new and stronger bridge was built and the old piers for the original bridge can still be seen in this picture to the right of the new piers; they act as breakwaters for the new piers.
Various causes for the collapse of the original bridge have been put forward, including the use of poor-quality steel and also poor design which allowed for harmonic flexion during heavy weather and loads.
Dundee's famous (or infamous!) poet of the time, William Topaz McGonagall, wrote his famous lines about the rail disaster:
Beautiful Railway Bridge of the Silv'ry Tay!
Alas! I am very sorry to say
That ninety lives have been taken away
On the last Sabbath day of 1879,
Which will be remember'd for a very long time.
'Twas about seven o'clock at night,
And the wind it blew with all its might,
And the rain came pouring down,
And the dark clouds seem'd to frown,
And the Demon of the air seem'd to say-
"I'll blow down the Bridge of Tay."
When the train left Edinburgh
The passengers' hearts were light and felt no sorrow,
But Boreas blew a terrific gale,
Which made their hearts for to quail,
And many of the passengers with fear did say-
"I hope God will send us safe across the Bridge of Tay."
But when the train came near to Wormit Bay,
Boreas he did loud and angry bray,
And shook the central girders of the Bridge of Tay
On the last Sabbath day of 1879,
Which will be remember'd for a very long time.
So the train sped on with all its might,
And Bonnie Dundee soon hove in sight,
And the passengers' hearts felt light,
Thinking they would enjoy themselves on the New Year,
With their friends at home they lov'd most dear,
And wish them all a happy New Year.
So the train mov'd slowly along the Bridge of Tay,
Until it was about midway,
Then the central girders with a crash gave way,
And down went the train and passengers into the Tay!
The Storm Fiend did loudly bray,
Because ninety lives had been taken away,
On the last Sabbath day of 1879,
Which will be remember'd for a very long time.
As soon as the catastrophe came to be known
The alarm from mouth to mouth was blown,
And the cry rang out all o'er the town,
Good Heavens! the Tay Bridge is blown down,
And a passenger train from Edinburgh,
Which fill'd all the peoples hearts with sorrow,
And made them for to turn pale,
Because none of the passengers were sav'd to tell the tale
How the disaster happen'd on the last Sabbath day of 1879,
Which will be remember'd for a very long time.
It must have been an awful sight,
To witness in the dusky moonlight,
While the Storm Fiend did laugh, and angry did bray,
Along the Railway Bridge of the Silv'ry Tay,
Oh! ill-fated Bridge of the Silv'ry Tay,
I must now conclude my lay
By telling the world fearlessly without the least dismay,
That your central girders would not have given way,
At least many sensible men do say,
Had they been supported on each side with buttresses,
At least many sensible men confesses,
For the stronger we our houses do build,
The less chance we have of being killed.
Picture taken with my lovely new 10-22mm lens. I could have taken it at 19mm with my "kit" 18-55mm lens, but I already have the impression that the wider lens is a good bit sharper. Shot in RAW, edited and converted to TIFF in DPP then cropped, resized and sharpened and converted to JPEG in PSE6.
All comments/critiques/advice welcome! |
Adrique, graffer, saxo042 has marked this note useful
Only registered TrekEarth members may rate photo notes. |
|
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 214 W: 109 N: 457]](http://i1.trekearth.com/misc/g-g-g.gif){kind=small}
![Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 61 W: 0 N: 13]](http://i1.trekearth.com/misc/g-n-s.gif)
(397)![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 554 W: 8 N: 629]](http://i1.trekearth.com/misc/g-n-g.gif){kind=small}
![Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 97 W: 26 N: 92]](http://i1.trekearth.com/misc/g-s-g.gif)
(1081)
Hi John
I love this photo ! Great colours and contrast.Composition is marvellous! I always enjoy view of the bridges.
Regards
Dorota