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Archiver > ILGALLAT > 1998-06 > 0897630884


From: Jon Musgrave< >
Subject: [ILGALLAT-L] Re: SHAWNEETOWN FLOODS??
Date: Fri, 12 Jun 1998 00:54:44 -0500


>From the song "Flood of Shawneetown or Broken Hearts and Homes"
Words and music by G. B. Fields

*note - the music was later recycled for the Saline Co. Centennial song

Dedicated to G. R. Galloway, who lost a wife and two daughters in the great
disaster of April 3rd '98.

Fields was also author of "The Tattler," and "Dream of the Forrest Queen,"
He privated published the music in Fairfield, Illinois

VERSE 1
In the town of Shawnetown as the evening shades came down,
On a quiet Sabbath evening cold and gray,
While the people walked the street or in dear communion sweet,
Sat within their peaceful homes at close of day.
All at once the bells were ringing, with a whild and awful din,
While the fearful fact breaks over one and all,
That the fateful levees broke pale the lips of those who spoke,
While the roaring, crashing, awful flood comes in.

VERSE 2
On it came with mighty force, spoiling all within its course,
Wrecking homes and snatching loved ones from their friends,
Where they found a wat'ry grave, 'neath the cold and silent wave,
To be covered over by the drifting sands,
Tongue nor pen ne'er describe the hopeless anguish and despair,
Of the poor survivors of that awful flood,
And they'll ne'er forget the day Shawneetown was washed away.
Till they rest beneath the cold and silent sod.

VERSE 3
There were heroes too that day: Franklin Robinson they say,
With his boat brought many safely to the shore,
While they struggled with the wave he row'd out their life's to save,
Working bravely 'till the awful flood was o'er,
Father Bikeman saw it coming like a giat mountain high,
And he knew what danger in his pathwy lay;
But he did his duty well while he boldly rang the bell
Warning all within the dangerline to fly.

VERSE 4
There are broken hearts and homes, there is sorrow, there are groans,
There is trouble there is anguish and despair,
Where was once all smiles and light there is naught but darkest night,
Where was once a happy city wrecks appear,
Let us rally to their succor from the city hill and plain,
Give out sympathy and money to their aid;
Soon calamity may fall on our loved ones, homes and all,
May be seperated ne'er to meet again.

-----------------------------------------------------
Feel free to pass this along, I copied this from a photocopy of the sheet
music in the Shawneetown Public Library. Fields published it in 1898, 100
years ago this spring.

Besides 1898, 1913 and 1937, there were three levee breaks three years in a
row I think in 1881-83, or 1882-84. Each year they rebuilt the levee higher,
and each year the water came higher.

Jon Musgrave


Check out Jon's Southern Illinois History Page
at http://www.midamer.net/users/jon

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