Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1879-01-28
THE RIDE OF COLLINS GRAVES.
AN INCIDENT OF THE FLOOD IN MAssAcHUsETT:
MAY l6, 1874


No song of a soldier riding down
To the raging fight of Winchester town;
No song of a time that shook the earth
With the nation throe at a nation's birth;
But the song of brave man, free from fear
AS Sherdan's self or Paul Revere;
Who risked what they risked, free from strife
And its promise of glorious pay,-his life.
The peace full valley has walked and stirred
And the al swering echoes of life heard;
The dew still clngs to the trees and grass,
And the earlier toilers smiling pass,
AS they glance aside at the white-walled homes,
o. up the valley where merrily comes
The brook that sparkles in diamond rills
AS the sun comes over the Hampshire hills
What was it that passed like an ominous breath?
Like shiver of fear a touch of death?
What was it? The valley peaceful STILL
And the leaves aire the top of the hill
1t was not sound, nor thing of sense
But pain, like pang in the short suspense
That wraps the being of those who see
AT their feet the gulf of eternity.
The air of the valley has felt the chill;
The workers pause at the doer of the mll
The housewife, keen TO the shivering air,
Arrests her foot on the cottage stair,
Instructive taught by the mother-love.
And thinks of the sleeping ones above.
of the mill-stream widen? Is it a horse
'.Hark to the sound OF his hoofs, . they say
That gallsps so widely Williamsburg way?
God What was that, like human shrek,
From the winding valley? viii nobody speak;
i'll nobody answer Those women who cry
AS the awful warnings thunder by!
Whence come hey? Listenl And now they h, az
The sounds of the galloping horse-loofs near;
rney watch the trend Of the vale. and see
rne rider, who thundars 50 menacingly,
With waving arms and warning scream
TO the home-fled banks OF the valley stream.
He draws rein, but he shakes the street
With shout and the ring of the galloping feet,
And this the cry that he filings to the wind:
TO the hills for yoar tireSt The food is be-
hindu
He cries and is gone: but they know the worst
The treacherous Williamsburg dam has burst.
The basin that nourished their happy homes
is changed to a demon-It comes. II comes!
monster in aspect, with shaggy front
OF shattered dwellings to take the brunt
OF the dwellings they shatter, viii te-maned and
hoarse,
The merciless terror fills the course.
Of the narrow valley, and rushing raves,
With death on the hrstof its kissing waves,
Till cottage and street and crowded mill
Are crumbled and crushed. But onward still,
In front of the roaring food is heard
The gallop ng horse and the warning word.
Thank God, that the brave man IS life is spared
From Williamsburg town he nobly dared
Torace with the flood and to take the road
In front of the terrible swath it moved.
For miles it Numbered and crashed behind,
But he looked ahead with a steadfast mind:
''They must be 7cdrned!i' was all he said,
AS away his terrible ride he sped.
When heroes are called for, bring the
To this Yankee rider: send him down
On the stream of time with the Curtius old
His deed, the Roman s. was brave and bold
And the tale can noble i thrill awake,
For he offered his life for the peoples sake.