b. 1857, dau.of Francis Debaie and Eleanor Turple.
The sun it rose up gloriously
And shone down bright upon us
But O how little did we think
Such ruin would come among us
At five past nine that fatal morn
All things were turned to grief
Two ships on our harbour met
One carried explosives, the other relief
The Mont. Blanc carried TNT
as we all understand
The Imo, a relief ship
was bound to Belgian land
The mind had hardly time to think
If it was an earthquake or thunder
The eyelids had scarcely time to wink
When everything was torn asunder
Houses tumbled down like dust
And smoke went to the sky
No matter where you walked and looked
You would see the dead and wounded lie
And hundreds of dear little children
Were left in the world alone
To suffer that night in the cold wind and snow
Fatherless, motherless and alone
The day was fair and beautiful
But O'tis sad to say
A mighty storm was rising
At the closing of the day
The wind blew a terrific gale
The snow, no pity had shown
To those who lay beneath it
While to God their souls had flown
Then when the crashing was over
Those living wondered what was to come
Was it an earthquake or a cannon
Or the Germans marching along
Then out on the street they scrambled
With cuts, bruises and broken bones
And the Blue sky was shelter
For none of them had homes
Thousands were maimed and wounded
And hundreds will lose their sight
and the dead, about twelve hundred
Were strewn about that night
And out there on the Commons
That cold December night
Amid the cold wind and the snow
Sweet infants were brought to light
I, too, was in that awful wreck
And got my share all right
But thank God I am all right
And thank God I have my sight
A thousand thanks to the U.S.A
Who hurried with relief
To help the distressed and wounded
In their saddest time of grief
May God forever bless them
And grant them length of day
Their humble Poet M. O'B
Will ever sing their praise
This is not to be used for publication, without the permission of Francis R. Jewers, he holds a copyright of this at this time. Dec. 4, 1999. Fjewers@aol.com
This is a poem composed by my ggrandmother. Mary Ellen Debay (Debaie Dubay) spellings change. b. Mar 1857, at Debaie's cove, d. 1945, at Somerville, Mass. dau. of Francis DeBaie and Eleanor Turple. She married Stuart Richardson, at Ship Harbour in Jan. 1879. He drowned while fishing off Bird Island in 1898. She Married, Thomas Joseph O'Brien, of Ontario, 1903, at Halifax. My grandmother was Elizabeth Ann Richardson, b. Dec. 1879, at Ship Harbour, she married, Freeman G. Jewers, b. 1878 at Beaver Harbour, on Sept. 16, 1901, his mother was Maria Jewers. b. 1852, and ???, her mother was Ruth Jewers, b 1822, and ???, her parents, were John Jewers Jr., Sarah Hawbolt.
Mary Ellen (Debay) Richardson, O'Brien. The name Debay is spelled various ways. Mary Ellen's first husband, Stuart Richardson drowned while fishing, in 1898. She married, Thomas Joseph O'Brien of Ontario, Aug 1903.
I remember, visiting my ggrandmother, with my grandmother, when I was a child, it was like going to another world, her house was always dark, and I thought that she was a nun, she always dressed in black, and had candles burning in the house. I never realize what she had witnessed , and never would until I receive this poem from the family. Francis R. Jewers
This poem and notes were sent to me by Francis and they are not to be copied without Francis permission and also without my permission.