Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Welcome to the Niagara Falls History and Poetry Podcast where I will discuss the history of Niagara Falls and Darium through the lens of the poetry that has been written about the falls. I am Andrew Porteous, a retired local history librarian who worked at the Niagara Falls Ontario Public library for almost 30 years. I've been the curator of the Niagara Falls Poetry Project since its inception in 1999. The website is Niagara Poetry CA or or. Just use your favorite search engine and search for Niagara Falls poetry and it'll pop up. My philosophy on the history of Niagara Falls is that if I can't find a poem about an event that happened here, then it didn't happen. But if I really, really want it to have happened, then I will write a limerick about it and hey presto, it happened. This podcast is available in audio format where wherever you get your podcast from, as well as on YouTube with augmented video features also episode three Captain Matthew Webb, including three of the worst poets write in English, three Poets Laureate and two tales of a Ghost When I was thinking about the subject of this episode, Captain Matthew Webb popped into my mind. He was a well known Victorian figure who came to Niagara Falls and who, as Alman Trask Alice put it in his marvelously descriptive poem, Uncle Alvin at Niagara so lost his head that he thought he could swim these awful rapids, but twas the last of him. And we know that this event did take place, as there are several poems about it.
[00:01:44] Developing this episode, it seemed to naturally fall into divisions. It features three Poets Laureate, the world's worst poet, the top two worst poets in Canada writing in English, and two ghost sightings. So getting back to Captain Webb, Webb could be called a Victorian superhero whose deeds of heroism and daring do, including saving the lives of several people. He was born in Dolly, Shropshire, England in 1848, the same year that the first bridge was built across the Niagara. Gorgeous Sir John Betjeman references his birthplace in his poem A Shropshire Lab Captain Webb, the Dolly Man, Captain Webb from Dorley. Anyway, we'll come back to Betjeman a bit later.
[00:02:30] Webb was one of multiple children and left home to join the Merchant Marine at the age of 12 and he did so well that he eventually captained his own boat. He was an extremely strong swimmer and won the very first Life Saving medal presented by the Royal Humane Society of Great Britain for saving a sail been washed overboard in a sudden violent storm in August 1875. He was awarded a prize of £5,000 for being the first person to swim the English Channel from Dover to Calais. He later became the American swimming champion at a competition in Coney island and was the star of an aquatics exhibition in Montreal.
[00:03:11] Webb had been lured to Niagara Falls by the promise of an award of $2,000 by a railroad company to anyone who swam the rapids in Whirlpool. The railroad company stood to make a handsome profit from ticket sales by people coming to see the stunt. Webb entered the water at approximately 4:20pm on July 24, 1883. In his poem the River Niagara, Donald Lachelle mentioned that these rapids are seen to be rushing strong where Captain Webb's bold swim resulted. Wrong.
[00:03:45] Webb at first seemed to be doing well, but later eyewitness accounts refer to him as going limp and being tossed around after being sucked under by a huge wave, although accounts vary as to whether it was in the rapids or in the whirlpool. His body was recovered four days later downstream at Lewiston, New York with a large gash on its forehead. The railroad company did not pay his widow the two thousand dollar reward as he did not complete the swim and as it turned out, no written agreement had been made.
[00:04:17] He is buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Niagara Falls, New York.
[00:04:22] The London Saturday Review called Webb's stunt a common scandal, perhaps the most shocking example which has yet been given of the criminal folly developed by a vulgar love of shows and emotions.
[00:04:35] This stunt was one of the many examples of the circus, like carnival and criminal atmosphere prevalent around the falls on both sides of the border that led to the establishment of what later became the Niagara Parks Commission on the Canadian side and the New York State park on the American side to control this activity. All within a couple of years of Webb's stunt.
[00:04:58] When I was looking at the poems about Webb, I was quite surprised to find that James McIntyre, who was, according to William Arthur Deakin in his book the Four Jameses, the second worst poet in Canada and whose poem Bear and Fall was featured in the second episode of the podcast. And he had written one of these poems. At least my conscious mind was surprised, but I'll bet that sneaky subconscious was well aware of the connection.
[00:05:27] MacIntyre's poem Niagara's Charms and Death of Web contains a verse setting the scene for websunt and then half a verse about Web before moving to its peaceful conclusion. When the Niagara river empties into Lake Ontario after the river has gone over Niagara Falls, McIntyre, the foaming billows soon are seen transformed into a beauteous green. Plunged by Whirlpool's dread commotion, it becomes a seething ocean where furies join in surging dance from center to circumference.
[00:06:02] This is a favourite board of Neptune. Mightiest sea God. He hath decreed none shall survive who will. Into this vortex dive web swam the English Channel. Brave like sea bird, he did love to lave his breast upon the mightiest wave. Alas, found here a watery grave.
[00:06:23] You'll perhaps have picked up on the rhyming scheme in the first section. The lines end scene. Green then commotion. Ocean, then dance. Circumference. Yeah, nice try. Then a bold God only works by changing the commonly accepted pronunciation of one of the words and then survive. Dive.
[00:06:43] In the second section, the four lines that talk about Webb McIntyre manages to rhyme all four. Brave, lave, wave, grave. And then for the rest of the poem goes back to the two consecutive lines rhyming, thus tying together the foolhardy stunt separate from the description of the river.
[00:07:02] Moving on from Macintyre, I was astonished to find that one of our three poets laureate and the number one worst poet in Canada, according to both Deakin, author of the four Jameses, and critic Crawford Killian in his article, Canada's five worst poets were one and the same person.
[00:07:21] James Gay, the self proclaimed poet laureate of Canada, was a successful businessman from Guelph, Ontario, who suffered an attack of brain fever in the 1860s. He had been a producer of poetic doggerel all of his life and his first book of verse was published in 1883. The title was Poems by James Gay, Poet Laureate of Canada, Master of all Poets, written while crossing the Sea in 1882. In it he dedicated a letter to Tennyson which began, now Longfellow is gone, There are only two of us left. There ought to be no rivalry between us two. Longfellow had died in 1882. Now Gay's poem about Captain Webb, lines on the death of Captain Webb reads these verses composed on one of the brightest of men can never return on earth again. No man like him before ever swam from shore to shore. This was done by him as hundreds have seen From Dover in Kent to Calais green He left his wife and children dear his his lot was cast. This proved so clear could see no danger before his eyes. Death took him quickly by surprise. No doubt he thought himself clever could never have thought to breathe his last in Niagara river where no man on earth could ever swim across this whirlpool Never, never. This brave young man he caused no strife. Cut down in the prime of life Left behind him a widowed wife. Tis not for man to frown or brawl. His lot was cast in Niagara Falls I saw his likeness in Marshall's place plain to be seen without disgrace. Those men in his company that day were clever, could not see his danger in Niagara river it was not to be the young and fast. This was laid out for him to breathe his last. As I have often said and say again, I am sorry to hear of an untimely end. Tis time for us all to prepare for fear of this dreadful snare as this roaring lion is around every day Our precious souls to betray. Let us cast all our fears on Christ and on his word rely we can all live happy While on this earth and in heaven when we die.
[00:09:42] Although Gay claimed that no one could swim the Niagara rapids and whirlpool, he was to be proven wrong when three years later in 1886, William Condrat of New Jersey successfully managed the swim. Although he did get stuck in the whirlpool for over two hours.
[00:10:00] So between MacIntyre and Gay, we have two of the worst poets writing in Canada and one poet laureate, although self styled. Chris Hunt, curator of the website McGonagallOnline, states that William Topaz McGonagall, poet and tragedian of Dundee, Scotland, has been widely hailed as the writer of the Welsh poetry in the English language. A self educated handloom weaver of Irish descent, he discovered his discordant muse in 1877 and embarked upon a 25 year career as a working poet, delighting and appalling audiences across Scotland and beyond. His audiences threw rotten fish at him, the authorities banned his performances and he died a pauper over a century ago. But his books remain in print to this day and he is remembered and quoted long after more talented contemporaries have been forgotten. McGonagall did have his supporters, though some of his admirers in Scotland pushed for him to be named Poet Laureate to Queen Victoria. And in a Canadian connection, in 1895 he had received a letter from the secretary of the Scottish Patriotic Society in Nova Scotia and they sent a copy of a resolution passed at one of their meetings. The resolution sets forth that they had long been aware of the place support held in the heart of the Scottish people, not only at home, but abroad in Canada. His name is well known as a port of the people and the Scotsman looked forward to the day when his genius would be fully recognized and exalted, hoping that one day he would wear the mantle which had been worn by so many illustrious singers as Poet Laureate to Her Majesty the Queen. He never did become Poet Laureate to the Queen, but in a bizarre turn of events, he was appointed Poet Laureate too and was knighted by the King of Burma, becoming Sir William Topaz McGonagall, Knight of the Order of White Elephants of Burma and ordained poet laureate to Thebaw King of Burma.
[00:12:06] Hunt also mentions that J.K. rowling, author of the Harry Potter series of books named Professor McGonagall after William McGonagall.
[00:12:15] William McGonagall's poem the Death of Captain Webb A Last Brave Captain Webb has acted the part of a fool by attempting to swim the mighty Niagara whirlpool which, I am sorry to say and to relate, has brought him to an untimely fate. Twas in the year 1883 with the people of America he did agree for $10,000 to swim through the yawning whirlpool. But alas, he failed in doing so. The self conceited fool, Captain Webb. He courted danger for the sake of worldly gain and the thought of gaining for himself worldwide fame. And although many people warned him not to throw his life away, he madly rushed to his fate, which without the least dismay, which clearly proves he was a mad conceited fool. For to try to swim o'er that fearful whirlpool when he knew so many people had perished there and when the people told him so, he didn't seem to care. Had it not been for the money that lured him on to the mighty falls of Niagara, he never would have gone to sacrifice his precious life in such a dangerous way. But I hope it will be a warning to others for many a long day.
[00:13:29] On Tuesday 24 July, Webb arrived at the Falls. And as I view the scene in my mind's eye, my heart it appals to think that any man could be such a great fool without the help of God. To think that to swim that great whirlpool whereas if he had put his trust in God before he came there, God would have opened his blinded eyes and told him to beware. But being too conceited in his own strength, the devil blinded his eyes. And all thought of God and the people's advice he there to despise. But the man that forgets God, God will forget him. Because to be too conceited in your own strength before God, it is a sin. And the devil will whisper in your ear there is no danger in the way and make you rush madly onto destruction without the least dismay.
[00:14:20] At half past 3:00 Webb started for the river which caused many of the spectators with fear to shiver as they wondered in their hearts if he would be such a fool as to dare to swim through that hell whirlpool. Web was received by the people with loud and hearty cheers, and many a heart that day was full of doubts and fears, and many a one present did venture to say he only came here to throw his life away.
[00:14:46] The web entered a boat in waiting and was rowed by the ferryman, and many of the spectators seemed to turn pale and wann. When asked by the boatman how much he'd made by the channel swim, he replied, $25,000 complete every dim. Have you spent it all? Was the next question Macloy put to him. No, answered Webb, I have yet $15,000 left every dim.
[00:15:13] Then, replied Macloy, you'd better spend it before you try this swim. Then. The captain laughed heartily but didn't answer him. When the boat arrived at the point opposite the Maid of the Mist, the captain stripped, retaining only a pair of red drawers at the smallest Grist, and at two minutes past 4:00, Webb dived from the boat while the shouts and applause of the crowd on the air seemed to float. Oh heaven, it must have been an awe inspiring sight to see him battling among that hell of waters with all his might and seemingly swimming with ease and great confidence while the spectators held their breath in suspense. At one moment he was lifted high on the crest of a wave, but he battled most manfully his life to save. But alas, all his struggling proved in vain, because he drowned in that merciless whirlpool God did so ordain. He was swept into the neck of that hell whirlpool and was whirled about it in just like a light cotton spool, while the water fiend laughingly cried, ha ha. You poor silly fool, you have lost your life for the sake of gain in that hell whirlpool. I hope the Lord will be a father to his family in their distress, for they ought to be pitied, I really must confess, and I hope the subscribers of the money that lured Webb to his fate will give the money to Mrs. Webb her husband's loss to compensate. But as we've already seen, she didn't receive a dim, as McGonagall put it in compensation.
[00:16:47] The other poet laureate and also author of the first ghost tale involving Captain Webb that I will be talking about is Sir John Betjeman, the poet laureate of the United Kingdom. From 1972 until his death in 1984, Betjeman, whose interests were many and varied, wrote accessible, often humorous verse about everyday objects and life, and often recorded his poems with musical accompaniment a Delightful track on his 1974 album Banana Blush is the poem A Shropshire Lad with accompaniment by that bastion of English village life, a brass band.
[00:17:26] This poem tells of the visit of the dripping wet ghost of Captain Webb to the village hall in Dorley, Shropshire on his way to heaven. It reads. The gas was on in the institute, the flare was up in the gym A man was running a mineral line, A lass was singing a hymn When Captain Webb the dolly man, Captain Webb from Dolly came swimming along the old canal that carried the bricks to Lawley Swimming along, swimming along, swimming along from Severn and paying a call at Dolly bank while swimming along to heaven. The sun shone low on the railway line and over the bricks and stacks and in at the upstairs windows of the dolly houses backs when we saw the ghost of Captain Webb Webb in a Walter sheeting come dripping along in a birthing dress to the Saturday evening meeting Dripping along, dripping along to the Congregational hall Dripping and still he rolls over the sill and faded away in a wall. There wasn't a man in Auchan Gates that hadn't got hold of the tale. And over the valley in Ironbridge and round by Colebrook Dale How Captain Webb the Dorleyman Captain Webb from Dorley rose Rigid and dead from the old canal that carries the bricks to Lawley Rigid and dead, rigid and dead to the Saturday congregation paying a call at Dolly bank on the way to his destination.
[00:18:45] Betjeman's recording of the poem, complete with brass brand accompaniment, is embedded on the page on the Niagara Falls Poetry Project website dedicated to A Shropshire Lad, and I will put a link to it in the description. It is well worth a listen. So, according to Betjeman, the ghost of Captain Webb was seen in his home village in Shropshire, but it was also seen in Niagara Falls.
[00:19:10] Michelle Ann Kratz, in her Kratz Corner column of the Oakwood Cemetery website, tells the story of, And I quote, Ms. Hall, an English woman who combined vegetarianism and spiritualism and and stirred it all up with a cranky disposition. We also know that Miss hall, or Snowdrop as she was known in the spirit realm, claimed to have had an encounter with the ghost of Captain Matthew Webb. She revealed afterwards that it was here in this place that a fine gentleman came upon her and struck up a melancholy conversation. He was handsome, friendly and his very presence commanded respect.
[00:19:50] An Englishwoman she knew at once. It was him. During Victorian times, Captain Webb's face was well known throughout the British Empire. It was not uncommon for the traveler to pay a visit to his grave at Oakwood Cemetery. But here he stood before her at the scene of his demise, just a shadow of a man, but still a man nonetheless, and he lamented his sad state of affairs.
[00:20:16] Snowdrop I regret that I took that last trip. It was a little too much for me that time and I should not have tried it. Michall claimed that these were his exact words. End of the quote. So there we have it. The story of Captain Matthew Webb, three of the worst poets writing in English, two of whom were also two of the three Poets Laureate and two Tales of a Ghost.
[00:20:40] I hope you enjoyed this episode of Niagara History and Poetry. If you did, please like it, leave some comments and subscribe to get notified of future episodes and feel free to share on social media. Thanks for listening and look for the next episode about the tragedy of Joseph Avery coming soon.
