Steamer Alexander, The

DESCRIPTION: Tuesday, July 30, Alexander leaves Newcastle. Galley, a passenger, falls overboard and drowns. The song wonders who he was, and what his girl will feel
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1963 (Manny/Wilson-SongsOfMiramichi)
KEYWORDS: drowning river ship death
FOUND IN: Canada(Mar)
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Manny/Wilson-SongsOfMiramichi 1, "The Steamer Alexander" (1 text, 1 tune)
ST MaWi001 (Partial)
Roud #9206
NOTES [89 words]: Manny/Wilson-SongsOfMiramichi: "The song was made up by 'a man from Neguac.' It tells of a moonlight excursion on the passenger steamer Alexandra, and how Theodore Galley fell overboard and was drowned. These excursions were popular entertainment on the Miramichi River in the 1890's and early 1900's... The composers of these laments like to fix in them the day and date and the time of day of the incident they describe."
Taking that statement for what it's worth, Tuesday, July 30, occurred in 1891, 1896, 1902, 1913 and 1919. - BS
File: MaWi001

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