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What happened to the Southern Cross?
In the same storm she was lost;
With a loss of a hundred and seventy-three,
To add to this terrible tragedy.
The Southern Cross was loaded down,
She was headed back to St.John's town;
(Headed home, headed home)
Then she became long overdue,
Just where she was nobody knew, nobody knew.
Southern Cross, where are you?
The Southern Cross wanted to be first,
For some glory the captain did thirst;
(Headed home, headed home)
Tried his best to race the storm,
They would all be dead by morn, dead by morn.
All aboard the Southern Cross.
The Southern Cross was never found,
The captain and crew, they all were drowned;
(Headed home, headed home)
The want of glory spelled their doom,
Now they're in a watery tomb, watery tomb.
All aboard the Southern Cross.
The Southern Cross beneath the waves,
The captain and crew have watery graves;
(Headed home, headed home)
The want of glory, the greed of need,
Brought death to them at great speed, at great speed.
All aboard the Southern Cross,
All aboard, all were lost.
Recorded by Gary Callahan (Death On The Ice, The Ultimate Price, trk#6, 1996, Newsflash Sounds, Grand Falls-Windsor, NL, Recorded at Renaissance Music, Grand Falls-Windsor, NL).
Notes: The Southern Cross was lost in the spring of 1914, returning from the ice. Between 170 and 173 lives were lost with no trace ever found of the ship or crew. The crew of the Newfoundland was lost on the ice in the same storm, leaving about 252 dead in one month.
See also by Everett Adams:
Death On The Ice (The Story)
Death, The Ultimate Price
Only For Jesse Collins
