103 miles west of Chicago was a growing city split by the formidable Rock River. On May 4, 1873, the 4-year-old bridge twisted, splintered and rolled over. Forty-six people perished, many immured by the unrelenting gridiron just below the water’s surface.
This photo provided by Lee County Historical and Genealogical Society shows the Truesdell Bridge in Dixon, Ill., in 1873. On May 4, 1873, a crowd of more than 200 gathered on the bridge to watch a baptism when it toppled over, trapping dozens of victims just inches below the river's surface.
Wadsworth wouldn’t be telling the story had Gertie Wadsworth, his great-grandmother, not survived. Family lore holds that as Goble, 51, plunged to her death, she tossed the toddler into the river beyond the reach of the failing superstructure. The tot was rescued downstream. The $75,000 toll bridge opened in January 1869 to great fanfare, even though — just weeks earlier — a Truesdell bridge in Elgin had collapsed. It was repaired and failed again six months later. The Truesdell design carried traffic in other Illinois cities, including Chicago.
The location of the May 4 crowd, clumped on the west walkway, helps explain why four of five fatalities were women, along with many children and teenagers. Chivalrous men surrendered prime bridge viewing spots to women and girls and stepped to the bank, Wadsworth said. Boys climbed atop the trusses. Several bodies were recovered miles away. Lizzie Mackey, 17, was recovered at Sterling, 14 miles downstream. The youngest victims were sisters Alphea and Lucia Hendrix, ages 6 and 4, according to Patrick Gorman, another student of the tragedy who helped raise money in 2011 for a marker listing the names of the fatalities.Pratt was wracked by guilt, admitting he had detained the crowd longer than necessary to extol the benefits of “coming to Jesus.” But he was a hero that day.
The horrific 1981 collapse of a Kansas City hotel’s pedestrian walkways resulted in 114 deaths, the most of any crumbled span in U.S. history.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Karen Sakata: Woman reported missing from Goose IslandChicago police are searching for a woman reported missing from Chicago's North Side Saturday morning.
Read more »
Editorial: ‘Soft accountability?' How about just keeping Chicago Public Schools accountable?From the Editorial Board: Certain phrases cause alarm bells to ring. When it comes to the Chicago Public Schools, “soft accountability” is one of them.
Read more »
150 years later, Dixon bridge tragedy among nation's worstIt's been 150 years since a bridge in Dixon, Illinois, collapsed. It remains the worst vehicular-bridge disaster in American history. The Truesdell bridge over the Rock River opened in 1869. It was the first iron bridge in the city. On May 4, 1873, a crowd of more than 200 gathered on the bridge to watch a baptism when it toppled over, trapping dozens of victims just inches below the river's surface. The disaster claimed 46 lives and injured another 56. Tom Wadsworth has studied the disaster. His great-grandmother, Gertie Wadsworth, was a toddler in her grandmother's arms on the bridge that day and survived. He has helped organize a memorial that will be dedicated at the river on Sunday.
Read more »
150 years later, Dixon bridge tragedy among nation's worstThe Truesdell bridge tragedy, 150 years ago Thursday, remains the worst vehicular-bridge disaster in American history.
Read more »
150 years later, Dixon bridge tragedy among nation’s worstNewspapers post-disaster dubbed Dixon’s span “The Truesdell Trap” and “The Patent Wholesale Drowning Machine.” It was shocking how the ironwork had slammed atop victims like a gate.
Read more »
Texas running back Roschon Johnson drafted by Chicago BearsOften called the best 'backup' in the nation, former Longhorn gets his chance in...
Read more »