1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:05,120 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of iHeartRadio. 2 00:00:09,440 --> 00:00:12,960 Speaker 1: Hello and Welcome to This Day in History Class, a 3 00:00:13,080 --> 00:00:15,960 Speaker 1: show that pays tribute to people of the past by 4 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:21,880 Speaker 1: telling their stories. Today, I'm Gay Bluesier, and in this episode, 5 00:00:22,120 --> 00:00:26,520 Speaker 1: we're reflecting on a mournful day in Illinois history, a 6 00:00:26,600 --> 00:00:30,440 Speaker 1: road bridge failure that claimed the lives of nearly fifty people. 7 00:00:32,400 --> 00:00:36,640 Speaker 1: As a warning, today's episode includes discussion of gross negligence 8 00:00:36,800 --> 00:00:41,160 Speaker 1: and needless human suffering, which some listeners may rightfully find disturbing. 9 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:53,680 Speaker 1: The day was May fourth, eighteen seventy three. An iron 10 00:00:53,840 --> 00:00:57,920 Speaker 1: toll bridge in Dixon, Illinois, collapsed into the Rock River 11 00:00:58,320 --> 00:01:00,400 Speaker 1: and took a crowd of more than two one hundred 12 00:01:00,440 --> 00:01:04,160 Speaker 1: people with it. The majority were able to swim free 13 00:01:04,240 --> 00:01:07,440 Speaker 1: of the wreckage, but dozens of others were crushed by it, 14 00:01:07,720 --> 00:01:11,200 Speaker 1: with many being pinned down just beneath the water's surface. 15 00:01:12,200 --> 00:01:15,960 Speaker 1: In total, forty six people lost their lives in the collapse, 16 00:01:16,240 --> 00:01:20,480 Speaker 1: and fifty six more were injured. Even now, one hundred 17 00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:24,679 Speaker 1: and fifty years later, it remains the worst vehicular bridge 18 00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:29,920 Speaker 1: disaster in American history. Post Civil War, Dixon, about one 19 00:01:29,959 --> 00:01:33,679 Speaker 1: hundred miles west of Chicago, was a growing city split 20 00:01:33,720 --> 00:01:37,360 Speaker 1: in half by the Rock River, a tributary of the Mississippi. 21 00:01:37,800 --> 00:01:41,360 Speaker 1: Over the course of decades, nearly a dozen wooden bridges 22 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:44,400 Speaker 1: had been built across the river, but in every case 23 00:01:44,600 --> 00:01:48,920 Speaker 1: they were eventually washed away by raging floods. Finally, in 24 00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:52,400 Speaker 1: eighteen sixty eight, residents began to call for a more 25 00:01:52,480 --> 00:01:56,760 Speaker 1: reliable solution, the construction of an iron bridge that could 26 00:01:56,800 --> 00:01:59,680 Speaker 1: withstand the force of the Rock River even at its 27 00:01:59,720 --> 00:02:06,000 Speaker 1: most relentless. The city council reviewed fourteen different proposals, ultimately 28 00:02:06,080 --> 00:02:10,160 Speaker 1: choosing a design by Lucius Trusdell of Massachusetts, who had 29 00:02:10,160 --> 00:02:14,239 Speaker 1: already constructed several bridges in Illinois, including a similar one 30 00:02:14,360 --> 00:02:18,720 Speaker 1: in the nearby town of Elgin. Trusdell's design called for 31 00:02:18,760 --> 00:02:22,800 Speaker 1: an iron bridge six hundred and sixty feet long, longer 32 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:27,200 Speaker 1: than any he'd constructed before. Its eighteen foot wide deck 33 00:02:27,400 --> 00:02:30,120 Speaker 1: would be flanked on either side by a five foot 34 00:02:30,120 --> 00:02:34,919 Speaker 1: wide sidewalk, and its iron superstructure would stand eighteen feet 35 00:02:34,960 --> 00:02:38,080 Speaker 1: above the water. The total cost of the bridge was 36 00:02:38,160 --> 00:02:41,920 Speaker 1: seventy five thousand dollars, money which the city hoped to 37 00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:46,200 Speaker 1: recoup by charging tolls. It was later revealed that city 38 00:02:46,240 --> 00:02:50,240 Speaker 1: engineer L. Stanton had urged the council not to accept 39 00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:53,640 Speaker 1: Trusdell's offer due to his fear that the bridge wouldn't 40 00:02:53,680 --> 00:02:57,760 Speaker 1: be as strong as the designer claimed. Stanton was eventually 41 00:02:57,840 --> 00:03:00,960 Speaker 1: dismissed from the project due to his opposite but even 42 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:04,680 Speaker 1: before the Dixon Bridge was completed, there were clear indications 43 00:03:04,720 --> 00:03:08,840 Speaker 1: that Stanton had been right to doubt Trusdal's work. Just 44 00:03:08,880 --> 00:03:11,720 Speaker 1: a few weeks before the Dixon Bridge was opened, the 45 00:03:11,760 --> 00:03:16,800 Speaker 1: Trusdale Bridge in Elgin partially collapsed. It was promptly repaired, 46 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:21,320 Speaker 1: but then six months later it collapsed again. One newspaper 47 00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:25,000 Speaker 1: tried to shield Trusdell from blame, claiming that quote the 48 00:03:25,080 --> 00:03:28,320 Speaker 1: foundations of the structure must have been tampered with by 49 00:03:28,320 --> 00:03:33,520 Speaker 1: some evil disposed persons. Trus Dell gladly adopted that account, 50 00:03:33,840 --> 00:03:38,160 Speaker 1: but it almost certainly wasn't true. Despite the red flags, though, 51 00:03:38,400 --> 00:03:41,680 Speaker 1: Dixon stood by the designer and proceeded with the final 52 00:03:41,760 --> 00:03:45,400 Speaker 1: load tests of its own bridge. Four teams of pack 53 00:03:45,480 --> 00:03:49,080 Speaker 1: animals and dozens of people hauled loads of stone and 54 00:03:49,200 --> 00:03:53,839 Speaker 1: flour across the structure all at once to test its sturdiness. Then, 55 00:03:54,240 --> 00:03:57,280 Speaker 1: satisfied that it would hold, the mayor opened the new 56 00:03:57,320 --> 00:04:01,440 Speaker 1: bridge to the public on January twenty first, eighteen sixty nine. 57 00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:05,800 Speaker 1: There was great fanfare that day, including a half mile parade, 58 00:04:06,160 --> 00:04:08,880 Speaker 1: and people from miles around came to get a glimpse 59 00:04:08,880 --> 00:04:12,480 Speaker 1: of the bridge. One local reporter was dazzled by what 60 00:04:12,560 --> 00:04:16,840 Speaker 1: he saw, writing quote, A structure more truly grand and 61 00:04:16,880 --> 00:04:20,480 Speaker 1: beautiful to the eye can be found in no Western city, 62 00:04:20,800 --> 00:04:25,240 Speaker 1: and we presume in no Eastern one either grand and 63 00:04:25,360 --> 00:04:28,599 Speaker 1: beautiful it may have been, but stable it was not. 64 00:04:29,520 --> 00:04:33,360 Speaker 1: On May fourth, eighteen seventy three, just four years after 65 00:04:33,400 --> 00:04:37,320 Speaker 1: its dedication, the Dixon Bridge collapsed into the river below. 66 00:04:38,360 --> 00:04:41,799 Speaker 1: Shortly after noon on that sunny spring day, a crowd 67 00:04:41,839 --> 00:04:44,320 Speaker 1: of people gathered on the bridge and along the North 68 00:04:44,400 --> 00:04:48,120 Speaker 1: riverbank to watch a baptism. It had been a long winter, 69 00:04:48,440 --> 00:04:51,359 Speaker 1: and witnessing a spiritual rite of passage seemed to the 70 00:04:51,400 --> 00:04:54,599 Speaker 1: townspeople like a fitting way to welcome the new season. 71 00:04:55,120 --> 00:04:58,440 Speaker 1: Reverend J. H. Pratt, of the Baptist Church and Dixon 72 00:04:58,640 --> 00:05:02,400 Speaker 1: presided over the saram. His flock had grown in recent 73 00:05:02,440 --> 00:05:05,120 Speaker 1: months thanks to an influx of young women who had 74 00:05:05,160 --> 00:05:07,640 Speaker 1: moved to the area to work in its local factories. 75 00:05:08,200 --> 00:05:10,320 Speaker 1: Some of those women were among the ten or so 76 00:05:10,480 --> 00:05:14,279 Speaker 1: people said to be baptized that afternoon, as was Reverend 77 00:05:14,320 --> 00:05:17,760 Speaker 1: Pratt's own daughter. Their families and friends had come out 78 00:05:17,760 --> 00:05:21,000 Speaker 1: to watch the festivities, with some kids even climbing the 79 00:05:21,040 --> 00:05:24,600 Speaker 1: trusses of the bridge to get a better view. However, 80 00:05:24,880 --> 00:05:28,400 Speaker 1: as the third person waded into the water to be baptized, 81 00:05:28,760 --> 00:05:33,040 Speaker 1: the bridge suddenly began to vibrate. The bridge tender Henry 82 00:05:33,080 --> 00:05:36,400 Speaker 1: Strong feared it would buckle under the crowd's weight. He 83 00:05:36,440 --> 00:05:39,520 Speaker 1: pushed his way onto the walkway and ordered people off 84 00:05:39,560 --> 00:05:43,279 Speaker 1: the trusses and away from the railing. Then moments later, 85 00:05:43,640 --> 00:05:46,400 Speaker 1: there was a loud cracking sound on the north span 86 00:05:46,720 --> 00:05:50,080 Speaker 1: and the bridge began to lurch. The end span where 87 00:05:50,080 --> 00:05:55,000 Speaker 1: everyone had gathered collapsed completely. Then the other three spans 88 00:05:55,040 --> 00:05:57,919 Speaker 1: gave way as well and sank partially into the river. 89 00:05:58,680 --> 00:06:01,560 Speaker 1: The bystanders still at top the bridge were thrown into 90 00:06:01,560 --> 00:06:04,360 Speaker 1: the water, and when the truss fell over on top 91 00:06:04,440 --> 00:06:07,400 Speaker 1: of them, many were trapped under the twisted grid iron. 92 00:06:08,080 --> 00:06:12,200 Speaker 1: As the Chicago Tribune later reported quote, some sank to 93 00:06:12,360 --> 00:06:16,000 Speaker 1: rise no more, some were killed before they touched the water. 94 00:06:16,640 --> 00:06:19,720 Speaker 1: Some jumped from the bridge to the river and swam ashore, 95 00:06:20,080 --> 00:06:23,839 Speaker 1: and some were entangled in the debris, imprisoned in an 96 00:06:23,920 --> 00:06:27,480 Speaker 1: iron cage with which they sunk and from which there 97 00:06:27,560 --> 00:06:32,760 Speaker 1: was no escape. Tragically, some of those people drowned less 98 00:06:32,800 --> 00:06:35,560 Speaker 1: than one foot from the surface, with the edge of 99 00:06:35,600 --> 00:06:38,479 Speaker 1: the water in clear view but just out of reach. 100 00:06:39,200 --> 00:06:41,919 Speaker 1: It would take several days before their bodies could be 101 00:06:41,960 --> 00:06:44,760 Speaker 1: disentangled from the iron work, which had to be cut 102 00:06:44,800 --> 00:06:48,760 Speaker 1: away using hack saws. The scene of the collapse was 103 00:06:48,839 --> 00:06:52,680 Speaker 1: one of frantic struggle both above and below the waterline. 104 00:06:53,240 --> 00:06:55,520 Speaker 1: Those who avoided the wreckage made their way to the 105 00:06:55,560 --> 00:06:59,520 Speaker 1: bank and a mad panic, reportedly pulling others down inadvertently 106 00:06:59,520 --> 00:07:03,120 Speaker 1: along the world. Horses with buggies had been hurled off 107 00:07:03,120 --> 00:07:05,920 Speaker 1: the bridge as well, adding to the sense of confusion 108 00:07:06,080 --> 00:07:09,000 Speaker 1: as they tried to flail their way to shore. But 109 00:07:09,040 --> 00:07:12,880 Speaker 1: there were also heroes amidst the chaos. Men like William 110 00:07:12,960 --> 00:07:16,080 Speaker 1: Daley used wooden planks from the broken bridge to pull 111 00:07:16,120 --> 00:07:20,000 Speaker 1: the injured to safety, and Reverend Pratt rescued at least 112 00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:23,640 Speaker 1: a dozen people from the water single handedly. The injured 113 00:07:23,760 --> 00:07:26,680 Speaker 1: and the dead alike were carried to the nearest houses, 114 00:07:26,840 --> 00:07:31,160 Speaker 1: which served as makeshift hospitals and morgues. Over the next 115 00:07:31,200 --> 00:07:34,520 Speaker 1: several days, family members would stumble from one house to 116 00:07:34,600 --> 00:07:37,559 Speaker 1: the next, hoping against the odds to find their loved 117 00:07:37,560 --> 00:07:41,080 Speaker 1: ones alive and well. By the time the last body 118 00:07:41,200 --> 00:07:43,960 Speaker 1: was recovered from the river bed more than a week later, 119 00:07:44,400 --> 00:07:48,520 Speaker 1: the death toll had risen to forty six. Only seven 120 00:07:48,560 --> 00:07:51,000 Speaker 1: of the victims were men, while the rest were women 121 00:07:51,040 --> 00:07:56,480 Speaker 1: and children. The reason for that great disparity was likely twofold. First, 122 00:07:56,720 --> 00:07:58,840 Speaker 1: many men had opted to stand on the bank so 123 00:07:58,920 --> 00:08:01,280 Speaker 1: as not to block the view of women and girls. 124 00:08:01,880 --> 00:08:05,200 Speaker 1: Although done with chivalrous intentions, the result was that far 125 00:08:05,320 --> 00:08:08,040 Speaker 1: fewer men were plunged into the river when the bridge 126 00:08:08,080 --> 00:08:11,440 Speaker 1: gave way. The second reason for the high number of 127 00:08:11,520 --> 00:08:14,720 Speaker 1: female casualties was the state of women's fashion in the 128 00:08:14,800 --> 00:08:19,360 Speaker 1: late nineteenth century. Floor length dresses supported by metal hoops 129 00:08:19,400 --> 00:08:22,520 Speaker 1: were the hottest style at the time, but those thick, 130 00:08:22,600 --> 00:08:26,600 Speaker 1: long dresses made it nearly impossible to swim. In the 131 00:08:26,640 --> 00:08:30,840 Speaker 1: months following the disaster, residents cast blame on everyone from 132 00:08:30,880 --> 00:08:34,640 Speaker 1: Trusdell to the city council, and even absurd as it was, 133 00:08:34,960 --> 00:08:39,960 Speaker 1: on the Baptists. However, the overwhelming consensus, both in the 134 00:08:40,000 --> 00:08:43,040 Speaker 1: town and in the press was that trus Dell was 135 00:08:43,120 --> 00:08:48,800 Speaker 1: indeed responsible. One newspaper dubbed Dixon's bridge the Trusdell Trap, 136 00:08:49,240 --> 00:08:51,800 Speaker 1: while another said it wasn't a bridge at all, but 137 00:08:51,920 --> 00:08:57,760 Speaker 1: a patent wholesale drowning machine. Several Chicago engineers were asked 138 00:08:57,760 --> 00:09:00,559 Speaker 1: to weigh in on what went wrong, and every one 139 00:09:00,600 --> 00:09:03,240 Speaker 1: of them pinned the blame on poor design and an 140 00:09:03,240 --> 00:09:07,760 Speaker 1: over reliance on light and cast iron. Mister Trusdell is 141 00:09:07,840 --> 00:09:10,920 Speaker 1: no engineer at all, said one of the commenters. His 142 00:09:11,080 --> 00:09:14,840 Speaker 1: methods of construction showed in ignorance of the fundamental principles 143 00:09:14,840 --> 00:09:18,400 Speaker 1: of mechanics and had always been regarded as worthless by 144 00:09:18,440 --> 00:09:22,720 Speaker 1: those whose opinion was regarded as valuable. Trusdell tried to 145 00:09:22,760 --> 00:09:25,840 Speaker 1: clear his name by claiming once again that the bridge 146 00:09:25,880 --> 00:09:29,160 Speaker 1: he designed had failed due to sabotage. In a letter 147 00:09:29,200 --> 00:09:32,680 Speaker 1: to a Massachusetts newspaper, he boasted about a track record 148 00:09:32,720 --> 00:09:35,520 Speaker 1: that wasn't nearly as impressive as he seemed to think. 149 00:09:36,120 --> 00:09:39,920 Speaker 1: It is nearly eighteen years since I began building iron bridges, 150 00:09:40,080 --> 00:09:43,080 Speaker 1: he wrote, and the Elgin and Dixon bridges are the 151 00:09:43,120 --> 00:09:45,960 Speaker 1: only ones that have fallen, and no loss of life 152 00:09:46,120 --> 00:09:49,640 Speaker 1: except at Dixon can as much be said of any 153 00:09:49,720 --> 00:09:54,319 Speaker 1: other plan. As it turned out, Yes, yes it could. 154 00:09:55,080 --> 00:09:59,520 Speaker 1: Lucius Trusdell never built another bridge, though some would argue 155 00:09:59,520 --> 00:10:01,520 Speaker 1: that he had owned only barely done so in the 156 00:10:01,520 --> 00:10:05,240 Speaker 1: first place. Today, there are two different plaques on the 157 00:10:05,280 --> 00:10:08,760 Speaker 1: Dixon Riverwalk to honor those who died in the bridge disaster, 158 00:10:09,200 --> 00:10:11,840 Speaker 1: and a new memorial will be unveiled at the site 159 00:10:11,840 --> 00:10:14,600 Speaker 1: in twenty twenty three to mark the one hundred and 160 00:10:14,679 --> 00:10:19,160 Speaker 1: fiftieth anniversary of the city's darkest day. In that way, 161 00:10:19,440 --> 00:10:23,160 Speaker 1: although the tragedy took place long ago, the courage and 162 00:10:23,200 --> 00:10:28,040 Speaker 1: compassion of the rescuers, the survivors, and the bereaved lives 163 00:10:28,040 --> 00:10:34,480 Speaker 1: on for I'm Gabe Luzier, and hopefully you now know 164 00:10:34,520 --> 00:10:37,679 Speaker 1: a little more about history today than you did yesterday. 165 00:10:38,400 --> 00:10:41,079 Speaker 1: If you have a second and you're so inclined, consider 166 00:10:41,160 --> 00:10:44,199 Speaker 1: keeping up with the show on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. 167 00:10:44,559 --> 00:10:49,319 Speaker 1: You can find us a TDI HC show special. Thanks 168 00:10:49,360 --> 00:10:52,760 Speaker 1: to Dixon native Angela Hawes for suggesting the topic for 169 00:10:52,840 --> 00:10:56,240 Speaker 1: today's episode, and if you have a historical subject you 170 00:10:56,320 --> 00:10:59,240 Speaker 1: think I should cover, feel free to send your suggestions 171 00:10:59,320 --> 00:11:03,960 Speaker 1: to This Day at iHeartMedia dot com. Thanks to Chandler 172 00:11:04,000 --> 00:11:06,720 Speaker 1: Mays and Ben Hackett. For producing the show, and thanks 173 00:11:06,720 --> 00:11:09,160 Speaker 1: to you for listening. I'll see you back here again 174 00:11:09,240 --> 00:11:12,360 Speaker 1: tomorrow for another day in history class.