Photograph as originally submitted to this page in the Historical Marker Database www.HMdb.org. Click on photo to resize in browser. Scroll down to see metadata.

Photographer: Courtesy Spokesman-Review
Caption: Marker detail: Division Street Bridge Collapse • 1915
Additional Description: Shown in the above photo at 6:15am on Wednesday, December 19, 1915, the Division Street Bridge collapsed, plunging two streetcars into the Spokane River, spilling one streetcar full of passengers into the frigid, dark water.

Broken steel girders slashed through the southbound streetcar as it sank near the bank of the river, along with debris from the bridge deck.

Energized electric trolley circuits sparked in the pre-dawn darkness as passengers fought their way to shore and tried to rescue others from the icy water.

Daylight reflected the tragedy of five people who lost their lives along with 12 being injured from the bridge's collapse.
Submitted: April 20, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Database Locator Identification Number: p518100
File Size: 0.684 Megabytes

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