Brooklyn Bridge Stampede 1883

When the Brooklyn Bridge first opened in 1883, many New Yorkers doubted its stability. Just six days later, a pedestrian tripped, a woman screamed, and panic erupted on the crowded walkway. The sudden stampede crushed 12 people to death and injured many others.

Public fear lingered about the bridge even until a year later, when showman P.T. Barnum dramatically proved the bridge's strength by marching 21 elephants across it. The spectacle finally convinced the city that the bridge was safe-and turned Barnum's stunt into a legendary New York moment.

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