Just six days post its opening, the Brooklyn Bridge saw tragedy struck due to a panic response from a crowd after a woman's fall. This incident, which occurred on May 30, 1883, created a stampede that resulted in 12 deaths. Initially celebrated as a monumental engineering feat, the bridge was the first to connect New York and Brooklyn. Despite its massive success on opening day, fears surrounding its structural integrity lingered, highlighting societal skepticism towards such vast construction endeavors in that era.
Just six days after opening to the public, a rumor quickly spread that the new bridge was about to collapse. The resulting panic caused such a massive stampede that 12 people were killed in the crush.
On opening day, the mayors of each city met in the center and locked arms as part of a spectacular celebration... In the following days, masses of New Yorkers, Brooklynites, and visitors alike flocked to walk across the 'New York and Brooklyn Bridge.'
This tragic incident, triggered by a woman falling, speaks to the intense fears and doubts people had about this groundbreaking engineering feat, where just days prior, hope for progress was palpable.
At the time, the bridge was the only land connection between New York and Brooklyn, which were then two separate cities... it was by far the longest bridge in the world at the time.
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