Brooklyn Bridge stampede
Stampede on May 30, 1883
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Brooklyn Bridge stampede occurred on May 30, 1883, the week after the Brooklyn Bridge opened. Twelve people died and 36 were seriously injured.[1]
The stampede occurred on Memorial Day (which at the time was always observed on May 30[2]), and a large crowd flocked to the bridge, causing a pedestrian bottleneck. When a woman fell down the stairs, another woman screamed, inducing panic in the crowd.[3] According to the New York Times, "In a moment the whole stairway was packed with dead and dying men, women and children piled upon another in a writhing, struggling mass."[4]