Photograph - Maricopa & Phoenix Railroad bridge destroyed by flood on Thursday, February 19, 1891

DateThursday, February 19, 1891

MediumPhotographic emulsions on paper

Dimensions8 1/4 × 8 in. (21 × 20.3 cm)

ClassificationsDocumentary Artifact

Credit LineDonated by Peggy Bryant

Catalog number1998.7.550

DescriptionDestruction of the Maricopa & Phoenix Railroad bridge at Tempe on February 19, 1891
• Information from article in February 22, 1891 edition of The Arizona Republican (reprinted from Tempe News story published February 20 or 21, 1891)
“HOW THE BRIDGE WENT”
“Manner in which the Spans were Lifted from their Beds”

Great efforts made by large work crew to remove drift debris forced against trestle (north end of bridge) by flood water on Wednesday, February 18, 1891. By 6pm, large amount accumulated. By 9pm it is clear that the trestle will be destroyed as structure displaced by several feet. Trestle begins to break up around 9:30pm. River is ten feet above normal flow at this time. Huge amounts of debris driven against the trestle and rest of bridge. (Observer makes comparison to Conemaugh River of Johnston, PA flood two years before.)

3am on Thursday, February 19 the telegraph connection between the railroad offices in Tempe and Phoenix is cut off. (The telegraph line runs along the bridge & trestle.) This means that the trestle has been destroyed and swept away. Phoenix is now cut off and Tempe represents the terminal end of the M&P Railroad line.

Crowds gathered at river bank near bridge and all over the Butte to watch the raging river and what is left of the bridge (the three spans at the south end). River is now 17 feet above normal flow. Much embankment leading to the trestle is gone, and about 150 feet of track (with ties) hangs onto north end of bridge. Debris accumulates on this loose section of track and adds strain to remaining bridge structure.

The following portion is taken directly from the article:

At 8:05 o’clock a large cottonwood tree struck the extreme north end of the bridge with terrific force and lodged there. For the next five minutes there was a perceptible shaking of the bridge, and at 8:10, with what seemed a dying convulsion, the three large spans, one after the other, grandly toppled over into the mighty stream, two of the spans being swept down the river, turning over and over in their course; the other lodged among some cottonwood trees near the scene of its destruction. The ultimatum had been reached, and the breathless watchers, as they looked across the river, found nothing to obstruct their gaze but the mad sea of waves. The bridge was gone.

The museum’s photo #1987.1.2814 and duplicate image 1998.7.550 is a photo taken from the north end of the bridge looking south on the morning of Thursday, February 19 sometime after daybreak and prior to the time that the cottonwood tree hit the bridge at 8:05am. Four men sit on the remnant of the destroyed trestle, and a crowd of unknown size looks north across the water from the three bridge spans that are still intact. It is these spans that are swept away and destroyed at 8:10am. As no fatalities were reported in association with the bridge destruction, it is understood that everyone in this photo retreated to safe ground prior to the final moments of destruction of the remaining portion of the bridge (the three steel spans).

This erroneous description was replaced on August 3, 2016 by the information above:
Black and white photograph of Sante Fe Bridge Washed out by Salt River flood in April 1905

Status

Not on view