may 6, 1856 - Rock Island Bridge Incident

Description:

In 1856, the M&M constructed the first bridge spanning the Mississippi River. The bridge connected the M&M to the Chicago and Rock Island Railroad causing lots of controversy.

On May 6th, just 15 days after the bridge's completion, the steamer Effie Afton crashed into the bridge and set fire when a stove in one of the cabins was knocked over. The next day, the whole bridge caught fire and was completely destroyed. Supporters of the railroad in the Davenport-Rock Island area were convinced that the Effie Afton had been intentionally loaded with something flammable and deliberately crashed into the bridge. They argued that if the boat had been out of control, it would have drifted with the current in the channel and not collided with the bridge pier. The steamboat interests loudly condemned the bridge as it had caused the Effie Afton to crash and was an impediment to navigation.

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