Brooklyn bridge stands strong, despite 150 years of close calls and collisions

Time of India

21-05-2025

Mexican navy tall ship collided with Brooklyn Bridge
The fatal collision of the Mexican Navy's tall ship with the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday that resulted in the death of two is not an accident first of its kind. It has been a worry of seafarers even before the bridge was fully constructed.
The Brooklyn Bridge, which was the first bridge in the world to use steel for cable wire, has been a witness to quite a few tragic incidents.
19th century: First instance
One of the first instances of such a collision dates back to the 19th century, when the topmast of a passing US Navy ship hit the span's wires. Ever since then, vessels have continued to clip at the iconic New York structure.
Completed in 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge connects the boroughs of Brooklyn and Manhattan by spanning the East River.
Its underside reaches a maximum height of approximately 135 feet, varying with the tides.
Bridge lawsuit reaches Supreme Court
While the bridge was still under construction, a warehouse owner initially sued officials to stop the bridge and then later for compensation. He argued that the top masts of the ships collided with the bridge. The case made it to the US Supreme Court, with the court passing the judgment that the bridge did not restrict any kind of ship navigation.
Even before this judgment was passed, at least one ship had collided with the still-under-construction bridge.
1878: USS Minnesota collides with Bridge
According to a New York Daily Tribune dated back to 1878, a US Navy training ship called USS Minnesota had a collision with the bridge as it had to change course to avoid an oncoming ship.
By the time the bridge was fully constructed, steam ships began to transport most goods and high-masted ships were not preferred as much, as per Richard Haw, professor of interdisciplinary studies at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
Richard has also published two books on the Brooklyn Bridge.
20th century: Strike continues
Despite this, mast strikes continued with at least two reported in the 1920s. A New York Times article reported that in 1941, the SS Nyass, which was bringing hundreds of refugees, collided with the bridge with a 'crunching sound'.
With the onset of the 20th century, ships got taller and wider, and they still required mast-like structures for navigation.
During World War II, the Brooklyn Navy Yard manufactured larger ships that could barely fit beneath the bridge.
A photo from 1961 shows the USS Constellation aircraft carrier shows its mast folded over so as to avoid any friction with the bridge.
Over the past two decades, minor incidents have occurred, including a 2012 event where a crane transported by barge struck the temporary scaffolding beneath the bridge.
21st century: Fatal collision
None of the modern accidents was fatal in nature till May 18, when a Mexican Navy ship collided with the bridge that causing the deaths of two and injuring another 19 on board.
The ship was set to depart for a goodwill tour to Iceland when the tragedy happened.
Dominique Jean-Louis, chief historian at the Center for Brooklyn History, commented, 'That's the first and possibly only time where there's been a fatality onboard a ship that struck the Brooklyn Bridge."
Even if not in water, the Brooklyn Bridge has witnessed tragedies for a long time. More than 20 people were killed and countless were left crippled while constructing the bridge. A panic-driven stampede also killed 12 people in 1883.