On May 17, 1884, a procession of 21 elephants, 10 dromedaries and 7 camels crossed the Brooklyn Bridge to test its resistance. Of course, reading the news like this might seem like a slightly eccentric method for verifying the robustness of the structure, but everything was designed specifically to reassure the population. But… in what sense?
The tragic inauguration of the Brooklyn Bridge
The Brooklyn Bridge opened to traffic on May 24, 1883 and at the time was viewed by most people with both excitement and fear: it was the first structure capable of crossing the East River, connecting Manhattan Island and the borough of Brooklyn, but would it be able to hold up? After all, those were different times, and not everyone was used to such impressive works.
The official inauguration was organized on May 30th and many curious people flocked: it was finally possible to cross the bridge on foot! However, things did not go as hoped: a lady fell down the stairs, overwhelming others and, in a chain, triggering panic. What should have been a happy day turned into a tragedy: 12 people lost their lives, 7 were seriously injured and 28 slightly injured. Needless to say, the bridge was soon demonized and its reputation plummeted within days of its opening.
It was precisely at this point that the organizers thought about how to resolve the situation, and soon they decided to hire the showman and circus performer PT Barnum.
The history and parade of elephants
PT Barnum was a fairly well-known name in the entertainment world at the time: he had started his own traveling circus – the Barnum & Bailey Circus – and had originally volunteered to provide entertainment at the bridge’s opening ceremony. The organizers, however, declined… at least at first. After the disaster, the victims and the scandal that followed, they thought that after all, calling an entertainer of his caliber to relaunch the name of the bridge might be a good idea.
They therefore organized a new march for 17 May 1884 with 21 elephants, 10 dromedaries and 7 camels, led by Jumbo, a 6-ton pachyderm. The objective was clear: to demonstrate unequivocally the solidity of the bridge and its safety. Many people came to the event and the New York Times itself wrote that it seemed that “Noah’s ark had washed up on Long Island“.
Needless to say, the parade idea worked well and, from that moment on, the Brooklyn Bridge indisputably became one of the main symbols of the city.
