Forest Hills disaster
The Forest Hills catastrophe—also referred to as the Forest Ridge tragedy or the Bussey Bridge train wreck—occurred on March 14, 1887, when a railroad bridge gave way in Boston’s Roslindale neighborhood, Massachusetts.
Disaster
During a morning run toward Boston, a commuter train traversing the Bussey Bridge—a Howe truss design on the Dedham Branch of the Boston & Providence Railroad near Forest Hills station—experienced a sudden structural failure. Approximately 300 passengers were aboard nine cars when the bridge collapsed beneath cars three through six, causing 38 fatalities and inflicting serious injuries on about 40 individuals.
The engine and the first two cars managed to cross without incident before the collapse. The impact was so severe that one car’s roof was ripped off and thrown beyond the bridge’s edge. This calamity drew nationwide attention due to the gruesome nature of injuries, which included victims with embedded wood splinters and others suffering dismemberment. Rescue operations were further hindered by dangers such as a stove filled with glowing embers suspended above passengers trapped inside the wreckage.
Investigation
Inquiry into the disaster uncovered fundamental design weaknesses in the iron bridge, which proved insufficient to support its traffic demands. Edmund Hewins, responsible for the design, suffered professional discredit, while the railroad company was held accountable for neglecting proper inspection and upkeep of the structure. Among the evidence were nuts and bolts discovered fallen onto the street beneath the bridge.
See also
External links
- Bussey Bridge Wreck, 1887 - Celebrate Boston