A Worker on the Eads Bridge Dies of The Bends: March 19, 1870
James Moran, born in Ireland, became one of the first documented people in history to die of decompression sickness, or the bends on this date in 1870.
Arctic Temperatures Bring Hard Times to St. Louis: February 1, 1899
Extreme cold temperatures were gripping St. Louis on this date in 1899, so much so that a report in the Kansas City Journal claimed five St. Louisans had succumbed to the cold the day before. It was reported that temperatures hadn’t gone higher than 1 degree Fahrenheit.
May 23, 1874
The Eads Bridge across the Mississippi was opened for pedestrians. This privately funded bridge cost five cents to cross or, for ten cents, you could stay and "promenade in the cool river breezes."
June 14, 1874
A big crowd of onlookers cheered as a "test elephant" was led across Eads Bridge. People believed that elephants could somehow sense whether or not a structure could support its weight. Eventually Eads ran 14 locomotives back and forth across the bridge while inspectors looked for signs of stress.