21 Elephants Crossed the Brooklyn Bridge to Prove It Was Safe

When the Brooklyn Bridge opened on May 24, 1883, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world. But within a week, it nearly destroyed itself - not from any engineering failure, but from panic.

A Rumor That Killed 12 People

On May 30, 1883, the bridge was packed with Memorial Day sightseers. A woman tripped on the stairs at the Manhattan exit. Another woman screamed that the bridge was collapsing. The crowd stampeded. Bottlenecked at the narrow stairway, 12 people died in the crush and dozens more were injured. The bridge had survived its engineering tests, but it could not survive what people believed about it.

The $5,000 Offer

P.T. Barnum, already America's most famous showman, had actually tried to parade his animals across the bridge during its opening celebrations in 1883. Bridge officials turned him down, reportedly finding the idea undignified. After the deadly stampede, they changed their minds. Barnum had offered $5,000 for the right - they rejected that price, but after the stampede they invited him to do it for free. He accepted.

21 Elephants, 17 Camels, and One Famous Jumbo

On May 17, 1884, 21 elephants and 17 camels issued from a ferry at Courtlandt Street and began crossing the Brooklyn Bridge. Among them was Jumbo, Barnum's celebrated giant African elephant, already one of the most famous animals on Earth - he brought up the rear of the procession. The New York Times reported that from the river below, it looked as though Noah's Ark was emptying itself over Long Island. Crossing fares were waived for all pedestrians that day; the toll superintendent could not work out what to charge an elephant or a dromedary.

The Stunt That Worked

The procession drew enormous crowds and made headlines across the country. It served both Barnum's publicity needs and the bridge's owners: if 21 elephants could cross without incident, the structure was obviously safe. Public confidence recovered. The Brooklyn Bridge went on to become one of the most-used crossings in the United States, carrying millions of pedestrians and vehicles every year.