Broughton Suspension Bridge

Broughton Suspension Bridge was an iron chain

Broughton Suspension
suspension bridge built in 1826 to span the River Irwell
Bridge
between Broughton and Pendleton, now in Salford, Greater
Manchester, England. One of Europe's first suspension
bridges, it has been attributed to Samuel Brown, although
some suggest it was built by Thomas Cheek Hewes, a
Manchester millwright and textile machinery
manufacturer. [1][2]
0M

On 12 April 1831, the bridge collapsed, reportedly due to

mechanical resonance induced by troops marching in step.[3] The rebuilt Broughton suspension
As a result of the incident, the British Army issued an order bridge in 1883
that troops should "break step" when crossing a bridge.
Coordinates 53°29′46″N
Although rebuilt and strengthened, the bridge was
2°16′12″W
subsequently propped with temporary piles whenever crowds
were expected. In 1924, it was replaced by a Pratt truss Crossed River Irwell
footbridge, still in use. Locale Broughton
History
Construction Constructed by Samuel Brown

In 1826, John Fitzgerald, the wealthy owner of Castle Irwell Opened 1826
House (later to become the site of the Manchester Collapsed 12 April 1831
Racecourse), built, at his own expense, a 144 feet (44 m) Replaced by Pratt truss footbridge
suspension bridge across the River Irwell between Lower
Location
Broughton and Pendleton. According to John Marius Wilson's
Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870–72) all users
of the bridge were required to pay a pontage to cross.[4] The
bridge was the only means of communication between the
townships of Broughton and Pendleton[5] and a source of great
local pride, as the Menai Suspension Bridge had opened only
that year and suspension bridges were then considered the
"new wonder of the age".[6]

Collapse Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap

On 12 April 1831, the 60th Rifle Corps carried out an exercise on Kersal Moor under the command of
Lieutenant Percy Slingsby Fitzgerald,[7] the son of John Fitzgerald, Member of Parliament and
brother of the poet Edward FitzGerald. As a detachment of 74 men returned to barracks in Salford by
way of the bridge,[8] the soldiers, who were marching four abreast, felt it begin to vibrate in time with
their footsteps. Finding the vibration amusing, some of them started to whistle a marching tune, and
to "humour it by the manner in which they stepped", causing the bridge to vibrate even more.[8] The
head of the column had almost reached the Pendleton side when they heard "a sound resembling an
irregular discharge of firearms".[8] Immediately, one of the iron columns supporting the suspension
chains on the Broughton side of the river fell towards the bridge, carrying with it a large stone from
the pier to which it had been bolted. The corner of the bridge, no longer supported, then fell 16 or 18
feet (4.9 or 5.5 m) into the river, throwing about forty of the soldiers into the water or against the
chains. The river was low and the water only about two feet (60 cm) deep at that point. None of the
men were killed, but twenty were injured, including six who suffered severe injuries including broken
arms and legs, severe bruising, and contusions to the head.[8]

Cause
The subsequent investigation found that a bolt in one of the stay-chains had snapped, at the point
where it was attached to the masonry of the ground anchor. The report criticised the construction
method used, as the attachment to the ground anchor relied on a single bolt (rather than two), and the
bolt was found to have been badly forged.[9] Several other bolts had bent but had not broken.[10]
Three years previously, the engineer Eaton Hodgkinson had questioned the strength of the stay chains
(compared to the suspension chains). Hodgkinson had argued that the chains should be rigorously
tested, but they were not.[8] Before the accident one of the cross bolts had started to bend and crack,
although it was believed to have been replaced by the time of the accident. The conclusion of the
investigation was that the vibration caused by the marching precipitated the bolt's failure, but that it
would have failed eventually anyway.[6]

Aftermath
The collapse of the bridge caused something of a loss of confidence
in suspension bridges, with one newspaper report at the time
commenting:[8]

From what happened on this occasion we would greatly

doubt the stability of the great Menai Bridge (admirable
as its construction is), if a thousand men were to be
marched across in close column, and keeping regular
step. From its great length, the vibration would be The replacement bridge today
tremendous before the head of the column had reached
the further side, and some terrific calamity would be very
likely to happen.

This did not stop the building of more suspension bridges, and the main consequence of the collapse
was that the British Army issued the order to "break step" when soldiers were crossing a bridge.[6][11]
French soldiers were also ordered to break step on bridges – nevertheless, marching was cited as a
contributing factor to the collapse of the Angers Bridge in France during a storm in 1850, killing over
200 soldiers.[12]
Broughton Suspension Bridge was rebuilt and strengthened, but,
according to the Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870–72), it
was propped temporarily whenever a large crowd was expected.[13] The
suspension bridge was eventually replaced by a Pratt truss footbridge,
designed by the Borough Engineer at a cost of about £2,300, which was
formally opened on 2 April 1924.[14]

See also
MythBusters ' "Breakstep Bridge"
MythBusters ' "Myths revisited: Breakstep Bridge"
Millennium Bridge, London – closed after two days due to excessive Sign on Albert Bridge,
vibration, caused by pedestrians synchronising their steps London

References
1. "Broughton Suspension Bridge" (http://www.scottisharchitects.org.uk/building_full.php?id=10076
2). Dictionary of Scottish Architects. Retrieved 9 October 2008.
2. Skempton, A. W.; Chrimes (2002). A biographical dictionary of civil engineers in Great Britain and
Ireland. M (Illustrated ed.). Thomas Telford. ISBN 978-0-7277-2939-2.
3. Bishop, R.E.D. (1979). Vibration (Second ed.). Cambridge University Press, London.
4. Wilson, John Marius. "Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for Manchester" (http://www.visionofbritain.org.
uk/descriptions/entry_page.jsp?text_id=724390&word=NULL). A vision of Britain through time.
University of Portsmouth et al. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
5. Foy, T. Roby (5 January 1914). "Memories of old Broughton" (https://www.britishnewspaperarchiv
e.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000206/19140105/101/0035). Manchester Courier and Lancashire General
Advertiser. British Newspaper Archive (subscription required). Retrieved 29 January 2018.
6. Smith, Alan (12 April 1975). "Broughton Bridge is falling down!". Manchester Evening News.
7. London Gazette (http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/18750/pages/2480) Issue 18750
published on 26 November 1830. Page 4
8. Anon (16 April 1831). "Fall of the Broughton suspension bridge, near Manchester". The
Manchester Guardian.
9. Taylor, Richard; Phillips, Richard (1831). The Philosophical Magazine: Or Annals of Chemistry,
Mathematics, Astronomy, Natural History and General Science (https://books.google.com/books?i
d=NYIqAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA384). Vol. ix. Richard Taylor. pp. 387, 388, 389.
10. Anon (1842). Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge (ed.). Penny cyclopaedia of the
Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge (https://books.google.com/books?id=GxwDAAAAYA
AJ&pg=PA339). Vol. xxiii stearate-tagus. Charles Knight. pp. ss9.
11. Braun, Martin (1993). Differential Equations and Their Applications: An Introduction to Applied
Mathematics (https://books.google.com/books?id=USWV3PP3b08C&q=Differential+Equations+an
d+Their+Applications:+An+Introduction+to+Applied+Mathematics) (4 ed.). New York: Springer-
Verlag. p. 175. ISBN 0-387-97894-1. Retrieved 30 May 2009.
12. Denenberg, David. "1839 Basse-Chaîne (Angers)" (http://www.bridgemeister.com/bridge.php?bid=
993). Bridgemeister.com. Retrieved 2 June 2009.
13. Wilson, John Marius. "Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870–72)" (http://www.genuki.or
g.uk/big/eng/LAN/Manchester/ImpGaz1872.shtml). Genuki. Retrieved 31 May 2009.
14. "New Irwell Bridge". The Manchester Guardian. 3 April 1924. p. 11.
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