by · January 3, 2019
On January 3, 1870, workers began construction on New York City’s Brooklyn Bridge. Today, nearly 150 years later, the bridge is a beloved landmark. But is it also haunted?
Dozens of spooky stories surround the bridge which connects the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. Some people claim to see shadowy figures floating across the bridge, while others report screams and the sound of splashing water. When alarmed pedestrians rush to investigate, however, there is no evidence of a jumper.
One of the creepier bridge legends involves a headless specter that wanders aimlessly. The story is even more unnerving when one learns that a cable snapped and beheaded a worker during the bridge’s construction.
Considering its tragic history, the Brooklyn Bridge’s haunted reputation is hardly surprising. Some even call it the “Bridge of Death.” Designer John Augustus Roebling suffered a crushed foot after a ferry pinned it to a piling. He died from tetanus infection soon after. Roebling wasn’t the first bridge victim. An estimated 27 workers died during the bridge’s construction. Not only that, but when the bridge opened on May 30, 1883, rumors of a collapse caused a stampede which killed 12 people. The Brooklyn Bridge is also a common suicide site.
What do you think? Is the famous bridge truly haunted or is are the stories the stuff of folklore and legends?
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