The OTHER Bridge Collapse

Elk River Bridge Collapse Charleston, WV (15 December 1904) Source: WV Regional History Collection

As a paranormal enthusiast, a student of West Virginia history, or simply just a resident of the tri-state area, you’re likely familiar with the tragic events of December 15, 1967. That evening, the Silver Bridge, spanning the Ohio River at Pt. Pleasant fell during rush hour traffic, taking with it 46 lives. The event is intertwined with the Curse of Chief Cornstalk and Mothman lore, as to many, the event seemed to be the end of a 13-month period of UFOs, Mothman sightings, and other incidents of high strangeness in and around Pt. Pleasant. Some even claim that Mothman was seen on or near the bridge that day. Many who would have been on the bridge received psychic visions that kept them from becoming victims themselves. Was Mothman a harbinger of doom…or did he cause the bridge to fall? 

Most likely the answer is neither. In fact, the paranormal experiences didn’t exactly stop—just no one really felt like talking about them or going Mothman-hunting when so many people had lost their lives. Nearly everyone in town was affected in some way by the tragedy or knew someone who was a victim. The collapse of the Silver Bridge was known for years as one of the worst accidents of its kind. But it wasn’t the first of its kind….

In a weird display of synchronicity, another West Virginia bridge suffered a major collapse, 63 years to the DAY before the Silver Bridge disaster. 

On December 15, 1904, at 8:15am the old suspension bridge over the Elk River in Charleston, laden down with ice and snow, plummeted to the water below, taking with it quite a few pedestrians, wagon teams, and at least six children on their way to school. Miraculously, only two people were killed (despite early reporting that it was many more), but scores more were injured. The deceased were 11-year-old Mamie Higginbotham and 15-year-old Wray/Ray Humphreys.

The bridge in question, located at the base of Lovell Street and connecting today’s Charleston proper with the West Side/Elk City area, had been built around 1852. It had been damaged during the Civil War but rebuilt. However, it had recently been noted to be in bad shape, and its wobbly nature earned it the nickname of ‘Drunken Bridge.’ Despite that, I don’t think anyone was expecting its cables to come free of their moorings on that cold, December morning. At the time, it was described as being one of the worst accidents of its kind….

What are the chances that West Virginia would suffer two deadly bridge collapses on the exact same day, 55 miles apart, 63 years apart? Both accidents happened on cold, icy days during times of heavy traffic. Perhaps it is all just one big coincidence, but perhaps this may be another example of the weird synchronicity and high strangeness surrounding the whole Mothman phenomenon. 

The website, My WV Home, has an excellent page on the history of the Elk River bridge collapse of 1904, including photos and articles not pictured below. Go check them out for a fuller picture on the devastation that occurred on that fateful day. 

Hinton Daily News 15 December 1904

Bluefield Daily Telegraph 16 December 1904

Fairmont West Virginian 17 December 1904

The (Pt. Pleasant) Weekly Register 21 December 1904

Bluefield Daily Telegraph 22 December 1904

Martinsburg Statesman-Democrat 23 December 1904