City in Mourning: Victoria's Point Ellice Bridge Disaster

On May 26, 1896, in Victoria, British Columbia, hundreds of residents and visitors headed out to a grand military display, the culmination of days of celebration surrounding Queen Victoria's birthday. As a packed electric streetcar crossed the Point Ellice Bridge, passengers heard a loud crack and felt a sharp jolt. A moment later, the car, its occupants and the entire span of the bridge crashed into the water below, resulting in fifty-six deaths and overwhelming the city with grief.

Who wa...