This one has gotten my attention several times.
It happened on December 29, 1876. 92 people died when a stone bridge collapsed while the Pacific Express was crossing it during a heavy snowstorm. The crash didn't kill most of them - they were burned alive due to gas lanterns and other flammables exploding upon impact.
Immediately after testifying in front of an investigational jury, the Engineer who was partly responsible for building the bridge went home and committed suicide. His partner, the Chief Architect and Designer, committed suicide almost exactly 2 years after the tragedy.
Some say that if you go there on the anniversary of the accident, you can see the spirits of the victims at the bottom of the bridge.
A few other odd facts:
The remains of approximately 25 of the victims were unable to be identified. They are buried in a mass grave in a nearby graveyard.
The Engineer who committed suicide is buried only a few feet away from the mass grave.
The Chief Architect is buried several miles away, but his tombstone closely resembles the monument over the mass grave of the unidentified victims.
I would really like to investigate this one. Especially, being that it also falls on my birthday, to go there on the anniversary. I know, that's twisted, but that's me.
Rich
