Broughton Suspension Bridge

No longer extant: formerly in Salford, Lancashire

This was an iron chain suspension bridge built in 1826 to span the River Irwell between Lower Broughton and Pendleton, Salford. It was privately owned, by John Purcell Fitzgerald.

The bridge avoided the use of the Broughton Ford river crossing, which when in flood would have resulted in longer trips via either Agecroft Bridge or the Crescent. It connected not only Fitzgerald's Castle Irwell to Broughton and onwards, but also continued on to Fitzgerald's Pendleton Colliery. Fitzgerald aimed to recoup his outlay by charging users of the bridge a toll.

Foundation stone laid in October 1825

The span was 144ft 6". There were two pairs of suspension chains, comprised of wrought iron round bars 2" diameter and about 5 ft long. The chains were suspended by links from the top of pyramidal cast iron towers, and passed through heavy masonry abutments . The links allowed expansion and contraction of the chains. Calculations were performed on the strength of the bridge and the potential modes of failure by Eaton Hodgkinson.

On 12 April 1831, the bridge collapsed, reportedly due to resonant vibration induced by troops marching in step. As a result of the incident, the Army issued an order that troops should "break step" when crossing bridges. The bridge was rebuilt and strengthened, without any major design changes, but it was subsequently propped with temporary piles whenever crowds were expected. In 1924, it was replaced by a steel footbridge, still in use.

See Wikipedia entry

1831 'Fall of Broughton Suspension Bridge, near Manchester.— On Monday the 11th inst. a most frightful accident occurred to a party of the 60th Rifles, consisting of about 70 officers and men, who were returning from exercising on Kersal-moor, by the Broughton-road, to their quarters in Regent-road barracks. About a quarter past twelve at noon, the party reached the Chain-bridge, at Broughton, and commenced filing across it. Scarcely had the leading file, preceded by three of their officers, touched terra firma on the Pendleton side, when a tremendous noise, resembling an irregular volley of musketry, arrested the attention of the party. An instant after, the bridge separated at the end next the toll-house, and, with a large quantity of the stone pier, was precipitated into the river. The situation of the soldiers, at this moment, was most frightful — about 40 of the party, encumbered with their arms and accoutrements were entangled with the railing of the bridge, or overwhelmed in the river. Most providentially the river was low, and thus no lives were lost ; but we are concerned to state, that six are now in hospital with fractured limbs — some of whom, it is feared, will be disabled for life ; and fourteen others have been injured more or less by cuts, contusions, &c.'

Note: The officer in command of the troops was John Fitzgerald's son, Lieutenant Percy Slingsby Fitzgerald (1775-1852).

1831 'Broughton Suspension Bridge.—This bridge, which gave way in April last, has been restored. Care has been taken to remove, from the chains which did not give way, the defective joints, similar to that which was the cause of failure and the bridge is now stronger than before the accident.'

Eaton Hodkinson visited the site immediately after the accident, and reported that one of the main chains had failed near to its termination underground, where it appeared that there was an error in its construction, rendering it weaker there. He reported at length on the findings of his investigation.

See here for a zoomable 1900 photo of the bridge.

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