A lady from AR contacted me to inquire on some information about this bridge. Her great-grandfather was killed on Jan 23, 1897 when his passenger train, B&O predecessor Pittsburg and Western No. 7 had an air hose part, and the train went out of control down the 2.44% grade in the background and over the side of this 21 degree curved bridge killing her great-grandfather Ira Beatty-fireman, engineer-Dan Moriarty, and mail clerk-William Copeley. This train had a "straight-air" system, and not the current WABCO type of brake system. The entire train consisting of the locomotive, baggage car, and 2 passenger coaches, along with about 30 passengers fell about 50 feet to the creek below. Only one walked away injury free.
The last train across this bridge was a Knox and Kane special excursion in 1993 from Marienville RR east to its terminus of Knox and back, with the rails removed in 2001.
