STAR G01: Division Trolley Disaster Traditional Cache

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CacheDFish: Cache has gone missing, replacement in this area unlikely.
STAR code word COLLAPSE

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Hidden : 6/9/2018
Difficulty:
2 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size: small (small)

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Geocache Description:


This cache is part of the 2018 Spokane Trains And Railroads GeoChallenge. If you are participating in this GeoChallenge be sure to download and print your STAR Passport and find other helpful resources at STAR Challenge and get started today.
and get started today.

This cache is placed and maintained by CacheDFish.

A snowy Saturday morning in Spokane came to a screeching halt with the worst bridge disaster in the history of Spokane. It was December 18, 1915 at 6:11am when two Washington Water Power electric streetcars carrying approximately 20 passengers suddenly plunged into the freezing Spokane River. Five people were killed in the accident caused by the failure of steel supports that had been strengthened only a week before by city workmen.

The northbound streetcar had nearly crossed the bridge when it caught its snow scraper on the north edge of the broken bridge. The car was then suspended at a 45-degree angle but 2 passengers, the motorman, and the conductor all escaped practically unharmed. The southbound streetcar carrying 15 or 17 passengers, the motorman, and the conductor experienced the disaster much worse. A sudden shudder and instant darkness came over them as steel girder from the collapsing bridge sliced through the top the streetcar, cutting off everything above the seats. The bridge dropped out from below sending them into the icy river. After a 30-minute detour across another bridge, Spokane Fire Department was finally able to lower ladders into the water on the north side to rescue the survivors and recover the remains of the deceased.

Conductor Murrow I. Davis (1878-1978) recalled years later: “I shall never forget to my dying day the crashing steel, the awful sudden darkness lighted only by flying sparks made by electrical short circuits, and the screams of the injured and dying." (Spokesman-Review, December 12, 1965)

The steel bridge, erected in 1892, was designed to hold a dead load of 4800 pounds per linear foot, greater than any standard freight train at the time. The river spans 270 feet and reaches a depth of 30-40 feet at the Division Street crossing. The bridge was constructed 600 feet wide to account for seasonal increase of water flow. The Division Street Bridge was designed with two streetcar tracks, a roadbed for horse and wagon traffic, and pedestrian sidewalks. In 1894 a flood washed out a railroad bridge upstream, which collided with the Division Street Bridge. The steel beams were later repaired by re-welding, but are thought to be part of the cause for the bridge collapse. Other theories question the quality of steel used in bridge construction.


This cache is part of the 2018 Spokane Trains And Railroads GeoChallenge. Spokane has a strong history as a major train hub, and in many ways still is. The STAR Challenge will take geocachers on an adventure, finding caches in places significant to railroads past and present. You will visit locations featuring retired train cars, streetcar rails, bridges, graves and rail yards. Successful completion of the STAR Challenge is rewarded with a trackable Geocoin.
  • All caches begin with the series name STAR: followed by a location-specific name so they are easy to search. We also made a STAR Bookmark of the caches.
  • To qualify for a Geocoin, find the code word or stamp in each geocache and record it on your passport.
  • Visit STAR Challenge and get started today.
    to find the challenge rules, a printable STAR Passport and map view of qualifying caches.

The Spokane Trains And Railroads GeoChallenge is sponsored by Cache Advance, and by donation from local cachers. We hope you enjoy!

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Oruvaq cbyr orgjrra 2 gerrf

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)


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