The Vancouver bridge arson attack took place on April 29, 1915, when two key bridges in the West Coast Canadian city of Vancouver,

Granville Street Bridge The Granville Street Bridge or Granville Bridge is an eight-lane fixed cantilever/truss bridge in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, carrying Granville Street between Downtown Vancouver southwest and the Fairview neighborhood. It spans Fal ...

and Connaught Bridge, were set on fire.

Background

The Connaught Bridge was completed in 1911 for $740,000, opening to traffic on May 24, 1911. The following year, Canada's Governor General, the

Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn (Arthur William Patrick Albert; 1 May 185016 January 1942) was the seventh child and third son of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. He served as Gove ...

, accompanied by the Duchess and their daughter,

Princess Patricia Lady Victoria Patricia Helena Elizabeth Ramsay (born Princess Patricia of Connaught; 17 March 1886 – 12 January 1974) was a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. Upon her marriage to Alexander Ramsay, she relinquished her title of a British princ ...

, visited Vancouver to officiate at a ceremony renaming the new crossing as the "Connaught Bridge" on September 20, 1912. The name "Connaught" never caught on, and most people continued to call it simply the "Cambie Street Bridge", after the street that runs across it,

Cambie Street Cambie Street is a street in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It is named for Henry John Cambie, chief surveying, surveyor of the Canadian Pacific Railway's western division (as is Cambie Road, a major thoroughfare in nearby Richmond, Britis ...

, named for pioneer Vancouver resident Henry John Cambie.

Fire

The fires happened on April 29, 1915. The American media widely reported that the fires were set by German immigrants celebrating the Imperial German victory over the Canadians at Ypres, Belgium. The fire on the caused a span of the Connaught Bridge to collapse and caused about $90,000 in damage.

Arrests

Four Germans were arrested and interned: Baron Rochus von Luttwitz (related to the Imperial German Kaiser), Dr. Otto Grumert (a founder of the Bank of Vancouver), Paul Koop and Frederich Spritzel.

Bibliography

Notes References * - Total pages: 882 * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Vancouver bridge arson attack, 1915 1910s in Vancouver 1915 crimes in Canada Canada–Germany relations Crime in Vancouver World War I spies for Germany Acts of sabotage Terrorism committed by the German Empire Transportation disasters in British Columbia Transport disasters in 1915 1915 in British Columbia Canadian home front during World War I April 1915 in Canada Attacks on bridges Terrorist incidents in Canada Bridge disasters in Canada Building and structure arson attacks in Canada Arson in the 1910s 1915 fires 1910s fires in North America Attacks on buildings and structures in the 1910s Bridge disasters caused by fire Bridge disasters caused by terrorism Building and structure collapses in Canada Terrorist incidents in North America in the 1910s

Background

Fire

Arrests

See also

Bibliography