The Baltimore Bridge came crashing down after a cargo ship hit it. With it came crashing down a symbol of American history.
The bridge collapsed early on Tuesday after being hit by a large container ship. The Baltimore City Fire Department described the collapse as a “mass-casualty incident”.
The Baltimore Bridge isn’t just crucial for commercial reasons, it has a history of its own too.
Built in 1977, the bridge in Baltimore is officially called the Francis Scott Key Bridge, and is named after the author of the American national anthem — ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’.
The Key Bridge, which opened in 1977, is named for the writer of ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’, The Baltimore Sun said.
According to the website of the Maryland Transport Authority (MTA), it was near the site on which the bridge was to come up later that Francis Scott Key witnessed the bombing of Fort McHenry in 1814.
It was the moment that inspired him to later write ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’.
The British began a massive 25-hour bombing of Fort McHenry, which protected Baltimore’s harbour, on September 13, 1814. British troops planned a land assault after the bombardment. However, the bombardment failed, and the British had to abandon their land-attack plan.
The Battle of Baltimore was part of the War of 1812, which was fought between the US and Great Britain between June 18, 1812, and February 17, 1815.
The war was fought over the British violations of US maritime rights and concluded with signing of the Treaty of Ghent.
It was the Battle of Baltimore that inspired the writing of Star-Spangled Banner, according to Britannica online.
The bridge was 8,636 feet (2,632 m) long and carried an estimated 11.5 million vehicles annually.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge serves as a crucial transportation link in the Washington metropolitan area, connecting Washington DC’s Georgetown neighbourhood with Arlington, Virginia’s Rosslyn neighbourhood. The bridge was built at an approximate cost of $60.3 million.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore declared a state of emergency after the collapse of the historic bridge.
