A blizzard, a flood and part of our history lost in 1996 when ‘Old Shakey’ took a ride down the river

This is a still frame from home video footage of a portion of the Walnut Street Bridge being swept away by flood waters. (Provided to The Patriot-News)

On Jan. 20, 1996, part of “Old Shakey” floated down the Susquehanna River.

Two of its spans fell into the raging icy river after a blizzard earlier in the month, heavy rain to the north and warm temperatures led to massive flooding and movement of ice chunks.

From The Patriot-News archives: "The ice on the Susquehanna and Juniata rivers broke up and roared downstream. Saturday afternoon, the region watched in horror as the torrent swept away two spans of Harrisburg's famous Walnut Street Bridge. A third span later fell.”

By the time the month ended, 38.9 inches of snow had fallen, a record for any month. And the Walnut Street Bridge -- Old Shakey -- has never been the same.

This is a still frame from home video footage of a portion of the Walnut Street Bridge being swept away by flood waters. (Provided to The Patriot-News)

The Walnut Street Bridge was known as the People’s Choice when it opened in 1889. It was made of 14 prefabricated iron tresses set on stone piers, with seven spans on each side of City Island, according to The Patriot-News archives. It was closed to vehicles in 1972 after the flood from Tropical Storm Agnes but remained as a pedestrian link between Wormleysburg, City Island and Harrisburg.

It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972 and was named a national engineering landmark in 1998.

The flooding of 1996 was described at the time as the worst the region has had since 1972.

Harrisburg Mayor Stephen R. Reed said he wasn't sure how much damage the city suffered, but it was "well into the tens of millions" of dollars.

Walnut Street bridge floats away, 1996

This is a still frame from home video footage of a portion of the Walnut Street Bridge being swept away by flood waters. (Provided to The Patriot-News)

The spectacle of the Walnut Street Bridge was reported in The Patriot the next day.

“From the crowds laughing and strolling along the Susquehanna River with cameras yesterday, you would have thought it was Amateur Photographer Day. Or that somebody was throwing a parade. But when a three-span section of the Walnut Street Bridge collapsed on the West Shore side and plunged into the swollen river at 2: 30 p.m., the circus atmosphere was jolted.

‘It was starting to ripple, like in an 'S' shape,’ said Tina Manoogian-King, Harrisburg parks and recreation director, who was on the collapsed section minutes before the accident. ‘Literally, in the time we turned back to give a radio report and then turned back around, it was gone,’ she said. Nobody was injured in the bridge collapse.

While witnesses say nobody was on the span at the time of the accident, Cumberland County Emergency Preparedness dispatched several helicopters to scan the river no one was found.”

Reed said at the time that the bridge likely would not be reconstructed.

“’I’m in mourning. I’m lighting a candle for the eastern span tonight,’ Brenda Barrett, a state museum commission spokeswoman told Patriot-News reporters. ‘The bridge is a critical link to the history of Harrisburg, as well as to the success of the revitalization efforts on City Island.’”

City officials hurried to evacuate animals and equipment from City Island.

“Eight horses, including two city police horses, were rushed onto Harrisburg Carriage Co. trailers and transported across the bridge’s east side, where the scene turned a bit scary.

The commotion of the sudden move unnerved the two police horses, which began neighing and kicking violently, shaking the entire trailer. ‘They’re not used to being in trailers. Scarface! Dizzy!’ shouted Jenise Mattern, a city police hostler.

‘Oh my God, they’re fighting . . . this isn’t going to hold up.’ Moments later, several co-workers arrived to walk the horses around Front Street and settle things down.

That was hard to do with residents streaming about the bridge entrance, toting cameras and camcorders, looking to preserve a piece of history on film.”

This is a still frame from home video footage of a portion of the Walnut Street Bridge being swept away by flood waters. (Provided to The Patriot-News)

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