The Haunting Tale of Flat Bridge - Rio Cobre River Dunns River Falls Jamaica

The Flat Bridge is a beam bridge across the Rio Cobre river. It is a part of road A1 connecting the Jamaican capital, Kingston, and northern coast tourist area of Dunn's River and Ocho Rios. This bridge is one of the oldest bridges in Jamaica.

While it cannot be positively ascertained when this bridge was built, it was definitely constructed after 1724. Edward Long describes it in his History of Jamaica printed in 1774: This bridge is flat and composed of planks on frame of timberwork which rests upon two piers and two buttresses projecting from the banks, constructed with piles and braces interlaced with masonry.

When this bridge was being constructed, the sixteen plantations in the Bog Walk area were obliged to send one slave in every fifty to work on the River Road, sometimes called Sixteen Mile Walk. Gravel, marl, lime, sand and stone had to be dug. Slaves often lost their lives as they performed dangerous tasks in the Gorge. Contracts for timber and for masons to work on the bridge were authorized at vestry meetings.

Between 1881 and 1915, the floor of the bridge was washed away and later re-floored with iron girders and buckle plates taken from the original flooring of the May Pen bridge. Today, the bridge of three spans is supported by two piers and two abutments. In the 1930s it had metal handrails and later wooden ones, but these were devoured by the river at different times. Semi-circular spheres are now the only protection on the bridge itself.

The Flat Bridge is one of Jamaicas oldest bridges

Sources: As published by Jamaican National Heritage Trust
----
Caribbean History - My understanding is the original bridge was built by the Arawak, it washed away and was later rebuilt by slaves.


Join CaribbeanAncestry.com the Worlds' ONLY Social Networking site for anyone researching their ancestors of Caribbean Ancestry! Follow the clues left behind by your ancestors through genealogy and family history research. Discover the slaves taken from Africa and brought to the Caribbean islands. Learn more about the history, heritage, roots, origins, culture, language and ancestry of Black Britons, Black Canadians and the Caribbean people in your Family Tree.

Caribbean Ancestry is open to all cultures and is for anyone interested in Family History Search! Blog, Forum, Group, Photo Gallery, videos, Caribbean Genealogy Library, Public Records, Tutorials: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Montserrat, Netherlands Antilles, Puerto Rico, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, United States Virgin Islands, Canada, UK, Ireland, Scotland, England, Germany, Asia and much more.


Copyright Caribbean Ancestry, All Rights Reserved
http://CaribbeanAncestry.com aka http://www.BlackFamilyTrees.com - Black Family Trees

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• patois
• dialect
• language
• speak
• speaking
• caribbean
• west
• indies
• indian
• black
• jamaica
• comedy
• jamaican
• girl
• talk
• di
• tings
• dem
• travel
• vacation
• family
• tree
• reunion
• history
• heritage
• roots
• culture
• genealogy
• geneology
• research
• ancestry
• ancestory
• google
• podcast
• forum
• search

[genelleangel95]

I think you Should Somehow Make the Volume Louder because i had to put my ear to the computer just to hear

[CaribbeanGenealogy]

Unfortunately it was filmed in 1998 while driving with the car window down and wasn't filmed with the intention for broadcast; twas just me filming my vacation. I will make sure to amplify my other uploads as best as I can. Thanks for the feedback.

-T

[rioapartments02]

I would like to say that this video really convinced me, you give me best information! Thanks, very good post.

[bullardsJoe]

My friend Major Cliff Martin was part of the engineering team that rebuilt the bridge in the 1930's. Cliff is now in heaven. Miss him much.

[514RayRay]

this is a ghost story :-)