On the evening of October 11th 1711, a huge crowd came back from a popular feast in Saint-Denis-de-Bron, a small village near Lyon.
To get home, people had to cross the river Rhône.
But suddenly, in the middle of the bridge, there was a big traffic jam caused by carriages! Among those, the carriage of Mrs Servient, lady of the Part-Dieu.
It was the panic among people! They cried, shouted, they tried to reach the end of the bridge... But, horror! Guards had just locked the gates! More than 2 000 people died this night, drowned or crushed...
The sergeant who ordered the closing of the gates was arrested and broke on the wheel on the Terreaux square, in Lyon.
What about this Mrs. Servient? She offered lands in 1725 to the city... because her carriage was responsible for the horrible rush?
Near that bridge, too, they found a crocodile, in 1745!