I don’t spend much time on YouTube or other video sites, but today I came across some interesting historical footage.
The following excerpts are from Wikipedia
The Tacoma Narrows Bridge is a pair of mile-long suspension bridges in the U.S. state of Washington, which carry State Route 16 across the Tacoma Narrows between Tacoma and the Kitsap Peninsula. The first bridge opened to traffic on July 1, 1940 and became famous four months later for a dramatic wind-induced structural collapse that was caught on motion picture film.
The wind-induced collapse occurred on November 7, 1940 at 11:00 AM (Pacific time), due partially to a physical phenomenon known as mechanical resonance.
From the account of Leonard Coatsworth, a driver who narrowly managed to escape the bridge before the collapse:
“ Just as I drove past the towers, the bridge began to sway violently from side to side. Before I realized it, the tilt became so violent that I lost control of the car… I jammed on the brakes and got out, only to be thrown onto my face against the curb… Around me I could hear concrete cracking… The car itself began to slide from side to side of the roadway.
On hands and knees most of the time, I crawled 500 yards [450 m] or more to the towers… My breath was coming in gasps; my knees were raw and bleeding, my hands bruised and swollen from gripping the concrete curb… Toward the last, I risked rising to my feet and running a few yards at a time… Safely back at the toll plaza, I saw the bridge in its final collapse and saw my car plunge into the Narrows.”
No human life was lost in the collapse of the bridge, though Coatsworth’s cocker spaniel named “Tubby” was lost along with his car in the collapse.
March 8th, 2008 at 7:49 pm
Awww, the poor dog. But at least no human life was lost. I can certainly understand people’s fear of bridges.