The Bridge That Collapsed Twice and Killed 88 Workers (1907)
At 5:37 PM on August 29, 1907, the largest bridge in the world fell into the St. Lawrence River. 75 workers died. The engineer who designed it was 500 miles away and had never visited the site. Nine years later, they rebuilt it. It collapsed again. ☕ Support us: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/construc... The Quebec Bridge was supposed to be the longest cantilever span on earth, surpassing Scotland's Forth Bridge by 100 feet. Theodore Cooper extended the main span from 1,600 to 1,800 feet to save money on piers. Phoenix Bridge Company fabricated the steel in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, but never recalculated the dead weight for the longer span. The actual weight increase was 18%, not the 7% Cooper accepted. When inspector Norman McLure measured chord A9L deflecting from ¾ inch to 2¼ inches in eight days, Cooper's stop-work telegram arrived while the chief engineer was at lunch. The Mohawk community of Kahnawake lost 33 of the 38 men they sent to the bridge. Their decision to scatter ironworkers across the continent created the skywalker tradition that built the Empire State Building, the World Trade Center, and the Freedom Tower. 0:00 The Bridge Falls at 5:37 PM 4:17 Cooper's Fatal Span Extension 8:35 The All-Electric Traveler Crane 16:21 15 Seconds, 19,000 Tons, 75 Dead 21:07 The Royal Commission Investigation 25:50 The Second Collapse of 1916 29:23 The Iron Ring Myth Debunked Sources: Royal Commission Quebec Bridge Inquiry Report (Sessional Paper No. 154, 1908), Structure Magazine (Frank Griggs Jr.), Pearson & Delatte "Collapse of the Quebec Bridge, 1907" (ASCE Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities, 2006), Susan Goldenberg "A Community's Loss" (Canada's History), Canadian Encyclopedia, Engineering News-Record, Library and Archives Canada, HistoricBridges.org, ironring.ca Fair Use: This video uses historical photographs and archival material for educational, documentary, and commentary purposes under fair use (17 U.S.C. § 107). No copyright infringement intended. #QuebecBridge #BridgeCollapse #ConstructionDisaster #EngineeringFailure #BridgeEngineering #ConstructionHistory #MohawkIronworkers #Kahnawake #Skywalkers #CantileverBridge #TheodoreCooper #IronRing #ConstructionEquipment #HeavyEquipment #IndustrialDisaster #BridgeConstruction #1907Disaster 🔔 Subscribe for more construction history: / @constructionlegends 📧 Contact: [email protected]
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