1961-09-16 — Page 20

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THE CHINA MAIL SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 1961.

ANNIVERSARY STORY

The Canadian Cabinet was there; all Quebec

had turned out for the Great Day....then-

ELEVEN DIED WHEN THE BRIDGE

COLLAPSED

HUNDREDS of spectators gathered on the

banks of the St Lawrence River- Canadian Cabinet Ministers, members of Parliament, large parties of schoolchildren, cheering happily and waving coloured [flags.

It was the morning of September 11, 1916– just 45 years ago—and since 5 a.m. crowds had been converging on each side of the river to witness the completion of the largest clear-spon bridge in the world.

After six years' planning and construction, the engineers were ready to hoist into position the contral spon of the great Quebec Bridge—a section mesturing 640 ft. long and weighing 5,200 tons,

The huge span, fluated out on barges, had to be halsted 150ft. by n system

powerful hydmulle jacks. 1t appeared a | straightforward Job; such struc- tures had become fashionable sires the building of the monu- mental Forth Bridge, and the en- gineers could proft from the ex- perlence of many experts before them.

The operation was expicted to take 30 hours and, notch by notch, with careful pumping of the hydraulic jacks, the span was slowly lifted off the barges, All well until midday was going

the engineers, who had when been working since dawn, de- elded to go for lunch.

Without

warning

And then come the dia- aster. Suddenly, without warning, the great span slipped out of its stirrups and collapsed Into the river.

The cantilever arms were left steelworkers laci, but elevern

lost their lives as the 5,200 tons

of tungled mass plummeted to the river bed and disintegrated.

In itself, this was a tragic but not so remarkable incident. With the coming of rallways, nu fewer than 25,000 bridges were but in a period of 70 years. They were day's of great | triumphs-and great disasters-

in the history of bridge-building. One fact, however, made the collapse of Quebec Bridge, a most skigulur affair. It had all happened before.

Lightning can, in fact, strike twice in the same place. And, by a strange twist of fate, dis- aster twice struck the Quebec Bridge project.

The story began in 1900 when Theodore Cooper, then America's most eminent builder of tallroad

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thon famous Forth Bridge.

Unfortunately, the desiring engincers were under pressure to use all their resourcefulness In keeping down the amount of stec used, and no facilities or funds were made available for making experimental Investiga- 1lons.

The terrible price was paid on a warm August evening In 1007, when an engine driver drove a smial tank locomotive with two loaded trucks on to the bridge from the south side.

And it

Ahead of the engine, the line tilted crazily towards the river.

was the

second

time it had happened!

At that time, only one of the to avert disaster. But his tele- cantilever arms and a portion of gram, ordering his men not to the central girder span had been load the bridge further, arrived cumpleted.- For ahead, on the just too late, north side, the driver could see

45 years ago, came the stunning news that Quebec Bridge And fallen down again.

Why? The authorities blamed the failure of a defective casting in the lifting detalls under one corner of the span. Another explanation which was SUD- pressed--was that the design of the lifting detalls involved in- herent unstable equilibrium because someone had overlooked elementary principle of physics.

But the Royal Commis experimenty

were carried out, on alon on the disaster did and more than any other event, not And

criminal the disaster brought a new level any negligence only human of scientific research and design the other cantilever in the early could be acted upon, the bridge

to bridge-building, "errors of judgment." collapsed. Investigation showed

Nearly £1,700,000 worth of Amid the high, massive web that the disaster was "caused by materials, was lost in the dis-

The buckling of a compression aster

it was not until of geel girders, more than a

singe of construction.

Minutes before the

ones.

order

and

hundred men lere at work, e member, due to inadequate January, 1910, that a contract cluding some 30 Chaughnawaga proven on salier members had design was let.

lacing. Methods used and for a new bridge of Improved Indians. Soon it would be time for them to

falled when applied down tools for the

to larger This tune, there would be no day.

lack of research. Large-scale The engine driver knew this would be his Jest trip that day: now he wondered whether t would be bis lost-ever trip.. For as he approached the end of the cantilever arm, he suddenly had the alarming sensation that his engine was sinking.

Ahead of him, he could see the line and its frame. work tilting crazily down- warde, dipping towards the the water 150ft. below. There was по stopping now; within seconds he was plunging with engine and trucks into the St Lawrence.

Meanwhile, the anchor-end of the bridge was being ripped eway from' the bank Huge, twisted girders snapped in half with explosive noise. The great centre tower leaned over and plunged down. The whole cantilover arm collapsed, fing- ing scores of workers into space.

Wrecked

his career

The disaster tasted merely a 90 seconds, on August 29, 1907, the entire atructure crumbled "like lee pillars whose ends wate rapidly melting away." And 62 away, with

minute and a half. But in those

zen were carried the mass of wreckage.

Among the few who were saved by tuge and rowing boats was the high-lving engine driver who escaped with only slight burns on his right hand. Tragically, this disaster also wrecked the career of Theodoro Cooper, cflor Broume of |bridge-building, and when he had reached the peak of fame. He retired frota nuble illo and

JEAN CAMPBELL'S

For years the careful planning went on. Basically the bridge would be on the lines of the Best-except that two and a half times as much steel would carry the same specified train loading

Nothing was left to chance →→ and yet, on that September day,

NEW YORK NEWSLETTER

The lifting rig was rebuilt nåd corrected and a year later a new span was completed, Finally. after four days of gradual lifting by the bydraulic jacks, Quebec Bridge-largest of its kind in the world-was completed,

The hoodoo" bridge that fell down twice was form. ally opened to truffle in December, 1917.

Margaret Truman sticks to her

stage career

CHUMS of Margaret

Neither her urgent city life 09 correspondent

Clifton

Truman are tearing Daniels' wife nor her fenced across the State line by dams in the White House have the carload this week to born of the open Missouri farm dulled that wide warm smile see her play in The Time Lands of the Cuckoo in New Jersey-outdoors.

few

COMFORTABLE

MARGARET TRUMAN

unsuccessful vice-

train from New York is a jolly the trala. The strain of a bat-

Tavelling to Washington. by

businers If you are will to

tling and pay 10 dollars (£7) dar som presidential bid does not show But Margaret has one great thing very comfortable called a advantage hat

upon a face that is still' Mand- people paričur car seat.

some enough at 01 to remind know alxut. Her grundmattier For this sum you are given you of your favourite cowboy Margarel, who onco sald her father's mother-handed a large armchair that swivels movie stars. "When I want something I only down file piece of advice to about from window to aisle and want the moon" Is determinedly the family. It was "Play in the also, hey presto, bonds, back- theatre sticking

to that operatic and key of be natural and you will wards like the, plushest airplane marriage and a household of

career in spite of: get along in fe,"

chilkiren.

scat.

himpele,

at Lodge takes great care of

He never riokes and seldom The Journey only takes 3 drinks. Ho is slim, sun tanned

and Oft. 2in. hours and you Ro whizzing

Nowadays he is working as Margaret is an attractive and JUDGE Irving Ben Cooper says more The country is interest magazines and he tells me he ta through Philadelphia and Balt very special advisor to the Lure gifted person. Yet she has been that in the US, it can be esti- ing but in core, you get bored, in frantaci one extraordinary, and mated that twenty

the Time magazine office Unexpodiel blessing. Wunen dollars ensually is the cost of depths of your armchair.

you can order drinks from the each day. like her.

crime. This reproseriis a cost "If you are very lucky you is no new career to Lodge. The Biranguly enough. Journalisin In a few years he died broken There Is amething so frank or 496 dollars (179) for each may and an exciting Democratic ex-senator and ex-ambkubad

Rad, what the Americans family in the US; for every as Republican politicien sitting started his working life 10 New York tarly that fatal |would call "outgoing" about ano dalint, spent on education next to you. I found Henry reporter and so turn the wheel kay Cooper had received an antie, that when you see her come 1,02 dollars gook to crime; for Cabot Lodge in the armichale He worked in Washington dur ginger's report that a part of the into a crowded room you aro' every one dollar dorted to next to me mjuly śruke wat berkjing. He reminded of summer cornfields churches every ten dollars goes He journeys, every week to of Time.

Titg the 20 for the fires litova: aéteil fimmediately in an attempt and buttermilk,

Washington and ÷prefers to take

man.

tos grimé, muafa

millondon Kayram RecVRY).

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