The tacoma narrows bridge is a pair of twin suspension bridges that span the tacoma narrows strait of puget sound in pierce county, washington. Today, the 1940 tacoma narrows bridges failure continues to advance the scientific method. The original, 5,939footlong tacoma narrows bridge, popularly known as galloping gertie, opened to traffic on july 1, 1940 after two years of construction, linking tacoma and gig harbor. Check out this amazing footage of the collapse of the worlds third largest suspension bridge at the time, tacoma narrows bridge, washington, in 1940. For the bridge known as galloping gertie, see tacoma narrows bridge 1940. A look back at the insane tacoma narrows bridge collapse. Tacoma narrows bridge collapse now, the day that the tacoma narrows bridge collapsed wasnt the first day wind had caused it to oscillate hence the nickname galloping gertie given to it before.
Howard clifford running off the bridge as it collapsed unable to withstand the increasingly brutal torsional twisting, a number of galloping gerties suspender cables snapped, shifting the weight of the deck onto the remaining cables. Galloping gertie the collapse of the tacoma narrows bridge examines the creation and demise of the original tacoma narrows bridge. The tacoma narrows bridge funsite scale model of 1940. One of the most famous bridge engineering failures of all time the infamous galloping gertie, or tacoma narrows bridge failure happened 75 years ago nov. Also covers galloping gerties creation, subsequent studies involving its aerodynamics, and finally the construction of a second bridge spanning the narrows. The bridges collapse has been described as spectacular and in.
Tacoma narrows bridge, first suspension bridge across the narrows of puget sound, connecting the olympic peninsula with the mainland of washington state, u. The disaster is especially well known because of dramatic film footage taken the day of the collapse. Our plan was to ride the tail end of the ebb current to the first caisson, dive the slack, then ride the flood back home. Tacoma narrows bridge collapse gallopin gertie 1940. When the tacoma narrows bridge over puget sound in the state of washington famously collapsed on november 7, 1940, it was captured on film for posterity. It was used as the play me off, johnny music by the vaudeville characters johnny and. Four different cameramen captured galloping gerties spectacular collapse on motion picture film. In fact, this years free archives month poster features a dozen photos of historic wa bridges.
Today we are featuring two photos of the infamous first tacoma narrows bridge, which collapsed in a windstorm on nov. The original tacoma narrows bridge opened on july 1, 1940. Galloping gertie the collapse of the tacoma narrows bridge. Galloping gertie otherwise known as the tacoma narrows bridge, or more correctly as the first tacoma narrows bridge collapsed because of a very simple physical phenomenon called resonance resonance is the property, which most objects have, of vibrating more strongly when exposed to an external force which is itself vibrating at the objects natural frequency. The gigantic twisting motion of the bridge threw coatsworths car against the curb, and he climbed out of an open window to try to crawl to safety. The tacoma bridge is built, with some amazing and exciting footage of men dangling from cages to put the beast together, after a of course pompous bridge opening ceremony, disaster strikes, as the bridge starts weaving to and fro, its still pretty incredible.
The tacoma narrows bridge, the thirdlongest suspension bridge in the world at the time, opened on july 1, 1940. Its main span collapsed into the tacoma narrows four months later on november 7, 1940. In november, 1940, the newly completed tacoma narrows bridge, opened barely four months before, swayed and collapsed in a 42 mileperhour wind. The third longest suspension span in the world opened on july 1st. More than 152 images and text documenting the infamous collapse in 1940 of the tacoma narrows bridge. Tacoma narrows and suspension bridges on pbs, nova online includes video of galloping gertie in oscillation action. Tacoma lost more than just a bridge the day galloping.
They chewed on lemons to counteract seasickness from the motion. Collapse of the tacoma narrows bridge on the 7th november. Tacoma narrows bridge collapse sound version standard 4. Tacoma narrows bridge tacoma, washington atlas obscura. The fifthlongest suspension bridge in the nation, the original became known as galloping gertie. It opened to traffic on july 1, 1940, and dramatically collapsed into puget sound on november 7 of the same year. Produced by koyo kim and raluca ifrim for national history day. The mechanism by which a steady wind can cause periodic motion in such a structure, however, is not necessarily a simple or obvious one. Michael sullivan talks about the 1940 tacoma narrows bridge collapse and its effects on the study of bridge design and civil engineering cspans local content vehicles lcvs made a stop in. The collapse of the tacoma narrows bridge has become a popular example of the phenomenon of resonance. The bridges connect the city of tacoma with the kitsap peninsula and carry state route 16 known as primary state highway 14 until 1964 over the strait. The remarkable oscillations of its long and slender center span in the months leading up to the catastrophe earned the bridge the moniker galloping gertie. The bridge s collapse has been described as spectacular and in.
University of washington libraries online exhibit of 190 images gives the story of the construction, collapse and rebuilding of the bridge. The only victim of the tacoma narrows bridge collapse was. The tacoma narrows bridge opened to traffic on july 1, 1940 and collapsed into puget sound on november 7 of the same year. I remember seeing the galloping gertie tacoma narrows bridge collapse in a physics class in high school, lucy walker told the atlantic, and the surprising image of something as. Galloping gertie galloping gertie is a saloon piano song by sam fonteyn.
Tacoma narrows bridge collapse gallopin gertie youtube. It collapsed just four months later during a 42mileperhour wind storm on nov. Safely back at the toll plaza, i saw the bridge in its final collapse and saw my car plunge into the narrows. The top photo shows early construction of the bridge in read more read more. Construction began on november 23, 1938, and was finished a little over a. A new tacoma bridge was built in 1950, consisting of a wider roadway and features designed to secure the bridge more firmly during wind storms. Information from its description page there is shown below. A rescue was attempted by the man with the pipe, but the frightened animal would not leave the car.
The first tacoma narrows bridge an elegant but shortlived suspension span that collapsed so spectacularly nov. The portion of the bridge that fell into the water now serves as an artificial reef. The tacoma narrows bridge was built in washington during the 1930s and opened to traffic on july 1, 1940. They set their cameras on the bridge itself and nearby on the shore. In this footage, the bridge can be seen literally waving and twisting for several minutes before finally collapsing into puget sound. It received its nickname galloping gertie because of the vertical movement of. The original bridge received its nickname galloping gertie because of the vertical. Michael sullivan talks about the 1940 tacoma narrows bridge collapse. At the time it was the third longest suspension bridge in the world, just behind the golden gate bridge and the george washington bridge. The diorama took 4 months to complete, which ironically is the same amount of time that the real gertie bridge lasted before it collapsed. But the tacoma narrows bridge collapse stayed with eldridge.
A little more than four months later, it collapsed into puget sound. Four months after its opening, on the morning of november 7, 1940, in a wind of about 42 miles 67 km per hour, the 2,800foot 840metre main span, which had already exhibited a marked. The tacoma narrows bridge also known as galloping gertie is a wellknown and welldocumented suspension bridge failure that occurred on november 7, 1940 at approximately 11am, four months after the bridge was first opened to the public. The 1940 tacoma narrows bridge, the first tacoma narrows bridge, was a suspension bridge. The collapse of the tacoma narrows bridge on the morning of november 7, 1940, is the most iconic example of a spectacular bridge failure in modern times. On november 7, 1940, the bridge spanning the tacoma narrows strait of puget sound collapsed after moving dramatically up and down. This is a pretty sweet video of the bridge collapsing.
Historically, the name tacoma narrows bridge has applied to the original bridge nicknamed. Well it flooded all the time we were there, with no. Science busts the biggest myth ever about why bridges collapse. It opened to traffic on july 1, 1940, and dramatically collapsed into puget sound on november 7 the same year. Successcreating the narrows bridge, 19371940 galloping gertie collapses, november 7, 1940. Galloping gertie with a ride across the new sturdy gertie. The tacoma narrows bridge is a pair of twin suspension bridges that span the tacoma. Watch the amazing gallopin gertie november 7, 1940 film clip. Also covers galloping gerties creation, subsequent studies involving its aerodynamics, and. Some believed that galloping gertie would go down in a matter of months. The fact that engineers still argue about the precise cause of the galloping gerties collapse is testimony to the extraordinary complexity of natural phenomena. Purchase a download tacoma narrows bridge collapse. As the bridge neared completion in may 1940, the ripple alarmed several workmen.
The years of research into aerodynamics, and the new mathematical knowledge of vibrations and wave phenomena ushered in a new era of more stable suspension spans. Today i found out the only victim of the tacoma narrows, galloping gertie, bridge collapse was a three legged dog the three legged dog in question was a black cocker spaniel left in the back seat of the lone car abandoned on the galloping bridge. Tacoma narrows bridge collapse on film and video, phys. There were no casualties except a dog trapped in a car stranded on the bridge. What caused the bridge galloping gertie to collapse. The case of the tacoma narrows bridge is a wellknown. Colour footage of the tacoma narrows bridge youtube. Check out this amazing footage of the collapse of the worlds third largest suspension bridge at the time, tacoma narrows bridge, washington. The footage proved to be extremely valuable for scientific study of the bridge s failure. It spanned the puget sound from gig harbor to tacoma, which is 40 miles south of seattle. The bridge became known for its pitching deck, and collapsed into puget sound. In 1998, the tacoma narrows bridge collapse was selected for preservation in the united. Tubby, a black cocker spaniel who was riding with leonard coatsworth, a news editor for the tacoma news tribune. Tacoma narrows bridge learning from building failures.
The collapse of galloping gertie the tacoma narrows bridge. Thanks to the failure of its predecessor, galloping gertie, the current narrows bridge affected the course of suspension bridge engineering and design. In november 1940, the tacoma narrows bridge collapsed due to a combination of high winds and poor construction. The disaster is especially well known because of dramatic film footage taken the day of the. The song was featured in blackened sponge season five, episode fourteen of spongebob squarepants. Only four months later, the great spans short life ended in disaster. Tacoma narrows bridge collapse franklin miller, jr.
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