This subreddit was formed in late 2013 to document World War I, day by day as it developed. When work on the bridge began in 1904 Cooper was old and infirm; he relied on reports from his engineers, sent to his New York office. Caption: Collapse of the centre span of the Quebec Bridge in 1916. Cynthia Pearson. The Quebec Bridge Disaster. A total of 75 men were killed instantly, with 11 escaping with their lives, in the bridge collapse on August 29, 1907. Immediately, fears of German sabotage were reported; however, it was soon clear that another tragic construction accident had befallen the structure (a problem with the hoisting devices). The bridge could not only take highway … Eighty-six workers were present on the bridge at the time. In the interval, there had been two serious accidents that had shocked Canada. FamilyOldPhotos   Old-Yearbooks  TexasHistoryArchives, collapse [of the Quebec Bridge in August 1907, Canadian Birth, Marriage, & Death Records, Canadian Immigration & Naturalization Records, Murdochville QB Bridge Collapse, May 1963, Quebec City, QC Bridge Collapse, Aug 1907, Montreal, QB Overpass Collapse Kills Five, Oct 2006, Three Rivers, QB Bridge Spans Collapse, Jan 1951. The rail bridge was designed to link the two shores and provide easier transit for the 11 railroad companies in particular between the railways in Québec and the United States. Quebec Bridge Collapsed For The 2nd Time On September 11 1916 Scientific Diagram The Collapse Of Quebec Bridge 1907 Failure Case Stus Collapse Of The Quebec Bridge 1907 Bridging The St Lawrence Wonders Of World Ering After a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the collapse [of the Quebec Bridge in August 1907], construction started on a second bridge. The design of the prestigious project was entrusted to one of America’s most eminent bridge builders, Theodore Cooper. He was a local … For years, the bridge has been viewed as an engineering marvel, but few people know the full story behind its construction and the two disasters that claimed the lives of 89 workers. How could this have happened? Second design and Collapse of September 11, 1916 11 September 1916 Quebec Bridge Collapse. When: August 29 1907 and September 11 1916, Where: St. Lawrence River, Quebec, Canada. In August 1907 the south cantilever was already projecting 230 m (750 ft) from the pier when buckling was noticed on some steel plates. Copyright ©2003-2019, All rights reserved. It is still the world’s longest single-span cantilever bridge. The Royal Commission, which investigated the cause of the disaster, concluded that “the collapse of the Quebec Bridge resulted from the failure of the lower chords in the anchor arm near the main pier. Meanwhile, back at the construction site, at about the same time the decision-makers in Phoenixville were ending their meeting, the Quebec Bridge collapsed at 5:30 p.m. After the bridge's completion in 1917, special passes were required for those wanting to cross the structure. GenDisasters is a genealogy site, compiling information on the historic disasters, events, and tragic accidents our ancestors endured, as well as, information about their life and death. Canadian Immigration & Naturalization Records From an investigation by the St. Lawrence Bridge Company, the company assigned to build the bridge, the collapse was due to a material failure in one of the four bearing castings that supported the central span. Quebec bridge is a rail, road and pedestrian bridge situated on the St. Lawrence River, Quebec, Canada. An Engineer's Aspect: The Bridge Collapse of August 29, 1907. It covers … Cooper’s instructions to suspend construction pending investigation failed to reach the builders and on August 29 the whole structure collapsed, taking with it 85 men. In Canada, and many other countries, the aftermath of the Quebec bridge collapse still affects many today. The Quebec Bridge was the longest cantilever structure attempted until that time. The First Quebec Bridge Disaster -A Case Study. from Wikipedia by Timt1006 PD-US After a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the collapse, construction started on a second bridge. Examination of the Structure Discloses Internal Evidence of the Cause of the Collapse IN our issue of Jast week, containing an account of . The first bridge project was suggested in 1852, but it would take another 50 years for the project to begin. The fallen central span still lies at the bottom of the river. It took 30 years to complete construction. Even though the replacement structure used two-and-a-half times as much steel, it too ran into difficulty. In order to reduce costs the original dimensions were altered, producing a central span with an unparalleled width of 549 m (1,800 ft). A Disaster in the MakingThis article identifies faulty design and planning decisions that led to the August 29, 1907 collapse of portions of the Québec Bridge. Of the 86 workers on the bridge … Abstract: In the late 19th century, the transportation needs of Quebec led to proposals for bridging the St. Lawrence River. The bridge, which was conceived to be one of the most advanced in the world, had already collapsed nine years earlier. The ill-starred bridge suffered a second disaster on 11 September 1916 when a new centre span being hoisted into position fell into the river, killing 13 men. Three engineers were appointed: H. E. Vautelet, a former engineer for the Canadian Pacific Railways, Maurice FitzMaurice from Britain, who worked on the construction of the Forth Bridge, and Ralph Modjeski from Chicago. When: August 29 1907 and September 11 1916. This disaster showed what unquestionable power an engineer had in a project. In its final design, the clear span was 548.6 m (1,800 ft) long. Re-construction began almost immediately after the accident and special permission granted for the bridge builders to acquire the steel that was in high demand because of the War effort. After a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the collapse, construction started on a second bridge. Frants Lichtenberg was also working as an inspector for the federal government of Canada at the time. Tom Martin's Tay Bridge Disaster. Leave a Reply Cancel reply. Where: St. Lawrence River, Quebec, Canada. The Quebec Bridge (Pont de Québec in French) is a road, rail and pedestrian bridge across the lower Saint Lawrence River between Sainte-Foy (since 2002 a western suburb of Quebec City) and Lévis, Quebec, Canada. 21 Feb.2003 • Middleton,William.The Bridge At Quebec. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Your email address will not be published. When the Quebec Bridge collapsed in September 1916, a horrific sense of déjà vu was felt throughout the city. Reader Interactions. During this time, there were two accidents (1907, 1916). The failure of these chords was due to their defective design.” William Treggett Jr. was involved in the construction of the center span of the bridge. To this day, … It seemed like a brilliant idea. On September 11, 1916, when the central span was being raised into position, it fell into the river, killing 13 workers. Where: Quebec, on the Saint Lawrence River Opening ceremony: August 22, 1919 Central span: 549 m (the longest in the world for a cantilever bridge) Total length: 987 … In 1916, a redesigned 5,000-ton center span was jacked into place from barges, but as thousands of spectators watched, it too crashed into the river when a jack bearing failed. 2. Tacoma Narrows Bridge (1940) Lessons from the Failure of a Great Machine. The Quebec Bridge spans the banks of the St. Lawrence River upstream from the old town. About second collapse of the bridge After a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the collapse, construction started on a second bridge, but September 11, 1916, when the central span was being raised into position, it fell into the river, killing 13 workers. The project failed twice, at the cost of 88 lives, and took over 30 years to complete. The bridge construction was restarted in 1913 and completed in August 1919. The new design was again for a bridge with a single long cantilever span, but a much more massive one. Your email address will not be published. Nine years later the new central section was being raised carefully into position between the cantilevered arms when a rupture caused it to crash into the water. September 11, 1916. 160k members in the 100yearsago community. Contact me. The bridge was finally completed in 1917 and the Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII) officially opened it 22 August 1919. Your email address will not be published. The Quebec Bridge structure plunged over 150 feet taking with it the lives of 75 workers. Vautelet was President and Chief Engineer. … For centuries the only way to get from the south shore of the St. Lawrence River to Quebec City on the north shore was to take a ferry. The chief engineer was made aware of the problem six weeks before the collapse by the engineer that was responsible for the construction of the centre section, Frants Lichtenberg. Three engineers were appointed: H. E. Vautelet, a former engineer for the Canadian Pacific Railways, Maurice FitzMaurice from Britain, who worked on the construction of the Forth Bridge, and Ralph Modjeski from Chicago. Only eleven workers on the span survived. Armed soldiers, and later Dominion Police, guarded the structure and checked passes until the end of the War. It was at time of construction the longest cantilever bridge in the world with clear span of 1800 ft. The new design was again for a bridge with a single long cantilever span, but a much more massive one. Cooper produced a design for a steel cantilever bridge with a single central span 46 m (150 ft) above the water. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quebec_Bridge, Browse by State  AL | AK |  AR | AZ | CA | CO | CT | DC | DE | FL | GA | HI | IA | ID | IL | IN | KS | KY | LA | MA | MD | ME | MI | MN | MO | MS | MT | NE | NC | ND | NH | NJ | NM | NV | NY | OH | OK | OR | PA | RI | SC | SD | TN | TX | UT | VA | VT | WA | WI | WV | WY, Canadian Birth, Marriage, & Death Records You should know: Quebec Bridge finally opened in December 1917 and has stood without incident since. The chief engineer was made aware of the problem six weeks before the collapse by the engineer that was responsible for the construction of the centre section, Frants Lichtenberg. The bridge initially collapsed on August 29, 1907. 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