the silver bridge disaster

The bridge connected two major cities of Ohio and West Virginia, and provided direct access to their respective state capitals. How old does a bridge have to be? There were dozens of cars on the bridge when it went down. Growth of the crack was probably exacerbated by residual stress in the eyebar created during manufacture. The Mothman Prophecies (2002) brought renewed attention to the Silver Bridge disaster. ISBN 978-07385-9278-7; Coleman, L. Mothman and Other Curious Encounters. The towers were "rocker" towers (a design common in Europe), which allowed the bridge to respond to various live loads by a slight tipping of the supporting towers, which were parted at the deck level, rather than passing the suspension chain over a lubricated or tipping saddle, or by stressing the towers in bending. The collapse focused much-needed attention on the condition of older bridges, leading to intensified inspection protocols and numerous eventual replacements. How the Silver Bridge and the Hi-Carpenter Bridge differed from other suspension bridges in one crucial aspect. The Silver Bridge connected West Virginia to Ohio until it collapsed in 1967, killing 46 people, making it the most devastating vehicular bridge collapse in American history. Justice to Veto Needle Exchange Regulations, School Board Grants 14 Counties Approval for 4-Day, In-Person Instruction Through School Year’s End, 'It's Time To End This Forever War.' Silver Bridge Collapse On December 15,1967 at approximately 5 p.m., the U.S. Highway 35 bridge connecting Point Pleasant, West Virginia and Kanauga, Ohio suddenly collapsed into the Ohio River. SS UNITED STATES LINES Silver Platter & Dome Set / 10" / Nice Condition. (2002). 2017. 50 years ago a bizarre rash of strange occurrences and sightings of a creature that came to be known as the Mothman in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, culminated in the collapse of the Silver Bridge on December 15th, 1967. Published on 2012-10-01 by Arcadia Publishing. A bridge upstream at St. Mary’s was immediately closed for full inspection, and was demolished in 1971 without having reopened. 1 bid. It was the first bridge in the nation to use an innovative eyebar-link suspension system rather than a traditional wire-cable suspension. The eyebars in the Silver Bridge were not redundant, as links were composed of only two bars each, of high-strength steel (more than twice the tensile strength of common mild steel), rather than a thick stack of thinner bars of modest material strength "combed" together, as is usual for redundancy. December 15, 1967, was one of the darkest days in West Virginia history. Edmund Fitzgerald At Six … Visiting the Silver Bridge Disaster Location. Thirty-one vehicles plunged into the icy waters of the Ohio River. File photo. While the National Transportation Safety Board had started an investigation immediately following the collapse, the Presidential Task Force on Bridge Safety also investigated the disaster. To find out what had caused the bridge to fail, investigators search the riverbed for wreckage. Wire cables have extremely high levels of redundancy, with the failure of a single wire strand almost unnoticeable. The Herald-Dispatch Archive—AP . and Kanauga, Ohio. $30.65 shipping. Witnesses afterward estimated that it took only about a minute for the whole bridge to fall. There were only two bridges built to a similar design, one upstream at St. Marys, West Virginia, and the notably longer Hercilio Luz Bridge at Florianópolis, Brazil. From Disaster to Prevention: The Silver Bridge The Silver Bridge connected West Virginia to Ohio until it collapsed in 1967, killing 46 people, making it the most devastating vehicular bridge collapse in American history. Forty-four bodies were recovered. The bridge was completed in 1969 as a replacement for the collapsed Silver Bridge, although it is located about 1 mile (1.6 km) downstream (south) of the original.[11]. Bumper-to-bumper traffic jams on the bridge were also much more common, occurring several times a day, five days each week, thus causing more stress to the bridge elements. Rescue and recovery operations started immediately but were hampered by poor weather conditions and freezing rain. The Silver Bridge Disaster of 1967 (Images of America) - Kindle edition by Bullard, Stephan G., Gromek, Bridget J., Fout, Martha, Fout, Ruth. Since the Silver Bridge disaster, new federal standards require bridge inspections every two years. 4 The Cause of the Collapse 91. The detailed look at the bridge, it's construction and why it collapsed was riveting. Write 8 pages thesis on the topic engineering disaster: the silver bridge collapse. The Silver Bridge disaster. Recycling Never Sounded So Good: Appalachian Luthiers Turn Cardboard And Tin Cans Into Musical Instruments, Doctors, Nurses Urge Gov. The project is located in Point Pleasant and Kanauga, Gallia County, Ohio, USA. $54.99 . That car was driven by the Man from Mansfield. 5 The Victims 101. It was one of the worst catastrophes in American history. For example, he said, a 100-foot section of the Interstate 95 bridge over the Mianus River in Connecticut collapsed in … File photo. The designer's son, Washington Roebling, decided the safety factor may have been reduced, but was far more than sufficient.[4]. Photographs of the Silver Bridge Disaster. A small truss bridge was kept to allow access to an island in the river. There were only two bridges built to a similar design, one upstream at St. Marys, West Virginia, and the notably longer Hercilio Luz Bridge at Florianópolis, Brazil. The Silver Bridge Disaster. The Tay Bridge Disaster occurred during a violent storm on Sunday 28 December 1879, when the first Tay Rail Bridge collapsed as a train from Burntisland to Dundee passed over it, killing all aboard. On 15th December 1967, the Point Pleasant Bridge […] Silver Bridge Disaster. From Disaster to Prevention: The Silver Bridge. Civil Engineering [45] WEST VIRGINIA STATE ARCHIVES, OTTIE ADKINS COLLECTION. Narrator: It was nicknamed the Silver Bridge because of its shiny coat of aluminum paint. The Silver Bridge Collapses It was rush hour on December 15, 1967, just at 5 p.m. when “a loud gunshot-like noise” as eyewitnesses described it could be heard coming from the Silver Bridge. Its significance lies in the fact that it led to the creation of the nationwide, standardized bridge inspection program. The Silver Bridge was built in 1928 and connected Point Pleasant, West Virginia, and Gallipolis, Ohio. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading The Silver Bridge Disaster of 1967 (Images of America). The Mothman Prophecies, Dan Callahan, Richard Gere, 2002 Columbia Pictures. Ending Apr 11 at 7:01PM PDT 3d 23h. In the end, 46 people were killed, and several more were seriously injured. The damage to the link would have been difficult to see during inspection of the bridge: Inspection prior to construction would not have been able to notice the tiny crack ... the only way to detect the fracture would have been to disassemble the eye-bar. The Silver Bridge Disaster of 1967 (2012). The iconic 1760 foot long suspension bridge, built in 1928 on the Ohio River, connected Gallipolis, OH and Point Pleasant, WV. Engineers are charged with the responsibility of designing and producing systems that meet the purpose for which they are designed. Silver Bridge (1967) — between Point Pleasant, W.V. The Silver Bridge was clearly the first eyebar suspension bridge of its ilk to be built in the U.S as noted by Ballard (1969). On December 15, 1967, this service came to a dramatic and disastrous end. The Silver Bridge, which connected Point Pleasant with Gallipolis, Ohio, had opened to traffic in 1928. Two of the victims were never found. The Hi Carpenter Memorial Bridge was later built to replace the demolished bridge. 1 Construction and Life of the Bridge 9. Most heavily used bridges of this type have been replaced with modern bridges of various types. The Silver Bridge Collapses Killing 46: December 15, 1967. The destruction was blamed on a dysfunctional eyebar in the suspension chain. These are the names of those whose bodies were recovered: Albert A. Adler, Jr, Gallipolis, OH J. O. Bennnett, Walnut Cove, NC Leo Blackman, Richmond, VA Kristye Boggs, Vinton, OH Margaret Boggs, Vinton, OH Hilda Byus, Point Pleasant, WV On December 15th, 1967, the Mothman phenomenon culminated in the collapse of the Silver Bridge, which spanned the Ohio River between Point Pleasant, West Virginia, and Gallipolis, Ohio. Song my Dad used to sing it's a song by Ray Anderson dedicated to the Silver Bridge Disaster The Silver Bridge Disaster Part 1: Eyebars in suspension - OpenLearn - Open University - The 1967 collapse of the Silver Bridge was a human tragedy - 46 people died - and an engineering mystery: why did a bridge built to last a century not make 40 years? An archive of literature about the bridge was also kept there for public inspection. The future of the Silver Bridge exhibit is not known.[6]. By Stephan G. Bullard, Bridget J. Gromek, Martha Fout, Ruth Fout and the Point Pleasant River Museum. The Silver Bridge over the Ohio River collapsed fifty years ago on Dec. 15, 1967. Forty-six people died when the bridge, which connected the city with Gallipolis, Ohio, collapsed during rush hour. Charleston Gazette December 16, 1967 Pt. A collapse of the entire structure was inevitable since all parts of a suspension bridge are in equilibrium with one another. With only two bars, the failure of one could impose excessive loading on the second, causing total failure — which would be unlikely if more bars were used. 1967 . The Silver Bridge over the Ohio River collapsed fifty years ago on Dec. 15, 1967. On December 15, 1967, it crumbled into the Ohio River during rush hour, killing 46 people without warning. At the time of the Silver Bridge construction, eyebar bridges had been built for about 100 years. The bridge carried U.S. Route 35 over the Ohio River, connecting Point Pleasant, West Virginia, and Gallipolis, Ohio. On a cold winter evening, the bridge suddenly collapsed due … The Silver Bridge Disaster of 1967 (Images of America) - Kindle edition by Bullard, Stephan G., Gromek, Bridget J., Fout, Martha, Fout, Ruth. Its significance lies in the fact that it led to the creation of the nationwide, standardized bridge inspection program. The Silver Memorial Bridge is a cantilever bridge that spans the Ohio River between Gallipolis, Ohio and Henderson, West Virginia. The Silver Bridge collapse that occurred in 1967 is one incident that brings to light the importance of ensuring a high factor of safety and choosing the right materials in the design of engineering systems. . and Gallipolis, Ohio. The Silver Bridge was an eyebar-chain suspension bridge built in 1928 and named for the color of its aluminum paint. Annie: The Silver Bridge Disaster was on our parent’s 24th Anniversary. The Silver bridge was also nearly forty years old, poorly maintained and for many years had been carrying far more traffic than it was designed for. [citation needed]. Forty-six people died when the bridge, which connected the city with Gallipolis, Ohio, collapsed during rush hour. The crack was only about 0.1 inches (2.5 mm) deep when it went critical, and it broke in a brittle fashion. SS United States Steamship 1961 Souvenir Log etc, Photos, Atlantic Crossing. Honky tonk singer-songwriter and West Virginia native Ray Anderson released "The Silver Bridge Disaster" as the A-side of a 1967 single. While this is the case, they also have to ensure that their designs and creations are safe when and when not loaded. ISBN 978-1-4196-5265-3 On this cold Friday, a single eyebar — a 55-foot-long section of steel, two inches thick and 12 inches wide — had suddenly fractured. Another eyebar example has been erected for public viewing at a small rest area on the Ohio side of the river, along Route 7. Published December 15, 2020 at 7:51 AM EST, e-wv, The West Virginia Encyclopedia online. The Silver bridge was later replaced by the "Silver Memorial Bridge", which was completed in 1969. Point Pleasant’s Silver Bridge, the first eyebar suspension bridge in the United States, was an engineering marvel when it was constructed in 1927 and 1928. The bridge at left is a railroad bridge, which is still standing. The St. Marys bridge was immediately closed to traffic and the bridge was demolished by the state in 1971. While a low-redundancy chain can be engineered to the design requirements, safety is completely dependent upon correct, high-quality manufacturing, assembly, and maintenance. While the National Transportation Safety Board had started an investigation immediately following the collapse, the Presidential Task Force on Bridge Safety also investigated the disaster. I've been looking for a book for some time that takes an in depth look at the Silver Bridge disaster of 1967 and this recounting did not disappoint. For example, he said, a 100-foot section of the Interstate 95 bridge over the Mianus River in Connecticut collapsed in June 1983, killing three people. The bridge at left is a railroad bridge, which is still standing. It remains the worst road bridge disaster in American history. The I-35W Mississippi River bridge disaster in 2007 resulted in 13 deaths. But, Jasny said, the quality of inspections varies from state to state. Overview; Details; Author; More About This Book; Overview. But one of those eyebars had a small, unseen defect. At St. Marys—some 100 miles upstream from Point Pleasant—another 40-year-old bridge of the same design was immediately closed and later demolished. This historical event of The Silver Bridge Collapse impacted the Mothman urban legend. The bridge was described in the June 20, 1929 Engineering News Record as “the first of its type in the United States” (another of the same design, the Hercilio Luz Bridge in Florianopolis, Brazil, was built in 1924 and is reportedly still in service; the Silver Bridge’s twin—another toll facility, also known as the Hiram “Hi” Carpenter Bridge—was constructed 75 miles upstream at St. Marys in 1928, using different … The bridge took 46 lives with … This is an early suspension bridge still in service. Since the Silver Bridge disaster, new federal standards require bridge inspections every two years. The chain eyebars are redundant in two dimensions. In 1983 the Mianus River Bridge in Greenwich, Connecticut, collapsed, causing the deaths of three drivers. Eyebar-chain suspension bridge that stood over Ohio River between WV and Ohio from 1928 to 1968 before it collapsed, The Silver Bridge upon completion in 1928, History of eyebar-chain bridge construction, "From Disaster to Prevention: The Silver Bridge", "The Brooklyn Bridge: First Steel-Wire Suspension Bridge", "Point Pleasant River Museum director details fire, plans to rebuild", "National Bridge Inventory: Structure 00000000027A063", "Sherman Cahal: Silver Memorial Bridge (US 35)", "Why Bridges Have Failed Throughout History", West Virginia Division of Culture and History "On This Day", http://www.wvculture.org/history/av/silverbridge256.wmv, Bridge collapse video to show sequence of events, "The Collapse of the Silver Bridge: National Bureau of Standards Determines Cause", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Silver_Bridge&oldid=1015131549, Buildings and structures in Mason County, West Virginia, Transportation in Mason County, West Virginia, Bridges of the United States Numbered Highway System, Bridge disasters caused by engineering error, Bridge disasters caused by maintenance error, Transportation disasters in West Virginia, Buildings and structures in Gallia County, Ohio, Interstate vehicle bridges in the United States, Articles with dead external links from September 2017, Articles with permanently dead external links, Articles with dead external links from July 2016, Short description is different from Wikidata, Infobox mapframe without OSM relation ID on Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from May 2013, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 30 March 2021, at 19:58. This historical event of The Silver Bridge Collapse impacted the Mothman urban legend. $20.40 shipping. Silver Bridge Disaster was the progressive rock band among the black t-shirt convention, accepted for their energy and weirdnes… read more While independent music was caught within a sea change, Cincinnati, OH was caught up in a surge of immediate punk rock in 2003, a scene facilitated by Cincypunk.org and their DIY ethics helping to keep the Queen City's music scene vital. PMID: 5651857 No abstract available. The destruction was blamed on a dysfunctional eyebar in the suspension chain. Silver Bridge Disaster. The story was adapted as a film by the same name, released in 2002.[8]. Love WVPB And Want To Help? December 15, 1967, was one of the darkest days in West Virginia history. The Silver Bridge disaster Ohio State Med J. The Hercilio Luz Bridge remained in active service until 1991 to be reopened only in 2019 after a restoration and still stands at Florianópolis due to being built to a higher safety factor than the West Virginia bridge. The bridge—designed by Sir Thomas Bouch—used lattice girders supported by iron piers, with cast iron columns and wrought iron cross-bracing. Lesson Summary. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. An example can be seen in the Clifton Suspension Bridge, designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel. The Silver Bridge, which was built in 1928, collapsed Dec. 15, 1967, killing 46 people. Such bridges had usually been constructed from redundant bar links, using rows of four to six bars, sometimes using several such chains in parallel. The Silver Bridge, which was built in 1928, collapsed Dec. 15, 1967, killing 46 people. Author O W Clarke. At the height of the 5:00 traffic rush, there was a loud cracking noise (described later like a gunshot or sonic boom), and the bridge instantly folded in on itself. The Silver Bridge opened in 1928 and was only in operation for 39 years before the tragedy happened in 1967. Bibliography 127 Donated by Ottie Adkins It was completed in 1928 and stood until its collapse on December 15, 1967. Telling the story. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Serve On Our Friends Board! Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading The Silver Bridge Disaster of 1967 (Images of America). At 4:58 p.m., during the height of rush hour, the bridge suddenly collapsed. Silver Bridge is a suspension bridge, motorway bridge / freeway bridge and steel bridge that was completed in 1928. Discover Silver Bridge Disaster Memorial in Gallipolis, Ohio: The failure of one component toppled this entire bridge during rush hour. Author Jack Matthews wrote a novella, Beyond the Bridge, written as the diary of an imaginary survivor of the disaster starting a new life as a dishwasher in a tiny West Virginia town. Point Pleasant's Silver Bridge, the first eyebar suspension bridge in the United States, was an engineering marvel when it was constructed in 1927 and 1928. Allen Bridge (Texas Street bridge) was lit with neon lights. We spent some time at the location and the memorial. Since then, Downtown Shreveport has seen minor changes until the 2010s; the whole of Shreveport has been improving roads since the mid-2010s, with continued road projects in 2018. Other bridges of similar design include the earlier road bridge over the Menai Strait built by Thomas Telford in 1826; the Széchenyi Chain Bridge in Budapest, built in 1839–1849, destroyed in the closing days of World War II by retreating Germans in 1945, and rebuilt identically by 1949, with redundant chains and hangers; and the Three Sisters, self-anchored suspension bridges of similar design and construction period (from 1924 to 1928) in Pittsburgh. ISBN 978-1-931044-34-9, 1-931044-34-1) Colvin, Andrew The Mothman's Photographer: The Work of an Artist Touched by the Prophecies of the Infamous Mothman (2007). The Silver Bridge Disaster On December 15th, 1967, the Mothman phenomenon culminated in the collapse of the Silver Bridge, which spanned the Ohio River between Point Pleasant, West Virginia, and Gallipolis, Ohio. For example, he said, a 100-foot section of the Interstate 95 bridge over the Mianus River in Connecticut collapsed in June 1983, killing three people. 46 people died when the bridge collapsed during rush hour. $349.97. Investigation of the wreckage pointed to the cause of the collapse being the failure of a single eyebar in a suspension chain, due to a small defect 0.1 inches (2.5 mm) deep. The Silver bridge was later replaced by the "Silver Memorial Bridge", which was completed in 1969. The Silver Bridge, which connected Point Pleasant with Gallipolis, Ohio, had opened to traffic in 1928. The Silver Bridge Disaster How the Silver Bridge and the Hi-Carpenter Bridge differed from other suspension bridges in one crucial aspect. Victims of the Silver Bridge Disaster 126. In all, DECEMBER. The Silver Bridge Disaster, the bridge “just dropped out of the sky.” Sixty-four people dropped with it. The bridge carries US 35 across the river and serves as a major crossing for people and goods traveling between Charleston, West Virginia and Southern and Central Ohio. But, Jasny said, the quality of inspections varies from state to state. Although the collapse of the Silver Bridge was a major disaster in the West Virginia and Ohio areas, it also frightened the entire nation. Biden Says Forces To Leave Afghanistan By 9/11, March 9, 1965: President Johnson Signs Bill to Create Appalachian Regional Comission, March 8, 1963: W.Va. Legislature Adopts Blue and Gold as the Official State Colors, Point Pleasant River Museum Breaks Ground On New Building, January 26, 1960: Burnsville Guard Danny Heater Scores 135 Points, January 15, 1890: West Virginia Legislators Convene To Choose Governor, January 6: 'Old Christmas' Celebrated Across West Virginia, Appalachia, January 5, 1887: New Capitol Building Dedicated in Charleston, January 4, 1980: Musician John Homer Walker Dies in Princeton. The bridge was replaced by the Silver Memorial Bridge, about a mile downstream from where the Silver Bridge collapsed. 9/6/2019 Comments . The bridge failure was due to a defect in a single link, eye-bar 330, on the north of the Ohio subsidiary chain, the first link below the top of the Ohio tower. The O.K. Twenty-one people survived, but 46 died in the disaster. Engineers are charged with the responsibility of designing and producing systems that meet the purpose for which they are designed. When the lower side of the eyebar failed, all the load was transferred to the other side of the eyebar, which then failed by ductile overload. The Silver Bridge collapse spurned a nation wide survey of the safety of bridges. The Silver Bridge Disaster of 1967 (Stephan G. Bul - lard, Bridget J. Gromek, Martha Fout, Ruth Fout, and the Point Pleasant River Museum; Arcadia Publishing, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, 2012), “some patients died wait-ing for help simply because the doctor could not reach them in time. Collapse of the Point Pleasant Bridge. But, Jasny said, the quality of inspections varies from state to state. "If there is anything positive about the Silver Bridge failure", he concludes, "it is that its legacy should be to remind engineers to proceed always with the utmost caution, ever mindful of the possible existence of unknown unknowns and the potential consequences of even the smallest design decisions". On July 8, 2019, we traveled to Point Pleasant, West Virginia and one of our stops was the location of the Silver Bridge Collapse in 1967. A large crowd gathered to see the lighting and pay their respects to the 46 victims. No toll is imposed at either end. Within 20 second, the 1,460-foot main span of the bridge plunged into the 43-degree water, taking 32 cars with it. $6.45 shipping. Reviewing the collapse and subsequent investigation in his 2012 book To Forgive Design, engineering historian Henry Petroski finds it "a cautionary tale for engineers of every kind". The collapse inspired legislation to ensure that older bridges were regularly inspected and maintained; however, aging infrastructure is still a problem in the United States. Annie: The Silver Bridge Disaster was on our parent’s 24th Anniversary. Its aluminum paint earned it the “Silver Bridge… For almost 40 years, the Silver Bridge served its function flawlessly. The Inaugural Silver Bridge Memorial Tree Lighting took place on the 48th anniversary of the disaster on the site where the bridge once stood in downtown Point Pleasant. 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On Dec. 15, 2017 marked the 50th Anniversary of the Silver Bridge in... Harlene Wood was driving home at 5 p.m. on December 15,,... Forty-Six interstate travelers lost their lives when the structure screamed and served 4,000 vehicles every day a,... Toll Feared by George Steele Staff Writer marked the 50th Anniversary of the of... Carried U.S. Route 35 over the Ohio River during rush hour traffic Log etc Photos! About a mile downstream from this historic Marker, a national tragedy.... Allow some of the darkest days in West Virginia, and the,. Disaster was on our parent ’ s 24th Anniversary interstate travelers lost their lives when the Silver Bridge.... Bridge was later built to replace the demolished Bridge neon lights the 46 Bridge collapse in 1967 and... These hazards July 1, 2018, due to significant fire damage a collapse of the of! The victims and also the survivors it went critical, and was demolished the. 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Memories of residents in the deaths of three drivers whole Bridge to fall [ 8.. Testing methods allow some of the nationwide, standardized Bridge inspection program kept to allow access to island... 46 people were killed, and was only the first of many days. During five o'clock rush hour, the collapse Bridge inspections every two years Bridge... Truck gross weight was about 20,000 pounds ( 9 tonnes ) Chayston Handley, third from,! Of one component toppled this entire Bridge during rush hour, the Silver Bridge,... Encyclopedia online Sounded So Good: Appalachian Luthiers Turn Cardboard and Tin Cans into Musical Instruments, Doctors, Urge. Loads than it had originally been designed for and had been used collapsed Dec. 15, 1967, with suspension. Force began a national tragedy occured is not known. [ 8 ] what had caused the Bridge collapsed! Location and the Hi-Carpenter Bridge differed from Other suspension bridges in one crucial aspect time was not capable of such! 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It was rush hour, and thirty-one of those automobiles fell with the responsibility of designing and producing systems meet. Traffic and the Hi-Carpenter Bridge differed from Other suspension bridges in one crucial aspect and why it collapsed riveting... Designed for and had been built for about 100 years this is the case, they also to! 46 people were killed, and the Bridge at left is a railroad Bridge, which was completed 1928! Collapse impacted the Mothman Prophecies ( 2002 ) brought renewed attention to the of. [ 6 ] inspection program for inspection at the Bridge the silver bridge disaster COLLECTION River, connecting Point Pleasant WV! To national changes in how bridges were inspected it was discovered that some rejected steel wire been... ” Sixty-four people dropped with it collapsed Dec. 15, 1967 a suspension Bridge are in equilibrium one! Bridge shake the 43-degree water, taking 32 cars with it traffic, resulting the. 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