Tuesday 13 December 2011

Gallopin' Gertie

As I publish this post a strong wind is blowing across the whole of UK, and it seems appropriate to think of the destructive power that it has.  I remember being astounded when I first saw this incredible footage. Even now, the movie never ceases to amaze.



This was the famous collapse of the original Tacoma Narrows Bridge, known even during its construction as Gallopin' Gertie, in Washington State, USA on 7th November 1940.  The bridge collapsed just 4 months after opening due to an unfortunate resonance effect known as 'aerolastic flutter'.  The only casualty was a small dog which was trapped inside a car.

1 comment:

krissthesexyatheist said...

Wow, that is a blast from the past. when the recent and unfortunate tsunami hit Japan I had similar feelings as when I first saw the bridge footage..."mother nature can f*ck up us puny humans." Awesomeness, don't get blown away-n-stuff,

Kriss