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Full Description
Just 129 days after it opened, the $6.4 million Tacoma Narrows Bridge plunged to a watery grave on November 7, 1940. Even before completion, the engineering marvel's tendency to undulate was apparent, earning it the nickname "Galloping Gertie." Still, many of those involved claimed to be utterly stunned by the failure. In Catastrophe to Triumph, Richard S. Hobbs examines the real reasons government agencies hired a New York firm to fatefully revise the first set of plans. He reveals who knew about the imminent danger, what was being done to prevent a disaster, and why it was too little, too late. He recounts the final calamitous hours and harrowing escapes. In the aftermath, he explores the lawsuits, the insurance scam, the formal investigation, the heartbreak of ruined careers, and more. Yet ultimately, the story ends in triumph. Hobbs describes how a magnificent new 1950 bridge rose on the original substructure, along with details about the most recent Narrows span, scheduled to open in 2007. He explains the design changes that ensure stability and the incredible maintenance these intricate machines require. Prepared in cooperation with the Washington State Department of Transportation.
Contents
Foreword by Douglas B. MacDonald, Secretary of TransportationAcknowledgments
Introduction Bridging the Narrows
Chapter 1 Crossing the Narrows: Idea and Dream, ca. 1888-1937
Chapter 2 Creating the First Narrows Bridge: 1937-1940
Chapter 3 The 1940 Tacoma Narrows Bridge Machine
Chapter 4 Most Beautiful in the World
Chapter 5 People of the 1940 Narrows Bridge
Chapter 6 Warning Signs and Rumors
Chapter 7 Galloping Gertie Collapses, November 7, 1940
Chapter 8 The Lessons of Failure
Chapter 9 A Challenging Beginning: 1940-1948
Chapter 10 Rise of a New Bridge
Chapter 11 People of the Collapse and Aftermath, 1940-1950
Chapter 12 Bridge Connections, 1950 to the Present Time
Chapter 13 The Bridge Machine Since 1950
Chapter 14 People of the 1950 Narrows Bridge
Chapter 15 Style for a New Span
Epilogue A Bridge to the Future, 1993-2007
Appendix A Statistical Comparison of the 1940 and 1950 Tacoma Narrows Bridges
Appendix B Spanning Time: A Chronology of the Tacoma Narrows Bridges
Appendix C Glossary
Bibliography
Index
