Silver Bridge Disaster of 1967

Stephan G Bullard, Bridget J Gromek, Martha Fout

ISBN 10: 1531662765 / ISBN 13: 9781531662769

Published by Arcadia Publishing Library Editions, 2012

About this Item

Seller Inventory # LU-9781531662769

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Silver Bridge Disaster of 1967
• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing Library Editions
• Publication Date: 2012
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1531662765
• ISBN 13: 9781531662769
• Binding: Hardback
• Condition: New
• Weight: 413 grams

About this title

Synopsis

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. Located on US Highway 35, the bridge spanned the Ohio River and linked Point Pleasant, West Virginia, with the towns of Kanauga and Gallipolis, Ohio. For almost 40 years, the structure provided dependable service for travelers in the region. On December 15, 1967, this service came to a dramatic and disastrous end. At 4:58 p.m., during the height of rush hour, the bridge suddenly collapsed. Rescue and recovery operations started immediately but were hampered by poor weather conditions and freezing rain. The cause of the collapse was linked to the bridge's innovative design. Undetected corrosion stress cracks caused an eyebar on the Ohio side to fracture; because the eyebars were linked together in a chain, the failure of one led to the catastrophic collapse of the entire bridge. In total, 46 lives were lost in the disaster.

About the Author

Using the archives of the Point Pleasant River Museum as a launching point, Stephan G. Bullard, Bridget J. Gromek, Martha Fout, and Ruth Fout weave together period photographs and firsthand eyewitness accounts to create a compelling narrative of this horrific tragedy.