When a friend posted video of Galloping Gertie, the bridge over the Tacoma Narrows that collapsed in dramatic fashion on November 9, 1940, I was inspired to feature bridges on Saturday Snapshots. Here are a few I've encountered, along with a film of Galloping Gertie's demise. Luckily, all of the spans have remained standing (so far) except Gertie.
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The Bridge of Sighs
Venice, Italy |
According to Wikipedia: The view from the Bridge of Sighs was the last view of Venice that convicts saw before their imprisonment. The bridge name, given by Lord Byron in the 19th century, comes from the suggestion that prisoners would sigh at their final view of beautiful Venice through the window before being taken down to their cells. In reality, the days of inquisitions and summary executions were over by the time the bridge was built and the cells under the palace roof were occupied mostly by small-time criminals. In addition, little could be seen from inside the Bridge due to the stone grills covering the windows.
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Tower Bridge, London, England - Built 1886-94
It's a combined bascule and suspension bridge. |
No, this isn't London Bridge. That's located in Lake Havasu City, Arizona!
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The Main Street Bridge crossing the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida.
It's a lift bridge, with the center section rising straight up. |
Jacksonville is located in far northeast Florida (U.S.), near the Atlantic Ocean. The river is wide at this point.
The bridge over the Royal Gorge, Colorado (U.S.) towers 955 feet (291 m) above the Arkansas River. I was happy to be down at ground level, riding a train, instead of up on that bridge!
And here's film from 1940 showing "Galloping Gertie." These days, two one-way bridges span the Tacoma Narrows Strait of Puget Sound, Washington (U.S.) and I'm sure they're sturdy. But visions of Gertie still pop into my head every time I drive across.
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I also have a bit of bridge fetish & can happily say that I've also visited the first two bridges that you listed.
ReplyDeleteDid Gertie fall down deliberately or was it high winds, bad engineering, foul play???
The winds are fierce through the Tacoma Narrows, but according to the video, the bridge's design was bad.
DeleteI like bridges too, it's always nice to walk across them, as well as look at them.
ReplyDeleteThis is great, Sandy. Bridges both fascinate and frighten me. Love the Bridge of Sighs. Have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteMy reaction to bridges is the same as yours.
DeleteI love bridges, and that first one, in Venice, is my favorite of this group. I also love one you don't have here, but it is famous: The Golden Gate Bridge. When I lived in SF, we walked across it...once. LOL
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing...and here's MY SATURDAY SNAPSHOT POST
The Golden Gate Bridge is a beauty and in a beautiful location. I thought I had a picture of it from our visit to the area, but I couldn't put my hands on it. Otherwise, it would definitely have been included here.
DeleteGosh that is scary. I have a serious phobia about crossing bridges, so bad that I even tried a hypnotherapist to get over it, as in life you do sometimes have to cross bridges. Tower Bridge in London has just had a glass walkway fitted on the top level. I will be going nowhere near it.
ReplyDeleteThat film of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge is scary for anyone to watch!
DeleteNice pictures! It was unforgettable gondola passing under the bridge of sighs !!
ReplyDeleteVenice was a place I'll never forget. Just amazing.
DeleteI like bridges too! it's a lovely idea for a post, and they're great photos. My Snapshot is at http://chriscross53.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/poppis-at-tower.html
ReplyDeleteI have not been to Italy, London, Jacksonville, nor Tacoma, but I have seen the London Bridge in Lake Havasu City, in fact I have a piece of it somewhere( a souvenir) and I have been on the Bridge over the Royal Gorge. In fact we drove our motorcycle across it , several years ago. Thanks for sharing all the bridge pictures.
ReplyDeleteYou sure were brave to go over the Royal Gorge Bridge! That one was just way too high for me.
DeleteThat bothered me, too. I wondered why he didn't grab the dog, especially since he seems to have had time to pick up the pipe clutched in his fist. The narrator said something about the man being "on his hands and knees" so perhaps he couldn't hold the dog and save himself too. Still, I don't like it either!
ReplyDeleteMY fave is that bridge in Venice! Oh, to be able to travel back to Italy! Sigh!
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean. We saw so much during our visit, but there's so much more to see! Lots of beauty and history there.
DeleteI completely LOVE bridges! And you sure have picked some of the best to highlight. I've seen London bridge many times, yet it never fails to fascinate me. Now that picture you have of the bridge over the Royal Gorge, Colorado has me wanting to go there! LOL
ReplyDeleteIf you have never been to the Rocky Mountains, you should definitely go. That part of the country is beautiful. FYI: The train through the Royal Gorge departs Cañon City, Colorado, daily.
DeleteWhat a fantastic post! I love photography. The bridges are beautiful and I enjoyed the stories you included too :)
ReplyDeleteChanzie @ Mean Who You Are.
I love your beautiful pictures! I remember going across the Bridge of Sighs and thinking, "wow - not much of a view!" now I know it's not just me thinking that! :) -beth (Beth's Book-Nook)
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