does anyone else remember. Galloping Gertie?
Today's news of the disaster in Israel where 44 people died. Was apparently due to an engineering design of a tunnel the crowd was forced into ----as it became slightly more narrow ------being so packed full of people there was no room to crush anymore and some began to fall which created the disaster... Impending engineering disasters have been in the news lately ------I've been slightly concerned ever since president Carter with his physics background. told us years ago that the levees and bridges in this country were in terrible shape .. The whole topic of conversation bought me back to galloping Gertie..
I was young at the time---- but the conversation about it went on for quite awhile including the photographs.. it really is worth a Google if you don't know about it------ basically a bridge over the tacoma narrows in Washington --state of--- during the last phases of construction the workmen on the job notice that it was moving very slightly... ----- they opened it with great pomp and circumstance in I think 1940 and within a few months it began a rhythmic swing so badly that it. self destroyed. in In spectacular fashion..
. I will get back to Israel eventually with this story but I was in Kansas City for some wedding or another and the reception was at some hotel which had a balcony
over the ballroom.. I think it was the following week after I was there when some people got dancing on that balcony and the balcony collapsed on to the guests below. RHYTHMIC DANCING GOT BLAMED... ALONG WITH A MISSING NUT IN THE ALTERED DESIGN./. WORST CIVIL ENGINEERING DISASTER.
OTHER RELATED ENGINEERING STORIES....
Well I have been concerned about bridges for a long time ever since a huge iron beam fell out of the rt 95 bridge over the Merrimac river.... and the news all said------ NOT TO WORRY.....IT WAS NOT NEEDED ANYWAY????????---- IT WAS UNREPAIRED FOR SEVERAL YEARS, BUT NOW THEY HAVE PUT IN A NEW ONE.
somewhere along the lines I have heard that when the army marches across a bridge they “break step” ... to eliminate any rhythmic swing------------ I think that's a Fact
so to get back to Israel the photograph as they started to talk about how many people were killed tv showed people in bleachers jumping up and down in Unison... and REMEMBERING
GERTIE.....I thought that would be the cause of the many deaths -----it turns out the bleachers held and it was the tunnel that created the problem...
so FY I. if you're thinking of dancing -----make sure you are on the ground and not some balcony—and don’t get in those crowds anyway.
The laws of physics stand up pretty well over time. Newton’s apple still falls down....
NOW ABOUT BENTLEY’S BELLY..... FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO KNOW.
IT WAS SHAVED TO REMOVE HIS SPPLEEN ( WHICH WAS NOT CANCER ... HIS OTHER PARTS WERE... BUT ALL REMOVED..) HIS LARGER BLACK SPOTS HAVE BLACK SKIN WHICH GROWS BLACK HAIR.... BUT THERE ARE MANY ¼ INCH BLACK DOTS THAT GROW WHITE HAIR.,
SUM AND SUBSTANCE OF YESTERDAYS TRAILER EPISODE—WE ENDED UP WITH OVER $1000 WORTH OF FLAT STONES, I AM NOT TO O SURE WHAT WE WILL DO WITH ALL THEM... EXCEPT FOR THE MOMENT PILE THEM IN TIDY FASHION... LIKE A ??WALL?? ON PUPPY HILL CAMERA..
-------THE 3 SIDED PALLET THAT CAME WITH THEM IS A PERFECT CHAOS CARRIER.. LINED WITH A FLUFFY SHE HAS MUCH MORE ROOM IN IT THAN THE TRAILER.
LINDA AND I TESTED IT... SHE VERY EASILY GOT RIGHT IN IT AND LAIID DOWN. – I JUST PICK IT UP 2 INCHES.... ENOUGH TO CLEAR THE GROUND.. SHE WAS VERY HAPPY WITH IT...
SHE HAS OTHER TRACTOR BUCKET EXPERIENCE WHEN I WAS TRAINING BOTH SHE AND BAILEY TO GET IN THE TREE FOR THE CALENDAR.. WE PRACTICED RAISING THEM IN THE BUCKET... EDUCATION IS A WONDERFUL THING... SO NOW SHE NEEDS HELP AND HER PAST TRAINING IS COMING INTO GOOD USE.
HERE I AM PICKING IT OUT OF THE ROCK PILE.. BUT 2 INCHES OFF THE GROUND ... IT IS PERFECT FOR CHAOS.
