The Worlds Most Important And Impresive Bridge, In Our Home Country.
![Picture](/uploads/1/6/5/0/16503560/389735.gif?677)
Picture from Historical Bridges.com
The St. Lawrence River served Canada as the main flow for commerce but after the railways came, the river became an impairment to the east - west transport of goods. In 1859 Montreal built the Victoria Bridge which left Quebec at a disadvantage. In 1887 the Quebec Bridge company was formed and plans to build the worlds longest Cantilever bridge, that would span 1800 feet over the St. Lawrence River. To this day the bridge still holds the world record and will no doubt maintain it because Cantilever Truss Bridges are no longer built today.
First Bridge Tragedy
![Picture](/uploads/1/6/5/0/16503560/1365706957.png)
Photo taken day before the collapse
By 1900 the Phoenix Bridge Company of Pennsylvania was hired to build the massive Cantilever bridge. Theodore Cooper was both the engineer and designer of the new bridge. The company was well known for its patented "Phoenix Column" simple span truss bridges. Research has not been able to provide historians with any proof that prior to this build the company had any experience with the design or construction of large scale bridge spans such as Cantilever truss. It appears that the company approach this build just like any other and had all design and engineering work done in house, and did not cross check with outside consultants.
For 7 years the project went off with out a hitch, until August 29 1907 when the entire structure collapsed, killing 87 workers.
For 7 years the project went off with out a hitch, until August 29 1907 when the entire structure collapsed, killing 87 workers.
Kahnawake
![Picture](/uploads/1/6/5/0/16503560/735868_orig.jpg)
33 of these workers were steelworkers from the the small Mohawk tribal village of Kahnawake. This tragedy influence the community and has affected it right to this day.
24 of these men were married, the youngest was 18, the oldest 44. 4 of the men were the last of their family lines.
The Mohawk Steelworkers from this village have a proud tradition that started in 1896 with the construction of a railway bridge that needed to span onto the Kahnawake reserve. The local Mohawk men were hired to be grunt labours but proved themselves to be able to work with a skill and ability that helped them to learn the trade of steel working . These men became highly skilled and sought after gaining experience on several other projects including the Empire State Building. By 1907 they were seasoned and experienced workers with good reputation.
The Mohawk tribe is a Matriarchal society, after the bridge collapse the women of the village decided that in the future the men would work on separate jobs, and in small groups so that future accidents would not affect the entire tribe so deeply.
By 1910 these men had worked throughout Canada and the USA, they were known as the Mohawk Steel Workers and they were in great demand. It is said that it was the Mohawk steelworkers that built the NY city skyline, they were key employees on the Empire State Building, Chrysler Building, George Washington Bridge, and the Twin Towers. In fact on 9/11 there were over 150 decedents of these men working in New York as Steelworkers, 50 of them had worked on the twin towers and were instrumental in the rescue attempts.
On August 29 2007 there was a special ceremony to remember the 33 men that died 100 years before and the community dedicated a monument to the steel workers. The monument is a 12m steel replica of the bridge and 33 oak trees 15 planted on the riverside for the 15 men never found and 18 on the community side for the 18 who came home for burial.
24 of these men were married, the youngest was 18, the oldest 44. 4 of the men were the last of their family lines.
The Mohawk Steelworkers from this village have a proud tradition that started in 1896 with the construction of a railway bridge that needed to span onto the Kahnawake reserve. The local Mohawk men were hired to be grunt labours but proved themselves to be able to work with a skill and ability that helped them to learn the trade of steel working . These men became highly skilled and sought after gaining experience on several other projects including the Empire State Building. By 1907 they were seasoned and experienced workers with good reputation.
The Mohawk tribe is a Matriarchal society, after the bridge collapse the women of the village decided that in the future the men would work on separate jobs, and in small groups so that future accidents would not affect the entire tribe so deeply.
By 1910 these men had worked throughout Canada and the USA, they were known as the Mohawk Steel Workers and they were in great demand. It is said that it was the Mohawk steelworkers that built the NY city skyline, they were key employees on the Empire State Building, Chrysler Building, George Washington Bridge, and the Twin Towers. In fact on 9/11 there were over 150 decedents of these men working in New York as Steelworkers, 50 of them had worked on the twin towers and were instrumental in the rescue attempts.
On August 29 2007 there was a special ceremony to remember the 33 men that died 100 years before and the community dedicated a monument to the steel workers. The monument is a 12m steel replica of the bridge and 33 oak trees 15 planted on the riverside for the 15 men never found and 18 on the community side for the 18 who came home for burial.
The Second Bridge
![Picture](/uploads/1/6/5/0/16503560/8595527_orig.jpg)
L'Hébreux, Michel, Le pont de Québec, 2001
On September 20 1917, the construction of the bridge was complete, with over 125,000 people watched the final rivet go in. In the months after the first bridge collapse the investigations proved that fundamental errors were made by the engineer he wanted to build the worlds longest Cantilever Bridge with out taking the necessary safety precautions.
After the collapse the Canadian Government took over the construction and engineering of the bridge, and this marvel of engineering still stands today.
In 1919 the Prince Of Wale officially opened the bridge. In 1929 a motor vehicle lane was added, and in 1987 it became an International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark, only the fourth work of engineering to receive the title in the world. In 1996 The Canadian Government declared the bridge a National Historic Site.
After the collapse the Canadian Government took over the construction and engineering of the bridge, and this marvel of engineering still stands today.
In 1919 the Prince Of Wale officially opened the bridge. In 1929 a motor vehicle lane was added, and in 1987 it became an International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark, only the fourth work of engineering to receive the title in the world. In 1996 The Canadian Government declared the bridge a National Historic Site.
Bibliography
Historic Bridges. (2003). Pont de Quebec. Retrieved 04 01, 2013, from Historic Bridges.org: http://www.historicbridges.org/bridges/browser/?bridgebrowser=quebec/quebec/
The History Channel. (n.d.). The Mohawks who Built Manhattan. Retrieved 04 10, 2013, from History Channel Club: http://www.thehistorychannelclub.com/articles/articletype/articleview/articleid/296/the-mohawks-who-built-manhattan
The History Channel. (n.d.). The Mohawks who Built Manhattan. Retrieved 04 10, 2013, from History Channel Club: http://www.thehistorychannelclub.com/articles/articletype/articleview/articleid/296/the-mohawks-who-built-manhattan