Topic starter
18/12/2012 3:15 am
December 15th marked the 45th anniversary of The Silver Bridge collapse at Point Pleasant, WV in 1967. I remember when, as a 13 year old, the shocking and tragic news came over the radio, followed later by scenes on television of the twisted remains of the structure lying in the Ohio River.
Ruth Fout, of the Point Pleasant River Museum, and several colleagues have compiled an excellent pictorial chronology of the disaster, published by Arcadia. Although very sad, this is an important part of Ohio River history and is well recorded in this fine new book.
The Silver Bridge Disaster of 1967 can be ordered from Arcadia Publishing - local history books, Amazon, Ebay and other sources, including the Pt. Pleasant River Museum.
Many thanks to Ruth and to all involved in the production of the book.
18/12/2012 12:17 pm
*Memories of the Silver Bridge*
Hi, Keith,
Man, really jolted me with your posting above RE: the Silber Bridge disaster Dec. 15, 1967. I was driving my little CHEV NOVA from Camp Lejeune Marine Corps base back to Cincinnati for Christmas leave. Then my 2nd year with the navy/marine corps following graduation from U.C. here. Highways were different then; the trip was much longer. In the early dark of that December night, I was stopped by police and mitary guards on the highway. I got out, talked with them telling me of the disaster just a few hours before. Ahead in the gathering winter fog, rescue lights flashed or glowed surreal.
Taking a detour, I rounded down through Ashland, KY and home very, very late. Mother an dad were frantic and the house was lit from top to bottom. They thought I'd possibly stopped in Pt. Pleasant to visit relatives there and 'could' have been on the bridge. How many reading this ever crossed the bridge before the tragedy? The culprit were those huge 'I' bars that came under stress. Seems to me, when crossing in heavy traffic, I recall that bridge 'bouncing' up and down perhaps a tad more than normal.
Thanks for the memories, Keith. That was a L-O-N-G time ago now.
R. Dale Flick
Coal Haven Landing, Ohio River, Cincinnati.
Topic starter
18/12/2012 1:15 pm
A Close Call
The late Marguerite Hammett told of driving down to Huntington to bring Roddy, who was a student at Marshall University, home for the Christmas break. They crossed the Silver Bridge at Point Pleasant to return on the Ohio side and were just passing through Marietta when the horrific news came over the car radio that the bridge, which they crossed an hour earlier, had collapsed into the river.
The bridge at St. Mary's, WV, just upriver from Marietta and where the Hammett's resided, was nearly identical in design to The Silver Bridge. It was immediately closed and dismantled, making way for the current bridge which is of a different style and construction.