1923-2011: (Archived Bridge Hunter, the comments indicated it got listed as historic, but it was still demolished Feb 2012; Bridge Hunter; Historic Bridges; no HAER!)
2013: (Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; 3D Satellite, 315+ photos) |
| Postcard from Boston Public Library Flickr |
Tony Hobbs posted two photos with the comment:
Just over one-hundred years ago in Kittery (and Portsmouth, too,) the first largest four-masted vessel, the Helen B. Gring of Boston, passed under the elevated draw section of the new Memorial interstate bridge on the way to the docks of the American Chemical company. While the ship was approaching the draw opening the captain became somewhat nervous about the clearance space for the ship masts. He was greatly surprised when the man on the draw lift, who was making close observations, notified him that there was a space of between 10 and 15 feet between the masts and the draw floor. 10 FEET!!!!Source: The Portsmouth Herald, February 13, 1924, page 1
Bruce Lumsden: Schr. Helen Barnett Gring had a good long life for a coasting schooner, lost by grounding in the Old Bahama Channel with full load of sugar in October 1940.
Sloan Farrell shared
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I copied the satellite image because it caught cranes still working on the new bridge.
February 21, 2012
(new window) Watch about a minute to see how fast the river is flowing and how the captain guns the engine (turbo-lag smoke) several times to try to push the towboat out from the bridge. You can see the importance of having watertight doors, and having them closed. The crew saved at least one engine. At 5:27 we can see they brought in a couple of small boats. But evidently they are just assessing the situation. Or did they actually try pulling with the small boat? Skip the people shot and go to 8:29 where we see the arrival of the big tugboat that gets the job done. We also see the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge in the background. The tugboat has to be careful making her turn to make sure it also doesn't get caught by the fast river current. At 10:30 is when they actually start pulling on the line. And the line pulls the towboat at 10:40. It looks like the towboat did take in some water because, when it was pulled free from the bridge, it was listing to its port side.
Michael Moran posted four photos with the comments:
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| Satellite |
(new window) Watch about a minute to see how fast the river is flowing and how the captain guns the engine (turbo-lag smoke) several times to try to push the towboat out from the bridge. You can see the importance of having watertight doors, and having them closed. The crew saved at least one engine. At 5:27 we can see they brought in a couple of small boats. But evidently they are just assessing the situation. Or did they actually try pulling with the small boat? Skip the people shot and go to 8:29 where we see the arrival of the big tugboat that gets the job done. We also see the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge in the background. The tugboat has to be careful making her turn to make sure it also doesn't get caught by the fast river current. At 10:30 is when they actually start pulling on the line. And the line pulls the towboat at 10:40. It looks like the towboat did take in some water because, when it was pulled free from the bridge, it was listing to its port side.
Michael Moran posted four photos with the comments:
Tugboat to the rescue: Saving Miss StacyHappy Tugboat Tuesday everyone. Today I wanted to highlight one of the most dramatic tugboat rescues ever caught on camera.It happened on a February day on the Piscataqua River in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. A tugboat, the Miss Stacy, was helping to demolish a bridge. Due to a captain unfamiliar with the Piscataqua River and an open hatch on the tug, the current pinned the Miss Stacy against the bridge and began flooding her.A frantic distress call went out, as the Miss Stacy was listing badly and was in imminent danger of Capsizing.A short distance away, Captain Christopher Holt and his crew aboard the tug Eugenia Moran were taking U.S. Rep. Frank Guinta on a tour of the Portsmouth Harbor. Without hesitation, Captain Holt raced to the scene with the larger tug in an attempt to render aid.While smaller work boats, patrol boats and even a Coast Guard vessel were on scene, none could aid the stricken tug as it became further wedged under the bridge, threatening to capsize.In a very impressive display of boat handling, Captain Holt backed the Eugenia Moran near the Miss Stacy, allowing his crew to throw a heaving line to the distressed tug. A towing hawser was passed across, and soon the larger tug was accelerating forward, pulling the smaller tug behind it.Fortunately, the Miss Stacy popped free, and the Eugenia Moran quickly towed the stricken tug to a nearby dock where it could be moored and dewatered.The rescue drew cheers and applause from bystanders ashore. Numerous news articles highlighted the rescue, and the incident even became the basis of a children’s book. While the Eugenia Moran crew simply were glad they could assist fellow mariners, their quick actions likely saved lives and prevented a major accident.Video: https://youtu.be/-65_DKUv3ks?si=Vaj8iQAt07mC1gBW [I didn't watch this video. It is about half the length of the above video.]
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According to Bridge Hunter, the old bridge had a rating of 87.7/100, but they tore it down anyhow! That means they tore down a bridge that was in good condition! One of the I-80 bridges in Joliet, IL, has a rating of 6/100, but it still carries lots of trucks because both BNSF and UP have relatively new, big intermodal yards south of Joliet.
A timeline of the old bridge has 8 images and a video of its construction. The lift span was floated out just as it was floated in 89 years before.
An HAER study was done for the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge, but not for this bridge. Because it was the World War Memorial Bridge, I would think this bridge is even more significant. Note that it was built in 1923, so it is a memorial for WWI. At the time of the construction and naming, no one conceived there would soon be another world war.
The new bridge.
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| Mike Garland in July 2015 from 2013 Bridge Hunter Looking North |
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| Mike Garland in July 2015 from 2013 Bridge Hunter One of Nathan Holth's comment from 1923 Bridge Hunter: Sometimes I feel sorry for how blind the general public is to the reality of the bridge world. These people apparently were led to believe that the replacement bridge would look as nice as the historic bridge. Only now, in the end, do they realize their grave error. This project is a perfect example as to why attempting to replicate historic bridges fails. If the community likes a historic bridge, only the preservation of the historic bridge is acceptable. HNTB thinks the replacement bridge is awesome because it is a truss without gusset plates. Great, that just makes the bridge look even more plain and ugly. You eliminate rivets, built-up beams, v-lacing, lattice, bracing, and what do you have left? A truss that is what I call a "Toothpick Bridge." A truss so plain and simplistic that it has lost the qualities that make a truss bridge beautiful. http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20111130/G... |
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| Sheena Albert posted This is the Portsmouth Memorial Bridge. It connects the Maine and New Hampshire state line. The lightning took place on Sunday evening. |
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| LC-DIG-highsm- 48370 Credit line: Photographs in the Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division. Carol M. Highsmith's photographs are in the public domain. |
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| Matt Severson posted Memorial Bridge |
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