Thanks to Century Association Archives Foundation (49274433) for providing me with the name of the Cemetery where Theodore was interred
Theodore Cooper was an American civil engineer. He may be best known as consulting engineer on the Quebec Bridge when it collapsed in 1907.
He entered the Navy in 1861; his military career lasted over a decade and included active duty aboard the gunboat Chocorua and the Nyack in the South Pacific, as well as assignments as an instructor and engineer at the Naval Academy
In 1907 Quebec was building the biggest cantilever bridge in the world. Little did they know that on August 29 that they would also experience one of the largest bridge collapses in history. The bridge across the St. Lawrence River, six-mile above Quebec City, was the brainchild of the Quebec Bridge Company, a group of local business people. Until then goods were brought from the south shore to Quebec City by ferry. In 1903 the QBC gave the job of designing of the bridge to the Phoenix Bridge Company. They also contracted a renowned bridge builder from New York by the name of Theodore Cooper to oversee the engineering design and construction. The peculiarities of the site made the design of the bridge a most difficult one. Because the St. Lawrence was a shipping lane, the 2800 foot bridge needed an 1800 foot single span. It also needed to be 150 feet above the water, to allow the ocean-going vessels to pass. Further, the bridge needed to be multi-functional and was required to be 67 feet wide to accommodate 2 railway tracks, two streetcar tracks and two roadways. For those who are not familiar with a cantilever bridge design, think of it as a continuous beam anchored at both ends to pillars. The key to the bridge design was the weight of the center span. This cantilever design is also used in large building where interior pillars cannot be used to support the roof, such as aircraft hangers.
Of the 86 workers on the bridge that day, 75 were killed and the rest were injured, making it the world's worst bridge construction disaster. Of these victims, 33 were Mohawk steelworkers from the Kahnawake reserve near Montreal; they were buried at Kahnawake under crosses made of steel beams.
Cooper died in his home in New York City on August 24, 1919 of pneumonia at the age of 81. He was unmarried.
Documentary can be viewed on YouTube Quebec Bridge Disaster - Disasters of the Century https://youtu.be/xk1xEctDK0k
Theodore Cooper was an American civil engineer. He may be best known as consulting engineer on the Quebec Bridge when it collapsed in 1907.
He entered the Navy in 1861; his military career lasted over a decade and included active duty aboard the gunboat Chocorua and the Nyack in the South Pacific, as well as assignments as an instructor and engineer at the Naval Academy
In 1907 Quebec was building the biggest cantilever bridge in the world. Little did they know that on August 29 that they would also experience one of the largest bridge collapses in history. The bridge across the St. Lawrence River, six-mile above Quebec City, was the brainchild of the Quebec Bridge Company, a group of local business people. Until then goods were brought from the south shore to Quebec City by ferry. In 1903 the QBC gave the job of designing of the bridge to the Phoenix Bridge Company. They also contracted a renowned bridge builder from New York by the name of Theodore Cooper to oversee the engineering design and construction. The peculiarities of the site made the design of the bridge a most difficult one. Because the St. Lawrence was a shipping lane, the 2800 foot bridge needed an 1800 foot single span. It also needed to be 150 feet above the water, to allow the ocean-going vessels to pass. Further, the bridge needed to be multi-functional and was required to be 67 feet wide to accommodate 2 railway tracks, two streetcar tracks and two roadways. For those who are not familiar with a cantilever bridge design, think of it as a continuous beam anchored at both ends to pillars. The key to the bridge design was the weight of the center span. This cantilever design is also used in large building where interior pillars cannot be used to support the roof, such as aircraft hangers.
Of the 86 workers on the bridge that day, 75 were killed and the rest were injured, making it the world's worst bridge construction disaster. Of these victims, 33 were Mohawk steelworkers from the Kahnawake reserve near Montreal; they were buried at Kahnawake under crosses made of steel beams.
Cooper died in his home in New York City on August 24, 1919 of pneumonia at the age of 81. He was unmarried.
Documentary can be viewed on YouTube Quebec Bridge Disaster - Disasters of the Century https://youtu.be/xk1xEctDK0k
Thanks to Century Association Archives Foundation (49274433) for providing me with the name of the Cemetery where Theodore was interred
Theodore Cooper was an American civil engineer. He may be best known as consulting engineer on the Quebec Bridge when it collapsed in 1907.
He entered the Navy in 1861; his military career lasted over a decade and included active duty aboard the gunboat Chocorua and the Nyack in the South Pacific, as well as assignments as an instructor and engineer at the Naval Academy
In 1907 Quebec was building the biggest cantilever bridge in the world. Little did they know that on August 29 that they would also experience one of the largest bridge collapses in history. The bridge across the St. Lawrence River, six-mile above Quebec City, was the brainchild of the Quebec Bridge Company, a group of local business people. Until then goods were brought from the south shore to Quebec City by ferry. In 1903 the QBC gave the job of designing of the bridge to the Phoenix Bridge Company. They also contracted a renowned bridge builder from New York by the name of Theodore Cooper to oversee the engineering design and construction. The peculiarities of the site made the design of the bridge a most difficult one. Because the St. Lawrence was a shipping lane, the 2800 foot bridge needed an 1800 foot single span. It also needed to be 150 feet above the water, to allow the ocean-going vessels to pass. Further, the bridge needed to be multi-functional and was required to be 67 feet wide to accommodate 2 railway tracks, two streetcar tracks and two roadways. For those who are not familiar with a cantilever bridge design, think of it as a continuous beam anchored at both ends to pillars. The key to the bridge design was the weight of the center span. This cantilever design is also used in large building where interior pillars cannot be used to support the roof, such as aircraft hangers.
Of the 86 workers on the bridge that day, 75 were killed and the rest were injured, making it the world's worst bridge construction disaster. Of these victims, 33 were Mohawk steelworkers from the Kahnawake reserve near Montreal; they were buried at Kahnawake under crosses made of steel beams.
Cooper died in his home in New York City on August 24, 1919 of pneumonia at the age of 81. He was unmarried.
Documentary can be viewed on YouTube Quebec Bridge Disaster - Disasters of the Century https://youtu.be/xk1xEctDK0k
Theodore Cooper was an American civil engineer. He may be best known as consulting engineer on the Quebec Bridge when it collapsed in 1907.
He entered the Navy in 1861; his military career lasted over a decade and included active duty aboard the gunboat Chocorua and the Nyack in the South Pacific, as well as assignments as an instructor and engineer at the Naval Academy
In 1907 Quebec was building the biggest cantilever bridge in the world. Little did they know that on August 29 that they would also experience one of the largest bridge collapses in history. The bridge across the St. Lawrence River, six-mile above Quebec City, was the brainchild of the Quebec Bridge Company, a group of local business people. Until then goods were brought from the south shore to Quebec City by ferry. In 1903 the QBC gave the job of designing of the bridge to the Phoenix Bridge Company. They also contracted a renowned bridge builder from New York by the name of Theodore Cooper to oversee the engineering design and construction. The peculiarities of the site made the design of the bridge a most difficult one. Because the St. Lawrence was a shipping lane, the 2800 foot bridge needed an 1800 foot single span. It also needed to be 150 feet above the water, to allow the ocean-going vessels to pass. Further, the bridge needed to be multi-functional and was required to be 67 feet wide to accommodate 2 railway tracks, two streetcar tracks and two roadways. For those who are not familiar with a cantilever bridge design, think of it as a continuous beam anchored at both ends to pillars. The key to the bridge design was the weight of the center span. This cantilever design is also used in large building where interior pillars cannot be used to support the roof, such as aircraft hangers.
Of the 86 workers on the bridge that day, 75 were killed and the rest were injured, making it the world's worst bridge construction disaster. Of these victims, 33 were Mohawk steelworkers from the Kahnawake reserve near Montreal; they were buried at Kahnawake under crosses made of steel beams.
Cooper died in his home in New York City on August 24, 1919 of pneumonia at the age of 81. He was unmarried.
Documentary can be viewed on YouTube Quebec Bridge Disaster - Disasters of the Century https://youtu.be/xk1xEctDK0k
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