Northern Pacific Railroad Disaster - The Brainerd Bridge Collapse of July 27, 1875

[@Joodster]

I'm from Brainerd and my grandpa, dad, brother, and several uncles worked for NP RR. Interesting bit of history. I think some of those old pilings are still visible when the river is low.

[@tootired76]

I have watched a few of your videos and find them interesting and entertaining. Keep up the good work!

[@ConradSlater-d2i]

The replacement bridge looks more flimsy than the first.. Much appreciated, great work! Thanks from .

[@micnorton9487]

Didn't they use iron instead of timber on the replacement?

[@rexegbert4628]

My wife’s family is from Brainerd Minnesota, some still live there, this is interesting information about that area of the country. It also answers question’s of why they settled there.

[@7MPhonemicEnglish]

The theory, as I see it, is that a loose steel rail (that was the cargo) on one of the ten flatbed cars got caught in the X bracing of the middle section. When the 1st boxcar tried to run through, it hit the jammed rail and pushed the front and middle sections of the bridge off their pilings. Essentially, ALL of the mass of the entire train would be trying to drag the middle and West sections westward with the train.

[@Hooverdarnit]

The water tower you see in my picture is the old water tower in Brainerd. Growing up there we called it, Paul Bunyen's flashlight.

[@texaswunderkind]

Better that than Paul Bunyan's fleshlight.

[@Hooverdarnit]

@@texaswunderkind Or his hunting knife stuck in the ground with only the handle exposed.

[@villiamo3861]

Excellent vid - thanks. (And for the sound effects, too!) I like the sense and moderation of editorial pieces of the Brainerd Tribune: they speak across the ages.

[@jacktaggart2489]

I had just left the Oak Lane, Reading Passenger Station (now Melrose Park, SEPTA Station) in suburban Philadelphia when I heard a loud crash from a passing freight train. The T-shelter where I had been previously standing was demolished by something which flew off a freight train car. This occurred quite a few ago, but made an indelible impression. Things happen! Thank you.

[@paulnicholson1906]

The replacement bridge looks more flimsy than the first.

[@jeremyjackson536]

That is not an accurate depiction of the second permanent bridge. Very good video, though!

[@ramblerdave1339]

That's a cartoon.

[@paulnicholson1906]

@@ramblerdave1339 yes but the cartoon doesn’t show a truss over the center section like the original so it looks weaker 😀

[@ramblerdave1339]

​@@paulnicholson1906 I would have hoped the cartoonist, would have used an alternative method of reinforcement!

[@pacz8114]

Thank you for the detailed presentation. Nicely done.

[@NitroBoarder17]

love your videos of mn history, they are excellent!!

[@WaylonCampbell]

Brainerd looks a little different. Two weeks to rebuild that bridge. I dont think we could do it today with 300 men in any less than 9 months. Im sure back then it was probably just one giant of a man wearing a flannel longsleeve shirt with the assistance of his blue skinned ox working 20 hour days in trade for three butchered hogs and sack of flour.

[@gordbaker896]

It would take years just to get the Permits!

[@tihspidtherekciltilc5469]

When the men were men and the sheep were scared.

[@furlvr1961]

That flanneled giant of a man and his blue animal companion lives in Bemidji, not Brainerd!

[@beeble2003]

It was only a temporary bridge that was built in two weeks. These things take longer today partly because we don't build bridges out of wood any more. Instead of just needing commodity timber, we now need steel beams and pre-stressed concrete.

[@tomdonelson385]

It would be done now in a matter of days, less then a week. When it comes to disasters on rail lines, railroads will do whatever it takes to get trains moving again. It’s all about money. No trains=no money.

[@frederickschulkind8431]

The howe truss bridge was an excellent design for wooden bridges, but it required careful maintenance. As the timbers cured and shrank, the metal rods and bolts needed to be tightened.

[@davewallace8219]

Cohen bros. We're behind this malfeasance!!! I must cryout!

[@haroldmatthews8641]

I would like to suggest doing a story on the staples railroad yard, would be very cool see

[@tommygoode9644]

The conductor could not have warned people even if he tried. This was a bridge collapse. It tends to happen pretty quickly. After he noticed it he probably only had a few seconds to jump off before it all came down. He could not have gotten on the intercom and told everyone to file out the back if you can because the intercom was not invented. And where was he in respect to the passengers? Could he have turned around and yelled to everyone in the caboose? Or in any other car. No way that would have saved anyone even if he yelled "Get out we're going to crash" in a passenger car while standing at the front with one foot out the door. The people would have taken several seconds just to comprehend what he said. Then a mad dash for the doors on the front and back of the car would result in a stampede and nobody would have gotten out before the train plummeted into the river. How much notice do you think he had in that situation? 2 seconds? 3 seconds? Almost none. That thing would drop like a rock. So don't diss the conductor. He's lucky he lived through that.

[@JohnPearson-ik5zs]

😊

[@hyahmuleart7144]

I really hope he sees this.

[@tommygoode9644]

@@hyahmuleart7144 me too. Odds are bad though. But yes I hope he can access this from the cloud maybe. Is that how it works? I don't have a cloud yet so I don't know. But this guy was not at fault. How about the engineers who built the bridge? Anyone looking at them? Because it's really their fault for building a piece of crap instead of a bridge. A bridge would've worked. That crap they substituted for a bridge did not. I'm guessing that the railroad company built the bridge and didn't want to get in trouble or sued so they blamed the conductor. Easier than taking responsibility. Trucking companies do the same thing to drivers when equipment fails on the road. It's wrong but they're still getting away with this kind of stuff. They'll say that the driver didn't inspect the truck properly before leaving on their trip. Not much the driver can do either. But the railroad can't do that anymore. Or not as much anyways. I think. I could be wrong.

[@thepitpatrol]

Tommy great points.

[@We_All_Seek_Truth]

Nobody is under any legal obligation to risk trying to be a dead hero. I don't believe he was under any moral obligation, but that's for each person to decide for their own self.

[@normcameron2316]

More questions than answers. At 12:09 of this vid the railroad experts working for rail roads announce they could not find a fault with the bridge. People all working for railways which may have all invested in each other. Common practice to lessen liability. Then why did it collapse? The suggestion was, to paraphrase: 'a loose or over height load" perhaps snagging supports. No testimony from passengers. Well, maybe the heavier loads of previous trains may have weakened the structure, cracked some timbers. The loading of the train, all heavy cars with no break, light cars at the end may have overloaded the weakened timbers. The slow speed of this heavy train is a problem. Over a weak structure you want to go fast, lessens the downward load. That is why the "Test Train" went slow, to test maximum download. The structure of the load, how it is secured is also up to the Railway. The Rules might be there, but the foreman is also there "Pushing it", just one more stick. Well, maybe the train was just plain overloaded in the wrong places on a weak bridge at the wrong speed and too high or wide or loose. All under control of the corporation[s] At the end of the day no one was accountable, except the dead or untouchable.

[@rawbsworld6604]

😂🤣 the steam hiss was a nice touch 😆 as was the whistles at the end !

[@bigdaddy3662]

This guy's accent, awesome. It's like watching Fargo.

[@stevenplyler6306]

I like studying Regional accents and dialects by the way !

[@susiekirby625]

My daughter loved this!

[@lewisdoherty7621]

So the piers were built of wood interlaced through notches. I guess the middle was filled up with ballast. That is scary. Although they are standing, maybe there was enough movement in the piers to allow the sections to separate. It is inexpensive up front, but then it is likely necessary to replace them after a few years. Having a derailment or a bunch of rails come off and hit the side of the bridge sounds like a good possibility. That is why there are check rails on bridges inside the gauge to protect the bridge from being struck by the cars and the cars from going off. It would have been interesting to see if anyone as a project tried to look at what might have happened using modern analyses.

[@rvnmedic1968]

I kept staring at the pilings. At first they looked like concrete slabs but it then looked like wooden platforms crisscrossed. In any case it was a horrible spectacle for the passengers and crew. RIP all.

[@Cheeseatingjunglista]

Wow, the bridge fell down for no apparent reason, experts say they can see nothing wrong. Its put back exactly the same in only 2 Weeks!! How brave were those first back over it again?

[@martyjoseph9507]

Left wondering if the new bridge was actually different in the middle section than the original, as I assume the structure above the rails was for strength. Thanks for your videos.

[@williamh.jarvis6795]

All that I can say, about the middle section being raised up was to provide clearances for marine traffic floating along the river. This is typically known as a "through truss" design, used only where underside clearances are needed. The rest of the structure appears to be of a "deck truss" design and, is normally the preferred choice of design over the through truss designs as underside clearances are not an issue.

[@kpd3308]

@@williamh.jarvis6795 perhaps you did not notice that the rendering of the rebuilt bridge showed no truss at all for the center section.

[@Goldarr1900]

@@kpd3308 I agree.What support did it have? It doesn’t look like a bridge that would hold a train.

[@stayathome2]

I can't imagine the graphic of the rebuilt center span was accurate. A bridge of that design would only support pedestrian traffic.

[@williamh.jarvis6795]

@@stayathome2 To the best of my knowledge the (William) Howe truss was the most suitable timber truss design (to include vertical steel tension rods) for railroad use, before steel became the norm. Even cast iron pieces were used rather than to cut the timbers at angles and to "notch them" into the "chords." (Both the upper and lower horizontal pieces, the lower one stretching from abutment/pier to abutment/pier, as well, with it supporting the floor beams that support the deck.)

[@jonathanellsworth21]

Huh, I live about a block away from this bridge. How did I not know about this?? I even research and follow this sort of thing for fun 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@kman-mi7su]

Is there a RR bridge there now? Just curious.

[@LordVader.66]

@@kman-mi7su yes.

[@Cotronixco]

If you pause at 8:38, 9:05, etc., and shrink the window some, you can look through the screen at the center line until the two pictures come together, and witness the stereoscopic view.

[@menguardingtheirownwallets6791]

You always test a bridge by 'pushing' a string of loaded ore cars across the bridge, so that the load is at least 4 times what the bridge is supposed to be able to carry safely ( a safety factor of 4 ). Leave that load on the bridge for 2 to 3 hours to make sure it can hold the load over a long time frame. Don't have the cars connect to the locomotive, so that the locomotive won't get 'pulled in' if the bridge 'cracks'.

[@lewisdoherty7621]

I was thinking the same thing. They often will survey the bridge to see how much deflection they suffer when loaded. During times when rivers are raging, I have seen railroads load up ballast cars and park them on the bridges to hold the bridge down against the current.

[@ducewags]

@Men Guarding Their Own Wallets How does one load the bridge with 4 times the amount it was made to hold with loaded ore cars?

[@micnorton9487]

​@@ducewags.. flat cars holding pig iron,, the taconite form of iron ore is pretty light compared to refined iron......

[@micnorton9487]

​@@lewisdoherty7621..sounds pretty dangerous but if it works oh well...

[@ducewags]

@@micnorton9487 And for todays fun fact, you have never held a taconite pellet.

[@martinhumble]

Much appreciated, great work! Thanks from 🇸🇪

[@lars277]

Much of what was done in pioneer times was the best they could do with what they had. It is hard for us to imagine those makeshift ways compared to the ordered and organized world we live in today.

[@ramblerdave1339]

Ordered and organized world? I think NOT!

[@micnorton9487]

Good point,, it's off topic but capitalism is great as long as you don't mind the people being killed in industrial accidents ( 'course the Soviet brand of Communism was even worse but that's even further off topic)... Besides they had lots of other work farther west,, and they were saving the expensive iron bridge materials for the Missouri River... And I think they just expected some failure,, but I agree corporate organization advanced quick and by the time there's steel available these kind of things didn't happen as much...

[@thetrainhopper8992]

I was wondering what video sent a bunch of views my way. Great video!

[@clydeschwartz2167]

Very interesting video

[@jim2lane]

Hmmm, so the railroad investigated itself to determine if it was in any way at fault or responsible for a disaster including several deaths, and ended up concluding that nothing was wrong from their perspective. I'm shocked!

[@vishnu79]

Northern Pacific brought in 5 engineers (the architectural kind, not the locomotive kind) from other railroads to inspect. Considering the lack of factual evidence brought forth by the coroner's jury, failure of local authorities to interview the passengers, and the inability of local experts to agree on a cause, the outside engineer's explanation is as likely correct as any other.

[@Crimson_Hawk_01]

Very nice video. Really liked it. Thank you.

[@bruceringrose7539]

@marty joseph - Clearly the graphic of the reconstructed bridge was not accurate. If the bridge was re-built in two weeks, they had to have used the original plans. Since that bridge did not fail, I assume, I can imagine only two possibilities (assuming that inquiries were correct regarding design and const mat’ls): sabotage (seems unlikely) or operator error. A great deal was known about bridge design at that time about weights, loads, and forces due to gravity (known as static forces or loads). What was less well understood were forces caused by the train moving (known as dynamic loads). When a vehicle (car, bus, TRAIN) is brought to a sudden halt for some reason, there are significant horizontal forces created when all that weight (10 flatbeds loaded with rails) is brought to a screeching halt. These forces are transferred into the road or rail bed creating a thrust that, over time, could have weakened the joints between the center section and west side section and subsequently pulled them apart on this occasion. Why did the Engineer slam on the brakes? Kids playing on the track (been there, done that, although not with a train anywhere near us!) 😇, a cow or horse, engineer heart attack or stroke. Interesting that the Fireman said the Engineer stayed in the cab trying to get the train off the bridge. Retired civil engineer here but structural was not my field. Very interesting story, thanks for posting!

[@dscott130]

Great story! Thank you!

[@nailbender7223]

Would be interesting to know how the even pulled the wreckage clear to start repairing, not to many cranes and tow winches around then I would guess

[@tom5051666]

you'd be wrong. Plenty of winches etc. Man learnt how to do that through sailing ships.

[@jasonw833]

They had steam powered cranes, especially the railroads for erecting bridges to begin with since that was the only means to transport them via rail due to weight.

[@danburch9989]

Looks like the wood support for the bridge on top of the west pier failed; looks like it may have collapsed. Problem is, did it fail and cause the accident or did the accident destroy that part of the pier?

[@thomasschwartz555]

Don't know was it a particularly dry year there in 1875? Or perhaps the rails warped from the previous days heat. ??

[@kyleolson8977]

A little random fact, from the beginning of the video. The map of Northern Pacific shows "Seattle", and you circle that. But Seattle was NOT Northern Pacific Railway's target. Northern Pacific specifically chose Tacoma, the largest and most promising port in the state at the time. Through a combination of factors, including better connections with Alaska, politics, the creation of the Cascade Pass train routes, and the fact many trains had to pass through a traffic jam in Seattle anyway, Seattle became the largest city in the Northwest around the turn of the century.

[@davidcase1286]

I still remember it. haunts me every day. the newspaper editor was right.

[@gofast3209]

This was 147 years ago how can you remember it??

[@demoking3234]

Do you have any information about train derailments on the north Pacific rail road between Duluth and brainerd around the turn of the century and specifically that the engine and tender were never recovered. I've herd lots of stories about trains that had derailed and sunk into the peat swamps we have around here. Been working on researching it but haven't had good luck.

[@micnorton9487]

I hate that freakin peat,, grew up in Anoka county amid all the peat fields and sod farms.... Smells like a coal Field which I suppose is not that surprising....

[@CONCERTMANchicago]

So that's how they came up with the Jenga game, Not. *_Were those footings wooden or stone block, and did they reuse them? Seems one river footing was damaged by falling cars or potentially point of catastrophic failure._* Hey Minnesota bricks what do you think of our Chicago common brick?

[@We_All_Seek_Truth]

He never said how high the tracks were above the water. Judging from the photos it looks like about 30 feet.

[@MinnesotaisRust]

Great video, thanks!

[@frankparsons1629]

Certainly by that date (here) all timber built bridges were being rebuilt in steel; timber cannot possibly be expected to continually withstand the stresses of heavier trains and stock, waggons and carriages. Also the more expensive maintenance (of timber) was a high factor in their demise. All piers were of masonry construction at the outset. Build in steel, build it once!

[@dexecuter18]

At the time of construction, timber truss bridges were common mainly due to speed of construction, you could cross a river in a month and get a baseline service operating relatively quickly. Most of these truss types were replaced by the early 1910s. That said of course, my town had a timber truss that was built in 1886. It was replaced in 2008.

[@LuckyBaldwin777]

"Build in steel, build it once" unless it's the I-35 bridge

[@jasonw833]

Interesting, as a railroader myself I never heard of passengers being transported in a caboose, considering it's the brakeman/conductor living quarters and it was considered they're private little office....were they close friends?

[@davewallace8219]

It was common on branch lines, for caboose, to accommodate...passengers...even school children.

[@robertlong7033]

How long did this bridge remain in operation?

[@tihspidtherekciltilc5469]

Untill it collapsed I believe.

[@glenngoetz3054]

@@tihspidtherekciltilc5469 I think he means the rebuilt bridge..........

[@beeble2003]

The permanent replacement bridge was finished in 1876. It was replaced in 1901, then again in 1984.

[@theivory1]

"Not knowing what to expect" It was Engineered right? Though primitive at the time they still understood plenty to design that bridge to last 50 years.

[@williamh.jarvis6795]

From what I can see in the pictures here the bridge's design was that of a Howe Truss, patented around 1840, and was the most suitable design for railroad service, before iron and steel became the normal material for bridge construction. The Howe Truss utilized steel rods for tension members and timber for compressive members, because any timber part in tension was any structure's greatest downfall

[@pantherplatform]

Same thing with air planes. They don't know if it'll even reach V2 and take off.

[@gordbaker896]

Where is the superstructure for the new centre section?

[@MNBricks]

It was a temporary fix, it wasn't the final replacement.

[@Thomas1980]

😀Very nice Video! Thumbs Up!👍

[@scorpman300]

yea lets get a bunch of RR employees to look at it and like they would say that the RR was at fault, that would be like a fast food place had an issue and then they themselves investigated themselves, do you really think they would tell the truth? i highly doubt it. great video.

[@marciaborg77]

Thanks for this video

[@ericedison9654]

Two weeks to rebuild the bridge? This must be when man invented duct tape

[@wayneyadams]

The word disaster is one of those words that has been so overused it has lost all impact. These days EVERTYTHING is called a disaster, like this event which is in no way a disaster. In fact, disaster is so overused that we now have to talk about "major" disasters for events that would normally be disasters, to distinguish them from event that are not truly disasters. I suppose it can be argued that this was a disastrous event for the railroad which suffered great financial loss, but his title does not imply that.

[@tomdonelson385]

You mentioned the NP started in Duluth. If that’s true, why is there a sign outside of Carlton, MN stating the NP started there? 🤔

[@browngreen933]

Probably because the tracks between Carlton and Duluth already existed as part of the Lake Superior & Mississippi RR. So technically the NP tracks started at Carlton and extended west. In fact, the original name of Carlton was Pacific Junction.

[@crossleydd42]

When was the bridge finally replaced by a more modern on one?

[@MNBricks]

Not exactly sure. It was replaced by an iron one probably within 10 years or so.

[@crossleydd42]

@@MNBricks Okay, thx for that. I can imagine that the life of these wooden structures varied according to the climate where they were erected. I live in the UK. Read about the Tay Bridge disaster, a long iron bridge.

[@lijahrock1801]

How strange I live right next to the North pacific train center in Brainerd.

[@nathanfisher1826]

Very good thanks

[@whoohaaXL]

This looks like a Howe Truss design. We all know what happens with those... just go look at the Ashtabula train wreck, in 1876. Same bridge design.

[@Erica_Brenda]

I wonder, with today's technologies, if it would be possible to put all the parameters, based on photos and knowing how it was constructed, into a computer and find out what went wrong.

[@joesanchez3646]

It appears there were no more collapses, what did they do different when the repairs were made?

[@MNBricks]

They replaced all old wooden bridges with iron ones.

[@kpd3308]

@@MNBricks iron, or steel? Their is a significant difference.

[@Bill-cv1xu]

Hold on there,they were replaced with Pennsylvania steel..😅

[@ramblerdave1339]

​@@Bill-cv1xu Made with Minnesota or Michigan ore!

[@martentrudeau6948]

Someone should have hired an independent bridge engineer to investigate the collapse. There is a reason why it failed.

[@garymartin9777]

Repaired in two weeks? I would trust that bridge even less than the original.

[@nevertoopoortotour.3033]

Never too poor to tour

[@rickduncan8606]

Two types of bridges those that have failed and those that will fail

[@xr500t]

Brainerd Bridge repaired in less than 2 weeks...... now that's getting the job done! Take the Sagamore Bridge over Cape Cod canal, that has been obsolete for 45 years now. "Discussions" had been on going (most likely to make sure somebody could rake the Tax payers) and now finally, that the price tag is eye watering, they're going to be replaced.....something that should have been done 45 years ago at a more reasonable cost.

[@sharkusvelarde]

Negligant?

[@ml50486965]

A most disgusting story! What a proud inheritance.

[@tvbopc5416]

Notice the sister of Magdaline Aitken, one of the passengers killed, is given as Buk-Quan-Ja - was Magdalene Chinese?

[@MNBricks]

She was Native American.

[@DavesRestoration454]

Most likely Indian, like Ojibwa. I used to vacation in Aitkin county, spent many days on the Crow Wing River going on at the public access in Pillager. Was there another railroad that served the area, like maybe the Great Northern? By the time I was old enough to remember, the NP was part of the SOO LINE, then the BN,

[@pabrennan6877]

Built of lumber over/in/on a river bed! How long would this even last anyway. A very poor temporary (let me get the bonus) solution! Stone, brick or concrete required here - all available at the time.

[@susiekirby625]

Cool!

[@Timmytron-qm1le]

As a Minnesotan, I can confirm the only thins we have to offer are railroad tracks and bodies of water.

[@tomlund4951]

Cripes…no hotdish?

[@ramblerdave1339]

Oh. C'mon, you have Cereal, and adhesives! I've hauled both out of there!

[@kpdvw]

Do NOT build bridges out of wood, use Steel and concrete...!

[@Mr1Gitrdone]

Oh, OK thanks...

[@CrazyBear65]

Duluth is at the nose of the wolf. The nose of the great woof woof. Never been there, I like old trains.

[@James-kd7dc]

Needed diaganal bracing to the next span at least.

[@oldschooljack3479]

Did we really need an inquiry as to the COD of those killed? Pretty sure it wasn't diabetes... a train falling 60ish feet into a river is pretty self-explanatory.

[@JohnDoe-vy5hh]

Two men gave their lives trying to save the property of their employers. I would never risk my life for my employer. My employer wouldn't risk $0.10 for me..

[@cliffnelson1174]

No guarantees except Death and Taxes.

[@daniceglenn3514]

When that first train crossed the bridge, I would expect they weren’t just holding their breath, they were also doing some praying!! If they were just cheerful it may explain why the next train went down.

[@lindanwfirefighter4973]

Video really started at 5:55.

[@Rhaman68]

Negligent something had to happen to cause the failure. Too bad the investigation could not find a specific cause.

[@bee4pcgoldrule.007]

Video song of the bridge collapse ~ kzbin.info/www/bejne/hqvEpaZvrNOendU

[@scowell]

Start at 5:02. You're welcome.

[@DPImageCapturing]

Rails are not “nailed” down, they are spiked!!

[@edcew8236]

The gaps between sentences are excessively long -- but don't do what others do, edit the gaps out entirely.

[@theivory1]

"Negligent" not Negligant.

[@MNBricks]

Thanks, already aware. Slipped by me.

[@uncareid5557]

Hint: 1.5 speed, this is a slow video...

[@jimmychanbers2424]

I didn't know they had union workers back then?

[@jimmiller1686]

they mis-spelled negligent

[@joeanderson9852]

👍

[@z.p.m.n.8240]

Sometimes I feel like I should have lived back then, Society is so different now an feels unnatrual to me. Back then men were men and women were real women who actually appreciated men an valued them, are minds weren't corrupted by main stream culture or society, technology - T.V. media and social media etc.. people stuck together thru thick an thin. Today We've lost touch with god, mother nature, the universe and reality in general. I believe a lot of people at least in the USA have become ungrateful and blinded by the world. I pray every night God heals our land and people wake up and stand for truth and our freedoms.

[@ronaldgodden4490]

They need to repent and trust Jesus for salvation from sins consequences death

[@aprylrittenhouse4562]

Yeah like some rail tycoon is gonna find out that its thier fault. Gimme a break. Money talks

[@oscaracme]

"problems" not issues. learn the proper, not popular definition of words.

[@Kenneth-tz4sx]

We all saw "Fargo." We know about those people in Brainerd.