The Tay Bridge disaster in Dundee, Scotland, occurred on December 28, 1879, when a passenger train collapsed into the River Tay, killing all 75 passengers. The bridge was inadequately designed for the weather conditions and theories about bridge fatigue and design have been advanced. The disaster resulted in the death of Sir Thomas Bouch’s son-in-law and led to the Forth Bridge design being handed over to Sir John Fowler and Benjamin Baker. The second Tay railway bridge was completed in 1887 and is still in use today.
Everyone born and raised in Dundee knows the story of the Tay Bridge disaster. It was a dark period in the history of the city. The Tay Bridge disaster is one of the most famous railway collapses on record. At approximately 7.15am on 28 December 1879, a passenger train crossed the two-mile (3.2 km) long bridge towards Dundee. Neither the train nor any of its 75 passengers completed the journey.
The newly built Tay Bridge had only been in use for 19 months when the disaster struck. It had been built by Thomas Bouch, who was knighted not long after the bridge was completed. The bridge consisted of a grid of beams supported by cast iron columns. At the time, it was the longest bridge in the world.
The weather on the night of the disaster was recorded at Beaufort force 10/11. The River Tay is a large body of water known for its strong undercurrents. As the train passed over the middle spans, the Tay Bridge collapsed into the River Tay, taking the train, its six carriages and 75 passengers with it.
An inquiry had been launched at the time to investigate the reason for the collapse of the Tay Bridge. Theories about bridge fatigue, train derailment, weather conditions, and bridge design have been advanced. The conclusion was that the bridge was inadequately designed for the force of the weather that met that fateful night.
At the time of the disaster, Sir Thomas Bouch was busy working on a new bridge called the Forth Bridge. When the Tay Bridge disaster was found to be the result of faulty design, the Forth Bridge design was handed over to Sir John Fowler and Benjamin Baker. Among the victims of the Tay Bridge disaster was Thomas Bouch’s son-in-law. Bouch was held responsible for the disaster, but doubts still remain as to the real reason for the bridge’s collapse. Sir Thomas Bouch would die just a year after the Tay Bridge disaster.
In 1887 the second Tay railway bridge was completed. The construction of the bridge took almost four years and cost the lives of 14 men who were working on it. Most of these deaths are due to drowning. The Second Tay Bridge is still in use today.
Over the past years, many books and television programs have used the Tay Bridge disaster as a subject. Poems written about the disaster adorn the walls of many Dundee pubs. The abutments of the original bridge are still visible protruding from the river waters. They stand near the second bridge as a reminder of that fateful night.
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