Trivia Tuesday, Feb. 17

Last week's answer

Question: An 840-foot steel arch bridge nicknamed "Honeymoon Bridge" offered a romantic view of Niagara Falls for 40 years before it met a dramatic end in 1938. What caused its famous collapse? 

Answer: A massive "ice jam" in the river that pushed the bridge off its abutments

The collapse of the Honeymoon Bridge represented an engineering oversight, as the bridge's foundation sat unusually low. The bridge's feet were almost in the water at the base of the gorge. During the winters, ice from Lake Erie would surge down the Niagara River and shove against the Honeymoon Bridge's abutments. 

The bridge faced imminent collapse dating back to 1899, when a massive ice jam nearly twisted the entire bridge from its foundation. Crews worked for weeks to chip away at the ice, which became an annual occurrence. 

The long-dreaded collapse came in the January 1938, which saw a "mountain's worth of ice" pushed down the Niagara River. The gorge below the Honeymoon Bridge became a "rising, frozen dam." The ice continued to rise until it wrapped around the bridge's supports, prompting authorities to cut traffic from the bridge. 

On Jan. 27, 1938, the bridge's arch collapsed into the ice below. 

Source: Clifton Hill