New York Bretheren

[DrinkingHarp]

Anyone around when that crane collasped?

Sad news to hit the city again.

[J70]

Don't know anyone who was there, but there is going to be hell to pay for this. Even if, as reported, it was a piece of falling steel that severed the connection of the crane to the building, there should be enough redundancy in the structure to prevent the crane falling over. One guy on the news yesterday said he counted nine consecutive floor where the crane hadn't been fastened to the building, but I guess that is what happens when you have layer upon layer of lowest-bidding subcontractors and everyone screaming about costs and deadlines. If it was negligence and corner-cutting that caused this, there will be a few boys heading to prison and there will be a serious review of safety issues, as happened after the Deutshbank building fire.

[Square Ball]

what happened?

[Carmen Stateside]

Thank god I had no work yesterday, I work around the corner! It always seemed like a well run site to me. The collapse occured as they were trying to raise the crane a little higher, terrible disaster!

[ziggysego]

According to the news, where the crane fell, it was normally full of workmen. However by the grace of God, they were sent home early that day due to bad weather being forecasted.

[HowdyDoody]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23649318/

[Carmen Stateside]

[J70]

That picture shows how bad it was - that building that was crushed is on 50th street; the rest of the crane is leaning across 51st street!

Nasty way to go for the crane operator, whose cab fell into the rear spaces between the buildings on 51st and 50th.

[Square Ball]

was the crane on top of the building on the right of the picture?

[magickingdom]

looks bad, i'm amazed more people werent hurt. when i was in ny in dec two brothers fell 40 something storeys while window cleaning and one actually survived..

[J70]

was the crane on top of the building on the right of the picture?

No, the crane was on a building on the north side of 51st street. The building in the photo is on the north side of 50th street. Basically, the crane fell across 51st towards 50th street. The lower part of the crane came to rest on a 19 storey building on the south side of 51st street, while the top part broke off and continued on over that building onto the one you see crushed in the picture.

[ziggysego]

looks bad, i'm amazed more people werent hurt. when i was in ny in dec two brothers fell 40 something storeys while window cleaning and one actually survived..

I remember reading about this at the time. It's amazing that brother did survive.

[Carmen Stateside]

New York times has also got good coverage on it!
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2008/03/15/nyregion/20080315_CRANE_GRAPHIC.html#step1

[heganboy]

used to drink in fubar, which is in the 4 storey that bore the brunt of it. Haven't been in a few months though

[nifan]

Been there a few times myself - didnt realise that was it destroyed!