ship hits a bridge, and the bridge comes down, that is pretty easy to figure That Mothman: Would You Believe A Sandhill Crane? The department of transportation conducted a detailed investigation of the collapse and found the cause to be a small 0.1 inch (2.5 mm) deep defect onthe 13th steel pin eye-bar on the bridge that was improperly manufactured. It introduces the topic and points to sources for further research. Whether you believe in the creature or not, the collapse of the Silver Bridge was a real disaster. The collapse of the 35W bridge resulted in increased concerns about deficient bridges across the United States. "bang, bang, bang, bang, bang", then the bridge rose up slightly, Who can be held liable for a bridge collapse ultimately comes down to what actually caused the collapse. According to the cryptozoologist, these tales were first mentioned in the 2002 movie The Mothman Prophecies, and only afterward did they start making their way around the internet. Must dig deeper. of Transportation, Office of Research Services, 2001. That Hopefully, warnings continue to come. (TG25.M6 I252 2008), MnDOT's Response to National Transportation Safety Board Recommendations. The mothman has resurfaced again during the years since. Cook, Mike. turns out, this observation is probably very accurate, but the To keep up with the latest news and events happening with the Singular Fortean Society, sign up for our monthly newsletter! beam breaks, the bridge does not fall that instant. In Minnesota, citizens and government officials alike sought access to MnDOT bridge inspection reports, Federal Highway Administration documents, and other records related to the history, maintenance, and safety of the 35W bridge and all other bridges in the state. Apparently there have been several reports of moth man sightings in the recent italian bridge collapse. On November 20, 2016, an anonymous man who'd recently moved to Point Pleasant took photos of a shadowy, man-sized creature flying through the West Virginia sky. newspapers did not? There's also a gift shop that sells everything from Mothman T-shirts to Mothman energy drinks, and a nearby pizza joint offers a Mothman pizza, where the meats and veggies are arranged to look like the fabled beastie himself. The bridge is one of about 77,000 bridges in that category . These findings were released in the Federal Highway Administration's interim report, Adequacy of the U10 and L11 Gusset Plate Designs for the Minnesota Bridge No. In December of 1967, a little more than a year after the Mothman made headlines, the 40-year-old Silver Bridge connecting Point Pleasant with Gallipolis, OH across the Ohio River, collapsed under the weight of rush hour traffic. The bridge was built in 1928. Unlike the collapse of the Silver Bridge in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, reports of the creature came in only after the tragedy had occurred; there was no preceding build-up of paranormal phenomena that culminated in the calamity. across the street from the Tandem Lab unexpectedly collapsed into the The young man who drove his car off the Ohio ramp of the new Pomeroy Mason Bridge currently under construction has been identified as Gerald Baker, 19, Pomeroy, formerly of Coolville, according to lead investigators with the Meigs County Sheriff's Office. Lets take that they had a long list of missing people, but that they would not Tragedies happen. Updateit didn't take long. Of course, that means theres little hope of achieving that within this article, but what we can do is look at the facts, and come up with some theories. St. Paul: Minnesota Dept. About a month prior to the event sightings of a large bird-like creature was seen around the area of the bridge. 46 people died. had several beams break before the bridge started to fall down. It was one of the worst catastrophes in American history. About a month prior to the event sightings of a large bird-like creature was seen around the area of the bridge. Mothman shows up at every disaster, and he just watches. I took a look at it and it's based in reality but the story isn't real. to do classified work. Warnings come to those that listen closely. I will update you more when I find some!!! Attention, motorcyclists: Heres how to stay safer this winter, GibsonSingleton Virginia Injury Attorneys PLLC. In other words, the story of disturbing dreams, UFOs, and Men in Black surrounding Mothman lore might be a bit, well, exaggerated. that was true, then what crime was committed? The lawsuit alleges that the bidding process unfairly favored Flatiron/Manson. (Sayer and Phillippi vs Minnesota Department of Transportation;Case No. It had components that, when they fail, the entire Minneapolis: Gray Plant Moody, 2008. and the structure collapsed into the river. find out more by reading the book I recommended in the beginning of my comments. The so-called NAFTA highway, which would run from Mexico to Canada, is I-69. According to historianJames Gay Jones, the being was seen in the early 1900s right around the time of an unnamed "tragic event," and that it boasted a wingspan of about 12 feet. has mass, and it takes time to accelerate and gain speed. As it Even if the original sightings were not of owls, it stands to reason that once people knew of the Mothman they may mistake a harmless owl for something more ominous. There does happen to be a building just south of the former bridge that Making things worse, the creature was emitting a terrifying squeaking noise as it flew behind the car. Talking with the Toronto Star, a local businesswoman explained that Mothman has "helped the town. So what exactly was the Mothman? The busy Interstate 35W bridge over the Mississippi River in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, collapsed at the peak of rush hour on Wednesday, August 1, 2007. On August 1, 2007 the I-35W bridge crossing the Mississippi River in Minnesota collapsed. The collapse killed 13 people and injured 145 others. read the book mothmans curse, and you'll see what he really is, and what he can and cannot do. the site because there are still deceased victims in the water. Unable to get answers . At the time of the sightings, one wildlife expert suggested that the Mothman may actually be a Sandhill Crane that had strayed from its ordinary habitat. It flew and slapped people's windows trying to warn them. Mothman. It is worth mentioning that this video is not a video. The Silver Bridge accident was 40 years ago, and some 2023 The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers on this website. August 23, 2010: URS Corporation agrees to pay $52.4 million to I-35W bridge collapse victims. On December 15, 1967, it crumbled into the Ohio River during rush hour, killing 46 people without warning. The resulting report, State Highways and Bridges, was published in February 2008. 35W Bridge Collapse LIVE VIDEO ACTUAL Minneapolis Minnesota - YouTube 0:00 / 0:24 35W Bridge Collapse LIVE VIDEO ACTUAL Minneapolis Minnesota 834,643 views Aug 2, 2007 From Security. Some Once a By 1967, the year it collapsed, vehicle crossings had risen to 9,400. falling down. of Transportation, 2007. 5), Road User Cost Due to Unavailability of Interstate 35W Mississippi River Crossing at Minneapolis, Minnesota. And once word of the alleged sightings spread, more and more people began to panic, freaking out whenever they saw an owl's eyes shining in the dark. Website Design and Legal Internet Marketing by SLS Consulting, Four questions to ask before you choose a personal injury attorney. But what was Mothman really? with blank frames to keep the sequence of events in the video in proper damage a bridge should have caused far more damage to the people in the If the Mothman and the Silver Bridge collapse are connected, what could that mean? I'm sorry Elizabeth, but I think the mothmans curse book is fiction. Finally, there are truck bypasses So far, they have. Ironically, this bridge was opened in 1967, the same year as the collapse of the Silver Bridge. to help bolster their secret government or supernatural agendas. The 2007 collapse of the I-35W Bridge in Minneapolis is just one more recent example. These birds can stand four feet tall and have wingspans in the range of seven-foot. The numerologists go on and on finding 9's everywhere they look. He also said that some West Virginians were getting calls from people speaking unusual languages. Thirteen people died and 145 were injured when the bridge on Interstate 35 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, gave way during rush hour on August 1st, 2007. the I-35W Mississippi River crossing. I did so much reaserch on this topic, and I finally found out the answer, it is not any of the things that anyone says they are. He claimed that local TV sets were mysteriously burning themselves out, and that "telephones were going crazy, ringing at all hours of the day and night with no one on the other end." In an interview, Bridge Collapse Survivor, Charlene Wood said "When I got to the traffic light, here in point pleasant, I got the red light. Bottom line is that any radiation that could Some say sightings of this creature foretell impending disaster. of Transportation, November 18, 2008. Soon enough, a local newspaper called the Point Pleasant Register caught wind of the story and published the account under the headline "Couples See Man-Sized BirdCreatureSomething.". According to his friend, John Sherwood, Barker "pretty much took all of UFOlogy as a joke" and once said that his "kookie books" were "about all that I can sell these days." The overloaded bridge collapsed under the weight of the throng, and an estimated 4,000 Portuguese civilians and French legionnaires drowned in the Douro River. And it doesnt stop therethere are cases of a barge, tugboat, or freighter colliding with a bridge pylon and causing a collapse. Some supposedly had visions of Christmas presents floating down the nearby Ohio Riverand then there were the nightmares of people drowning. This fund will provide $1 million in financial assistance to the victims of the 35W bridge collapse and their families. NTSB Docket ID Number: HWY07MH024 - August 1, 2007, Minneapolis, Minnesota- Contains list of NTSB documents associated with the bridge collapse investigation. Either way, the folks of Point Pleasant should probably keep on watching the skies, just in case. Also been to Point Pleasant, West Virginia. Thousands of vehicles drove across it every day, but no one imagined that a mistake in the bridge's design, made over forty years prior, would have such disastrous consequences on one summer evening in August of 2007. Instead, they went to the police, and when the cops decided to investigate, they supposedly saw something large flying through the air. Seven tips to drive safely in construction zones, Why your shoulder pain may be a torn rotator cuff. That does not mean they do not exist. information, how is it that the conspiracy people got it but the reputable If he interfears with anything, then he will undo the curse, and he doesn't want that. 9340 (I-35W Over the Mississippi River). The first person to delve into the Mothman story was UFO author Gray Barker (pictured above), the man who popularized the concept of Men in Black with his book They Knew Too Much about Flying Saucers. (TG25.M6 O36 2001), Report on Expenditure of I-35W Bridge Special Compensation Appropriations. In fact, many claim that when the Mothman showed up in Point Pleasant, all sorts of scary things started happening around town. August 20, 2007: The body of the 13th and final victim of the I-35W Bridge collapse is recovered from the Mississippi River. then it fell in from the south end to the north end. that this is an active crime scene that needs to be secured. What is the Legacy of the 35W Bridge Collapse on Minnesota Politics and Policy? A humanoid creature with red eyes and giant wings, this bizarre being first showed up in November 1966, haunting locals in Point Pleasant, West Virginia. When The final death toll was 13. bombarded with thousands of phone calls, most of which were unintelligible, he shows up at every disaster. However, just because these particular stories are fiction, that doesn't explain all the other sightings of flying creatures across the US. Highway Spending: a Program Evaluation Report. Mothman Sighting Before Minnesota Bridge Collapse 2007. Morry Gash/AP. However, that's not to say there isn't any proof out there of Mothman's existence. In his yard, he spotted two glowing eyes that belonged to no animal he was familiar with. THE COLLAPSE. 62-CV-07-3425). But what if the Mothman really is, as Keel suggested, a supernatural entity, one that either came to warn of the imminent collapse of the Silver Bridge, was lured here in anticipation of the event, or caused the tragedy itself? Why didn't they predict the disaster in advance? In fact, several sightings were the fault of a prankster who intentionally flew his private plane back and forth, as low as possible, to freak out his Point Pleasant neighbors. Or. But believers are beginning to wonder if perhaps Mothman and similar flying humanoids arent, in fact, paranormal portents of upcoming catastrophes. (Dedication Day 2008 Commemorative Book) FIGG, 2008. What do tractor trailers have to do to keep you safe? just like when they show controlled demolitions on TV. Since 9's are coming up all over, this bridge was doomed. That being said, the Federal Highway Commission estimates that 11 percent of our countrys 607,000 bridges are structurally deficient. The important thing to remember is that if you or a loved one are injured in a serious accident in a public place, such as a bridge, highway, or street, you should definitely not have to pay for the related costs yourself. I think I'm gonna have to do more research into this subject. North America is full of unusual monsters, from Bigfoot to the chupacabra. Without warning, the bridge collapsed, taking with it 111 vehicles. So maybe this red-eyed monster isn't always the bearer of bad news. he does not make the disasters happen, he just watches. She reversed her vehicle as the bridge began folding inward on itself, with her tires stopped on the ledge where it broke off. LePatner, Barry B. While some of the facts are debatable, it really does seem there was an unidentified creature lurking about. (HE355 .H56 1997 ) Note: In August 2007, the Joint Legislative Committee to Investigate Bridge Collapse asked the Office of the Legislative Auditor to update this report. only problem is that just adding digits to find 9 or any other number is The first documented alleged Mothman sighting occurred in 1966 when two gravediggers working near Clendenin, WV, reported a large, winged humanoid that flew from a nearby tree and glided over their heads. The bridge was the main north-south route through the city. lab, and history has not shown that to be true. Everything that these witnesses Keel actually visited West Virginia where he interviewed witnesses, reported seeing strange lights himself, and allegedly received phone calls from otherworldly beings. River. On November 12, 1966, the Mothman was first sighted flying over a cemetery by five men who were digging a grave late at night. The Silver Bridge was an eyebar-chainsuspension bridge that spanned the Ohio River and connected Point Pleasant, West Virginia, withGallipolis, Ohio. Friday, August 10, but has now replaced that movie with another movie Supposedly, in the days after the Silver Bridge collapse, unusual figures in black Cadillacs were seen driving around town. December 15, 1967. People come because of Mothman, and they stay at the hotel, they go to the restaurants." HubPages is a registered trademark of The Arena Platform, Inc. Other product and company names shown may be trademarks of their respective owners. Minnesota Public Radio, August 1, 2017. There is no market The book would later spawn the film of the same name in 2002. Chances are good that Mothman was just some sort of bird. Two of the victims were never found. Since there was no obvious cause for the bridge disaster, some fringe groups in society started to invent conspiracy theories to help bolster their secret government or supernatural agendas. St. Paul: Minnesota Dept. In doing my research i have come across the number 90 three times. One other such collapse was the Silver Bridge over the Ohio River on That same evening a man living ninety miles away was roused out of his home by a strange sound. It was determined that the entire bridge fell apart because of the failure of one single link. Some sources say that it is one river about a decade ago. Eye witnesses reported hearing a series of sounds that went, Is something bad in store for the residents of Point Pleasant? There is an Internet story floating around that parts of the security Cellphone networks crashed under the load of people . St. Paul, Minn.: Bonestroo, 2007. When the beams from their car headlights hit the mysterious creature, its eyes began glowing red, but at first, the eerie entity didn't pay the couples any attention. In addition to all the flying creatures spotted around the US, some claim the actual Mothman has reemerged in recent years, bringing death and destruction in his wake, as per usual. of Transportation, 2009? Truss Bridges: Trunk Highway Bridges and Local Bridges. If you see mothman, flee from that place. New York: Foster Publishing, 2010. On November 19th 1967, she told Keel: "I had a terrible nightmare. But while the heron and crane are definite suspects, investigator Joe Nickell believes Mothman was actually some sort of owl. May 21, 2008: The Joint Committee to Investigate the Bridge Collapse releases their report, Investigative Report to Joint Committee to Investigate the I-35W Bridge Collapse. In over 40 years since the beast first appeared, nobody has got to the bottom of the Mothman mystery. Three days later, on the night of November 15, 1966, Newell Partridge's dog started growling at a creature outside. Of course, there is the possibility that the Mothman could be some creature not yet identified by modern science, perhaps a rare species of bird or bat. The Infamous Gusset Plates. take more than one beam to break before the bridge is doomed to During that time, the area around . Many cryptozoologists and paranormal experts believe the winged beast was either responsible for the collapse or that it was trying to warn of the impending disaster. They called this creature After the disaster, some people claimed to have seen a Mothman-like creature near the bridge about a month prior to its collapse. Planets simply cannot (Draft report). up to be used for other purposes. At 5:05 Pm on December 15th 1967, exactly 13 months after the first Mothman sightings, the bridge was full of cars, many of them Christmas shoppers, when suddenly it began to shake. (TG470.W38 2007), For historical information, check the following codes in the Newspaper Clipping File and the Vertical File: After all, what's more likely? It was eventually determined the bridge fell due to a faulty eye-bar, but some suspected a sonic boom was responsible. leading up to the crash. That part was non-redundant. It was crowded with rush hour traffic. "2007 Special Session Fiscal Summary of Disaster Relief." The Singular Fortean Society (Tobias & Emily Wayland) 2016-2020. During the evening rush hour on August 1, 2007, it suddenly collapsed, killing 13 people and injuring 145. The Interstate 35W bridge disaster in Minneapolis killed 13 and injured 145, when the bridge broke apart during rush hour on Aug. 1, 2007. Three days after showing up at the Clendenin cemetery, Mothman made its second official appearance at an abandoned munitions factory in the woods outside Point Pleasant. but keeping it quiet would require preventing a large number of people at least go to a different state, no where near there, that means a disaster is coming, and you definatly want be there for it. But if anyone says anything about mothman, like you need to help them defeat him, do it believe them, they may have the curse. But none are quite so eerie and disturbing as the Mothman. On December 15, 1967, 46 people died as the bridge that connected Point Pleasant, West Virginia and Gallipolis, Ohio collapsed. fall down the same day? 0 + 7 = 9. If you needed to visit one town or the other, then you had to pass over the Silver Bridge. This kind of stuff has always interested me, and I love reading articles on it. Finally, one needs to ask how anyone would benefit from Since then, Mothman has been tied to UFOs, Men in Black, and a terrible tragedy that occurred in 1967. (TG25.M6 F38 2006), Fracture Critical Bridge Inspection: In-Depth Report, Bridge #9340 (Squirt Bridge): I-35W Over the Mississippi River at Minneapolis, MN. Others claim it is the Mothman itself that brings darkness wherever it goes. We should be a market towards Toronto. Updatewebsite www.spoof.com has admitted that they made up this Some believe Mothman was a supernatural being that somehow inspired vivid nightmares of death and destruction. So perhaps the Mothman witnesses saw some glowing pupils, and in their state of fear, overestimated the creature's size. November 1, 2007: Actual construction of new bridge begins. he hasn't missed one. (First, youd have to prove he exists.). Mothman disappeared after the bridge collapse. This content is accurate and true to the best of the authors knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional. It is only natural for government agencies to want to cover their The best answer that I have heard so far is that they want to preserve the dignity of the pull that Mercury has on Earth is minute, whereas the Sun, which is Even more strange is that the police and fire departments were Los Angeles: Reason Foundation, 2008. The same planetary It's also been alleged that Barker took part in several hoaxes, such as creating fake UFO footage with a saucer dangling from a fishing pole and posing as a government official to convince a man he'd been abducted by aliens. According to the West Virginia Department of Commerce, Mothman was first seen on November 12, 1966. And what happened to the citizens of Point Pleasant after this winged monster first showed up? Could be the other side. Was the Mothman a kind of Angel of Death, arriving in anticipation of coming doom? While it may be fascinating to think about the Mothman appearing at another bridge collapse, those affected by the tragedy cannot be forgotten. Local papers dubbed the creature Mothman. For example, if a Is it a demon that leaves destruction in its wake? put enough force on anything to affect it here on Earth. Bierschbach, Brianna. i think that there is still all lot to discover about the moth man. And no, the Mothman cannot be held liable in a court of law. the video was first aired on CNN, it had timestamps in the corner of bridge would collapse. It was seen before the silver bridge collapsed. The first newspaper report was published in the Point Pleasant Register, dated November 16, 1966, titled "Couples See Man-Sized Bird . were in December of 1967 when the Silver Bridge fell. sound, then why didn't the I-35W bridge over the Minnesota River also Still, the lovebirds were understandably freaked out, so they took off as quickly as possibleand that's when the beast started following them. from talking. Well, it's a tale that involves freaky dreams, fanciful books, and feathery beasts, so if you want to know the story behind this creepy cryptid, keep one eye on the sky as we look at the untold truth of Mothman. he cant speak, interfere or touch the living or anything at all. Mothman was described as a flying man with a 10-foot wingspan and glowing red eyes that appeared before disasters. The report is due in May 2008. (TG23 .B75 2008), Bridging the Mississippi: The New I-35W Bridge: Minneapolis, Minnesota. On November 16, Raymond and Cathy Wamsley, along with their friend Marcella Bennett, saw the monster next to their parked car. other buildings and parking ramps be damaged, not to mention the bridge piece of hardware called an eye-bar that had a manufacturing defect in an Whoever caused or contributed to the collapse can be named as a defendant in a civil suit. Learn more. The appearance of Mothman in November 1966 (and perhaps in the following months, depending on whose account you believe) was indeed terrifying. According to Dunning who delved into local newspaper reports there were only six or so reported sightings, all of which occurred in November 1966. October 5, 2007: City of Minneapolis passes resolution that grants approval of MnDOTs proposed bridge layout. Although it may be interesting to think that the Mothman could have tried to warn us of yet another bridge collapse, its entirely possible that it was just a large bird. I had just recently told you about the Mothman curse, so I am here today to tell you, that moth man is a creature, and he [yes, I said he.] (Image Credit: The Curse Continues Charles Berlin 2007). September 14, 2007: MnDOT receives technical proposals from four companies: Ames/Lunda, C.S. Soon, a caller on Coast to Coast AM not to mention a host of online monster hunters began claiming the bat-winged humanoid was back in action, flittering around Minneapolis shortly before the . Soon, an enterprising copy editor from Ohio came up with a name for the creature. St. Paul: Minnesota Dept. The official explanation cited structural design flaws, but some believe a mysterious creature known as the Mothman brought about its destruction. Yes, people saw a mysterious creature shuffling around in the darkness. This historical event of The Silver Bridge Collapse impacted the Mothman urban legend. The And perhaps most importantly, when you shine a light into an owl's eyes, they will glow red, just like the Mothman's. Inspired by the Adam West Batman TV show, the copy editor dubbed the entity "Mothman.". Washington, DC: Federal Highway Administration, Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center, 2008. Adriaens, Emily. Many locals blamed the since been released. Lets explore this Mothman and the stories surrounding it, and try to determine if it is friend, foe, or just some unknown creature trying to get by in our crazy world. If the creature came to warn of the disaster it sure did pick an odd way of trying to help. remains if this was intentional, or if that is all the data that was You might According to OutsideOnline, the thing was originally supposed to be 20-feet-tall and have eyes that lit up in the dark, but that didn't pan out due to budgetary reasons. Every year in downtown Point Pleasant you can visit the Mothman Festival, a celebration of the creature that put the town on the map. According to the podcast Lore, people in Point Pleasantbegan experiencing creepy dreams in the months after Mothman's 1966 appearance. Congress authorizes about $250 million to rebuild the 35W bridge. We only get paid when you do. Members of the Somoli community were on TV saying Minnesota Department of Transportation Responses to the Investigative Report to Joint Committee to Investigate the I-35W Bridge Collapse. And he isn't the only one who thinks otherworldly entities were at play. Still, if you want to visit the statue, you can find the monument standing proudly in the appropriately named Mothman Park. August 23, 2007: MnDOT releases the request for proposal for the new bridge over the Mississippi. from both ends) breaks, it does sound like a gun shot. Investigators blamed the poor design of the bridge structure, and the excessive loads, for the collapse. Are there any real-world animals that might fit this description? Thirteen people died and 145 were injured. This paper examines the commemoration and folklorization of the events surrounding the Silver Bridge collapse which occurred in Point Pleasant, West Virginia in 1967 that have become associated with the legendary cryptid Mothman. Victims and their families will be eligible for up to $10,000 in lost wages. On August 1, 2007, an eight-lane, three-span section of the I-35W Bridge across the Mississippi River in downtown Minneapolis collapsed at approximately 6:00 p.m. However, they weren't going to just go home and forget the whole thing. In 1990, the federal government gave the I-35W bridge a rating of "structurally deficient," citing significant corrosion in its bearings.