A special thanks to Jane Gillardoni Badon for bringing this story to my attention and for the oral historyshe provided on her uncle, George Labeaud, who was one of the sixvictims. 6 Die in Lake Pontchartrain as Bus Plunges Off Bridge Hit by Barges, https://www.nytimes.com/1964/06/17/archives/6-die-in-lake-pontchartrain-as-bus-plunges-off-bridge-hit-by-barges.html. When you get on the bridge you have to get your heads away from these things and pay attention only to driving. Maintenance Crews are in the roadway inspecting the Causeway - Southbound. Bridge commission officials estimated that 10 days would be required to replace the four sections. For about eight miles, the bridge is famously known for the loss of sight of all the land surrounding it. The railroad was the towns' lifeline, bringing groceries from New Orleans and hauling away the logs and cabbages as far as Chicago. Price With 20% Increase. Depending on the type of bridge accident you are in, and the number of vehicles involved, the fault and liability for a bridge accident can be challenging. Wi1liam Cockerham of Fort Benning, Ga., was listed in good condition with multiple bruises. The crash scene was immediately south of a welllighted turnaround a spot where sightseers can head back rather than go across the entire bridge. The site of the accident was 1.5 miles north of a drawbridge towboats are supposed to use and 8.5 miles north of the New Orleans end of the causeway. Whatever she did, Mary says, it wasnt out of malevolence. Katrina . The Louisiana Bridge Company was formed to construct the bridge, which in turn appointed James E. Walters Sr. to direct the project. Brown, they say, laid a curse on the town because she felt taken for granteda curse that came true when the storm swept through on the day of her funeral and killed everyone around. The best way to address careless driving, he said, is "extremely strong enforcement, and that's precisely what we're doing right now. The funeral was scheduled and Aunt Julia had been placed in her casket and the casket in turn had been placed in the customary wooden box and sealed. [14], For decades Lake Pontchartrain Causeway was listed by Guinness World Records as the longest bridge over water in the world. It was declared as one of the Wonders of the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineers. The southern terminus of the causeway is in Metairie, Louisiana, a south shore suburb of New Orleans. Not sure if the same one, but would be interesting if it was. In an editorial dated June 13, 1931 in the Louisiana Weekly entitled The Unfortunate Six the city leaders of New Orleans were strongly blamed for the tragic deaths of these 6 young people. several of the victims. Negroes had gathered for miles around to attend the funeral of Aunt Julia Brown, an old negress who was well known in that section, and was a big property owner. Causeway police say officers received an anonymous call around 4:34 a.m. on Saturday about a woman walking north on the northbound span of the bridge about a mile from Metairie. Since starting his firm in 1999, Stewart J. Guss has had the honor of representing clients from all over the world, helping them recover from even the most catastrophic injuries. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. 1 Death From Hurricane Ida And New Orleans Is Left Without Power Ida blasted ashore Sunday as one of the most . Bridge commuters often speak of a such a cushion, although officials say there is no such thing. Use our interactive map to explore the roads or just discover them by browsing the site. [5] The two bridges feature a bascule, which spans the navigation channel 8 miles (13km) south of the north shore. "Mr. Guss & his team significantly exceeded my expectations and the net settlement I received was more than triple Handling Catastrophic Injury Claims for 20+ Years, Contact Our Attorneys To LEarn How We Can Help You Achieve The Justice You Deserve, Secrets of Nationwide Car Accident Claims, Secrets of Farmers Insurance Car Accident Claims, Secrets of Progressive Insurance Car Accident Claims, Secrets of State Farm Car Accident Claims, Secrets of Liberty Mutual Car Accident Claims, restrictions on the size and weight of vehicles. Cvitanovich's report says 22-year-old Nathalie . I wasnt looking them up, specifically, but the fact that theyd all died on the same day, and were all so young, jumpd out at me, and kind of caught at my heart. Louisiana is also home to the Norfolk Southern Lake Pontchartrain Bridge, which at 5.8 miles (9.3km) is one of the longest railway bridges in the United States. This is not for the feint of heart. I hollered to the towboat, Throw me two life preservers. Then I jumped in." Please merge right lane in the area of the crews and reduce speed. Must have been his cousins? Although the lake was named after Louis Phlypeaux, comte de Pontchartrain in 1699, it was his son Jrme who vociferously championed the exploration, settlement and development of Louisiana. In 1969, Louisiana's Lake Pontchartrain Causeway was officially recognized by Guinness World Records as the longest bridge over water in the world. Lake Pontchartrain Causeway - 126,122 feet According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway is the longest continuous bridge passing over water, the waters of New . Are Motorcycle Accidents Handled Differently Than Car Crashes in the USA? For further understanding on this topic please read the following two articles on this blog: Summertime at Seabrook (1928-1945) January 19, 2013 + On Segregated Shores: The Story of Lincoln Beach (1938-1964) January 19, 2013. In the 1940s and 1950s, New Orleans experienced growth. George Labeaud resided at 1214 North Johnson. In a similar accident Aug. 1, 1974, on the nearby 24milelong Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, a barge knocked out three 80foot sections of the flat portion of the roadway, killing three people. Two of the accidents were fatal. Phil, Hi Phil, I would like to have a picture of their gravesite to add to the article. Hi Louis, They had no roads, no doctors, and no electricity, but had managed to carve out cohesive and self-reliant communities. In building the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway Bridge, which took just fourteen months, assembly-line, mass-production methods were utilized for the first time in the construction of a bridge. "Change in society has impacted the Causeway more than anything else," Dufrechou said, referring to cellphones and high center-of-gravity vehicles that didn't exist when the Causeway opened. Skin divers pulled the other bodies from the submersed bus. When it was confirmed on Monday morning, 8 June 1931, that six young friends from the Treme neighborhood had drowned the day before in the waters of Lake Pontchartrain; hundreds of relatives, friends and neighbors crowded into the homes of the deceased to comfort their families. While there are restrictions on the size and weight of vehicles able to travel along the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, many semis and tractor-trailers are eligible to use this route. And if shes still in the swamp, you have less to fear from her than from the alligators. Anyone can read what you share. Perhaps Brown even tried to perform an anti-storm ritual and was unable to stop the hurricane before it was too late. In order to get from Southern Florida to the Keys, a driver needs to take the Overseas Highway. With Tag. Clarke's body was discovered in Lake Pontchartrain near Clearview Parkway and Folse Drive Monday afternoon - two days after Causeway police reported that a woman jumped from the bridge. She . I am the son of Louis Soublet and grandson of Emile Soublet of N.O. Some of Louisianas other notable bridges due to dangers or deficiencies include: There are certain steps you must take after a car accident to keep you safe, but when you are in an accident on a bridge you must take extra care to get help quickly and find safety however possible. When calling for assistance, request that both EMS and the police arrive at the scene. It stated: Little did the unfortunate six, whose souls have been claimed by the waters of Lake Pontchartrain think on Sunday last, that their bodies were to be offered in sacrifice for the failure of the local municipality to provide its Negro citizenry with an adequate bathing beachBut what care the city fathers? a community adjacent to Lake Pontchartrain, meteorologists in New Orleans said . This scary bridge, also known simply asThe Causeway, was constructed in just fourteen months, and opened on August 30, 1956. Four of the victims were to have been married soon: George . Thirteen vehicles have gone over the side of the southbound bridge since 1994, according to bridge statistics. Speeding can be deadly on this 24-mile bridge when unforeseen circumstances can cause the need to come to a halt or avoid an obstacle in the road. Four of the victims were to have been married soon: George Labeaud to Elva Gagnet, and Roy Frederick Ennemoser to Lucille Doublet. Taking a New Orleans Motorcycle Class: What Should You Look For? Ranging in ages from sixteen to twenty- five, all six (listed above) left the city early Sunday morning (June 7 ) for a picnic at a camp located just across Lake Pontchartrain in St. Tammany Parish. The famous Causeway has gone back and forth as the record holder for the longest bridge in the world, and even spawned a new category when the only country crazy enough to contest the record was . Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, New Orleans. The fastest driver cited was traveling 87 mph. The hurricane seemed to come out of nowhere. If you have the unfortunate circumstance of being a victim of a car accident while on the bridge, you will likely have to wait a long time for help. The exact location of where the crash happened was unclear. The Maestri Bridge comes close, but runs short by two-tenths of a mile at roughly 4.8 miles (7.7km) in total length. Several of Louisianas 13,000 bridges are notorious with motorists that must cross them on their commutes and travels. A large sinkhole, brought on by recent dredgings in the lake, was the cause of the tragic ending to six lives. At the time of the building of the bridge, cars were much smaller in general with lower profiles and the frequency of cargo and commercial trucks were much lower. Darkness set in and everything came to a halt. Cloud bridge on August 30, 2005. . My Dad was born in 1917. It can pick up litter, debris, motor oil, A post shared by New Orleans Yacht Experience (@neworleansyacht) on Sep 4, 2019 at 8:23pm PDT, Anecdotally, the item we picked up most often was straws, far and away, Trail said. Makes Louis my 2 great grand uncle.. Lol, My Great Great Grandfather was a Louis Gagnet. There have been many notorious accidents along the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway that have ended in death for one or more victims. However, in 1964 there was a tragic incident in which two barges crashed into the bridge and caused a collapse of the roadway, sending a large motorcoach bus into the waters below where six victims did not survive. This fact helped to collaborate the witnesses account of the six holding hands as they disappeared. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! You must try to exit your vehicle as quickly as possible by whatever means possible and swim to safety if you can or stay afloat as you await rescue. It was built to withstand 100 mile-per-hour winds and even earthquakes. Four sections of concrete roadway and the bus tumbled into the lake. It has been featured in Hollywood movies, including the James Bond film License to Kill, 2 Fast 2 Furious and the Arnold Schwarzenegger blockbuster True Lies. Forty-thousand drivers cross the causeway each day, but Sunday about 10:30 a.m., 38-year-old David Zapot of Lacombe, Louisiana, didn't make it. For many years, the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, also known as the Lake Pontchartrain Bridge, held the title of the longest bridge in the world over water. The police department said the officer tried to intercept her and "without warning, she ran to the guardrail and jumped into the lake.". But even those who don't slight at heights might think twice about crossing these terrifying bridges. He was buried here along with his fiance and her sister, Alma Gagnet. My mother has told of this tragedy many times. Louisiana's Lake Pontchartrain Causeway is the longest bridge over water in the world. S. Sgt. My sister Elva is named after her great aunt who died. Phil Gagnet. Fortunately, these three would survive and live to recount the story of what happened that dreadful day. In June 2013, the bridge had to be evacuated after it was damaged by flames. The Coast Guard said a formal inquiry into the accident would begin at 10 A.M. tomorrow. Thanks for sharing this story. In recent years, projects are underway to heighten the railings across the bridge to reduce the likelihood of vehicles falling over the bridge. 2-axle, under 7 feet. Lake Pontchartrain is many things: a peaceful waterfront setting and the site of the worlds longest continuous bridge, to name a few. Creolegen has added a photo to this article. It is not difficult to see why having an emergency on the Pontchartrain Causeway can be a cause for concern. Back when Brown was alive at the turn of the 20th century, the towns of Ruddock, Frenier, and Napton were prosperous settlements clustered on the edge of Lake Pontchartrain, sustained by logging the centuries-old cypress trees and farming cabbages in the thick black soil. Bridge officials contracted with the Texas A&M Transportation Institute to come up with designs to improve the bridge's retaining walls, and the institute is expected to make a recommendation by the end of the year. Due to the intimidating size of the bridge, it is paralyzing to some drivers who want to go across. So . The lake has a maximum depth of 65 feet but averages 12 to 14 feet deep. In many instances, an accident will happen while having many other vehicles around you and someone may call for help as soon as they see the accident. 2-axle, under 7 feet. It rests 90 stories between two tall cliffsover the Arkansas River. [4] At that time there was some controversy in the United States as supporters of the former holder of the record, the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, disagreed with Guinness World Records not calling the causeway the longest.
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