Bad Luck at Hangaroa

With only 18 inches to go before they were safely on their supports, two enormous girders for the new bridge at Hangaroa met an unexpected fate when they crashed into the bed of the river.

The girders—the largest so far fabricated in New Zealand for bridge work, were 108ft in length, and each weighed several tons.

They attracted considerable attention in Gisborne when they were seen in the streets prior to being transported to Hangaroa to the site of the bridge across the Hangaroa River, about 30 miles from the city.

The contractors, using a crane at each end, lifted the girders almost to the top of the bridge ends when the accident happened. For some reason they suddenly toppled and crashed back to river level.

Pictures on this page were taken on the day following the mishap.