[Guest]

http://wbz.com/Crane-collpases-in-shipyard--one-dead/2786303

WBZ-TV
Crane collapses at Quincy shipyard, one dead

M.L.

Quincy (AP/WBZ Newsroom) -- One person was killed when the leg of a giant crane collapsed at the Fore River Shipyard on Thursday, a city official said.

For several weeks, workers have been dismantling the Goliath crane -- which once stood 25 stories tall -- in preparation for shipment to Romania. It was not immediately clear what caused the leg collapse, which happened at about 12:30 p.m.

Jim Fatseas, the chief of staff for the mayor's office, confirmed one person was killed, but did not identify the victim. He said no other injuries were reported.

A woman who answered the phone at the company dismantling the crane, Washington state-based Norsar LLC, declined comment before hanging up the phone.

General Dynamics Corp. constructed the Goliath crane in the 1970s and used it to lift huge pieces of ships and tankers at the Fore River Shipyard, which once employed 32,000 people. The crane has been a fixture in the skies over Quincy for decades, but it's been idle since the shipyard closed in 1986.

Daewoo-Mangalia Heavy Industries, a Romanian shipbuilding and repair company, purchased the crane for an undisclosed sum and planned to put it back to use.

In January 2005, there was a collapse at the same shipyard. Two workers died, several others were injured, when part of a 180 foot tall "craneway" came down on a building where workers were removing asbestos. Ultimately, OSHA cited the Testa Corporation for workplace safety violations.

 

[rg1283]

Re: Goliath Crane at Quincy Shipyard Collapses - One Dead

This is what happens when you wait 20+ years to dismantle things.

That place employed 32,000!!

Bruce has the area ever recovered due to the loss of the shipyard?

http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/17190708/detail.html

More images, it looks as if the crane is supposed to come apart this way and then the leg just fell or was dropped accidentally during disassembly.

 

[Guest]

Re: Goliath Crane at Quincy Shipyard Collapses - One Dead

Bruce has the area ever recovered due to the loss of the shipyard?

Not really; that area (Quincy Point) is my patrol sector, and my paternal grandparents lived there (Germain Avenue) so I've seen it begin a slow downward slide since the shipyard closed. There are still a lot of good families there, but the ratio of scumbags & illegal aliens has started to tilt in the wrong direction.

The Greek guy (I won't even try to spell his name - Soitrois something) gave a lot of hope to revive the shipyard, to the point of constructing new buildings and negotiating with the shipfitter's union, but it all went up in smoke eventually. Very sad....my grandfather retired from there, and was a foreman for the crew that installed the engines in the USS Massachusetts.

 

[KozmoKramer]

Re: Goliath Crane at Quincy Shipyard Collapses - One Dead

Bruce - is that 'a Quincy Shipyard' or the place that was commonly referred to as 'the Quincy Shipyard'?

I remember old friends of my folks mentioning how they retired from the Quincy shipyard.

I wasn't sure if there was more than 1 ship building facility in town.

 

[Guest]

Re: Goliath Crane at Quincy Shipyard Collapses - One Dead

Bruce - is that 'a Quincy Shipyard' or the place that was commonly referred to as 'the Quincy Shipyard'?

The one and only. In Quincy it's just referred to as "the shipyard", although the official name is the Fore River Shipyard. It started off as independent, was bought by what eventually became Bethlehem Steel, then was sold to General Dynamics who built Goliath and eventually closed the yard;

http://www.hazegray.org/shipbuilding/quincy/

 

[kwflatbed]

Re: Goliath Crane at Quincy Shipyard Collapses - One Dead

As a kid I sold newspapers at the main gate a lot of good memories from there.

 

[KozmoKramer]

Re: Goliath Crane at Quincy Shipyard Collapses - One Dead

I had a couple of uncles at the Charlestown Navy Yard and a couple of family friends in Quincy. They had nice jobs there and made nice lives for their families..

 

[kwflatbed]

Re: Goliath Crane at Quincy Shipyard Collapses - One Dead

'He Loved His Job,' Crane Victim's Dad Says

Cause Of Collapse Under Investigation

BOSTON -- One person was killed in a crane collapse at the Quincy Fore River shipyard Thursday afternoon.

Father Of Crane Victim: 'He Loved His Job' |

Man Killed In Crane Collapse |

Uncut: Quincy Crane Collapse | Images | 911 Call

The victim was Robert Harvey, 28, a union ironworker and newlywed, Norfolk County District Attorney William R. Keating said. Officials would not say if Harvey was the crane operator.

"When we arrived, we determined that one person had been trapped under one portion of the crane that was being demolished or removed. That gentleman, unfortunately, perished from the injures, the crushing injuries, due to the fall of the crane," Quincy Police Chief Paul Keenan said.

Two other workers were injured in the collapse and taken to a local hospital. Two other people were treated at the scene for minor injuries.

The collapse happened at about 12:26 p.m., Quincy fire officials said.

It is unclear what caused the crane to collapse. The site has been shut down while an investigation into the incident is conducted.

"He loved his job as an ironworker and (coworkers) loved him because it was quite a showing when he was still stuck, still trapped. They respected me and him, and promised that they would take care of him and they did," the victim's father, Robert Harvey said.

Work was being done to dismantle the Goliath crane at the site, which has been a landmark that has towered over the community for 30 years.

Workers from the Norsar LLC company began taking the crane apart at the end of July, first removing the bottom support bars, called sill beams, after lifting the top three quarters of the 3,000-ton crane.

A spokesman for the company said dismantling from the bottom up allowed for all the work to be done on the ground, which he said was a safer approach.

The 328-foot crane was scheduled to be taken apart in 80-foot sections and a barge was set to take it to a heavy industries shipyard in Romania.

General Dynamics built the crane in the mid-1970s to lift 120-foot spheres for liquefied natural gas tanker hulls.

The company closed the yard in 1986 because of overseas competition.

http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/17190708/detail.html

 

[Guest]

Re: Goliath Crane at Quincy Shipyard Collapses - One Dead

I had a couple of uncles at the Charlestown Navy Yard and a couple of family friends in Quincy. They had nice jobs there and made nice lives for their families..

Yep...my grandfather wasn't a rich man as far as money, but he always provided for his family and my dad/uncles never went hungry.

I was watching a special on the SS United States which is starting the process of being refurbished and returned to operating condition. If so, it will be the only US-built passenger liner in service, as there are none now. Very sad.

 

[Guest]

Re: Goliath Crane at Quincy Shipyard Collapses - One Dead

As a kid I sold newspapers at the main gate a lot of good memories from there.

All those pieces of slate sure must have been heavy..........

 

[mpd61]

Re: Goliath Crane at Quincy Shipyard Collapses - One Dead

Goliath was visible from miles out on the water, and from parts of the Southeast Expressway and Blue Hills. When I was helping teach Sea cadtes on the USS Salem, the kids loved to hear the stories from the old volunteers about the lifts and how busy the yard was in WWII.
:baby21:
Bruce What's the latest in regards to USS Salem and the museum. I haven't been in that area since 9/11. Are they still making a go of it?

 

[KozmoKramer]

Re: Goliath Crane at Quincy Shipyard Collapses - One Dead

Yep...my grandfather wasn't a rich man as far as money, but he always provided for his family and my dad/uncles never went hungry.

Same here my man. Never rich, but never hungry and a new car every 3 or 4 years... Nice second career for a retired serviceman.
2 pensions, social security and good health makes for a nice retirement.

All those pieces of slate sure must have been heavy..........

Ooooooh, Har, that's a throw down my man...
The line in the sand has been drawn....

 

[Guest]

Re: Goliath Crane at Quincy Shipyard Collapses - One Dead

Bruce What's the latest in regards to USS Salem and the museum. I haven't been in that area since 9/11. Are they still making a go of it?

Yes, they're actually doing quite well now, after a rocky start. They've gotten creative with revenue sources; Boy Scout sleepovers, kid's birthday parties, a mini-golf course on-board, etc. And between the veteran's groups from Salem, Des Moines, and Newport News they usually have at least one former crew reunion per year.

I've talked with some former crewmen of that cruiser class, and they rave about how well-preserved the Salem is; the Navy buttoned it up in 1959 and it stayed in a time warp until it was donated in the 90's. It hasn't been modified at all to accomodate visitors like the Massachusetts is; what you see is what the Navy had in the 1950's.

This thread reminded me to finally upload the pictures I took when GMACK24 and I did some urban exploring. My camera sucks and I'm nowhere near the photographer that Greg is, but here's some;

Goliath as seen from the roof of the newer of the administration buildings. The buildings you see which block out Goliath's legs are some of the ones the Greek built a few years back;

The drafting room on the second floor of the old admin building, where the naval architects designed the ships and made building plans;

My grandfather used to cash his paychecks at this window. On Fridays only!

Closer view of the pay window;

Security's arch-enemy.....the Detex key!!

Cafeteria for the management types;

Soda machine;

Stairs down to the shipways;

For reference, the square wet spots you see are about the size of a large delivery truck;

Another view of Goliath from the shipways;

One of the watertight walls has sprung a leak;

Looking down into the shipways;

The best for last.....the infamous Kotex machine;

And just for Dunny, the circa-1984 Kotex;

 

[kwflatbed]

Re: Goliath Crane at Quincy Shipyard Collapses - One Dead

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sniper
All those pieces of slate sure must have been heavy.......... :wink:

Ooooooh, Har, that's a throw down my man...
The line in the sand has been drawn....

Lil Snipe would have a tough time just trying to carry one of the papers.
I sold 300 a day.

 

[kwflatbed]

Re: Goliath Crane at Quincy Shipyard Collapses - One Dead

The Goliath crane in its heyday at the Fore River shipyard in Quincy.

The Goliath crane in an aeiral view of the shipyard.

 

[rg1283]

Re: Goliath Crane at Quincy Shipyard Collapses - One Dead

BTW the Salem is the last Heavy Cruiser in existance

It worked like this I think from the top of my head in WWII to probably through Korea

Battleship

Heavy Cruiser

Cruiser

Destroyer

 

[Guest]

Re: Goliath Crane at Quincy Shipyard Collapses - One Dead

BTW the Salem is the last Heavy Cruiser in existance

It worked like this I think from the top of my head in WWII to probably through Korea

Battleship

Heavy Cruiser

Cruiser

Destroyer

It's actually;

Battleship (13-18 inch main battery)

Battlecruiser (11-15 inch main battery with less armor than a battleship)

Heavy cruiser (8 inch main battery)

Light cruiser (6 inch main battery)

Destroyer (3-5 inch main battery)

Destroyer-escort (3-4 inch main battery)

 

[kwflatbed]

Re: Goliath Crane at Quincy Shipyard Collapses - One Dead

Dismantling of landmark crane at Quincy Shipyard resumes after fatal accident

The Patriot Ledger
Posted Oct 07, 2008 @ 06:45 AM

QUINCY -
The dismantling of the Goliath crane at the former Fore River Shipyard has resumed, although the investigation of the Aug. 14 collapse that killed a Weymouth man continues.
Gregory Nordholm of Norsar LLC, the main contractor on the project, said the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration allowed work to resume last week.
By Friday, a 60-foot section of one of the crane's four legs had been removed, he said.
Nordholm expects that removing the remaining legs and lowering the cross beam that sat atop them will take about four more weeks.
A Romanian shipyard bought the crane and is having its components shipped there for reassembly.
One of the Goliath's four legs was braced and taken down without mishap. But less than a week later, a portion of a second leg collapsed, crushing to death ironworker Robert Harvey, 28, of Weymouth, and injuring four others.
"We've taken things slow and cautiously," Nordholm said. "Nobody is interested in any more problems on this project. I think the ironworkers and local authorities are satisfied with the safety of the operation. Otherwise, work would not have been able to proceed."
Spokesman John Chavez said OSHA does not shut down a work site indefinitely. It allows work to resume at a certain point while the investigation continues.
OSHA does not comment on ongoing investigations. Chavez would not say when a final report on the Fore River investigation will be issued.
Completed in 1975, the 328-foot-tall crane was once the largest of its type in the western hemisphere. General Dynamics built the crane to place 120-foot-diameter storage spheres for liquefied natural gas into tanker hulls. It had been in use for barely a decade when the company surrendered to overseas competition and closed the yard in 1986.

http://www.patriotledger.com/homepa...-Quincy-Shipyard-resumes-after-fatal-accident

 

[kwflatbed]

Re: Goliath Crane at Quincy Shipyard Collapses - One Dead

Removal of shipyard crane in Quincy expected to be finished by Christmas

GREG DERR/The Patriot Ledger
The Goliath crane, once a dominant feature of the Quincy skyline, is well on its way to being fully dismantled. It will be transported by barge across the Atlantic, destined for Romania.

By
The Patriot Ledger
Posted Nov 07, 2008 @ 06:31 AM
Last update Nov 07, 2008 @ 06:32 AM

QUINCY -

The dismantling of the Goliath crane at the former Fore River shipyard is winding down, but the investigation of the Aug. 14 collapse that killed an ironworker from Weymouth continues.
The crane's legs have been removed and the cross beam that once topped the 328-foot-tall structure has been lowered, to just 30 feet above the ground, Gregory Nordholm of Norsar LLC, the main contractor for the project, said Thursday.
The dismantled crane will be moved to an ocean-going barge next month for transporting to the Romanian shipyard that bought it.
"With luck, it will be out of here by Christmastime," Nordholm said.
Dismantling was halted after a section of one of the crane's four legs collapsed, crushing to death ironworker Robert Harvey, 28, and injuring four others.
The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration allowed work to resume early last month.
"We are proceeding very carefully, and making sure everybody has a chance to review procedures," Nordholm said.
Spokesman Edmund Fitzgerald set no date for completion of OSHA's investigation, but he said it should be within six months of the accident.
He said OSHA's policy is not to comment on investigations until they have been completed.
Finished in 1975, the crane was once the largest of its type in the Western Hemisphere. General Dynamics built it to place 120-foot-diameter liquid natural gas storage spheres into tanker hulls. General Dynamics closed the shipyard in 1986.
Family members and friends have established a scholarship fund to memorialize Harvey. A hockey tournament will be held Nov. 22 at the North End Skating Rink in Boston to raise money for the fund.

http://www.patriotledger.com/homepa...n-Quincy-expected-to-be-finished-by-Christmas

 

[Guest]

Re: Goliath Crane at Quincy Shipyard Collapses - One Dead

The skyline by the shipyard just doesn't look the same anymore.