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Last night, as you know, we aired our show from Minneapolis. I had expected the show to be out of New York last night but in this business, much can change... and it did. On Wednesday night, when we learned of the bridge collapse, we began making travel plans for Minneapolis. We got here early enough so that I could go up in a helicopter. We took video... but I also pulled out my point and shoot in the helicopter and took some pictures.
• Click here to check out my photo essay
You can see very clearly the bridge and the collapsed portions. The pictures may give you a better frame of reference. The pictures tell the entire story, so I am not going to be clumsy with words or use cliches in describing the bridge collapse for you. Check the pictures of the bridge collapse posted.
Also posted are pictures from our Minneapolis show and of our set. FOX News' set was created in the matter of hours on the rooftop of a parking garage. Our crews are amazing! We were not the only media organization on the garage roof. If you listened carefully to our show last night, you might have heard shows (people talking) from other networks seeping into our mikes. The various news organizations are lined up literally feet from each other. It can be a bit distracting to our guests that they hear people talking feet away from them while they are on our show. We, in the business, are used to it.
In the pictures you will see that our remote set ups are not particularly glamorous. I was standing on a ladder for the entire show and my guests stood on a box. This was an effort to try and get us the same height. Some of the pictures posted show you the ladder and the box (check out in particular the last two pictures posted.) Shep did his two shows from the same site and hence you will see several pictures of Shep… plus I was a guest on his show and he was a guest on ours. Correspondent Rick Leventhal is also seen in a picture. I know Bill Hemmer was in Minneapolis but I never saw him. He was at a different remote site (but coincidentally had seen him the day before in the New York newsroom... and I had also seen Shep there the day before, too. You never know where and when you will see your colleagues!)
I was lucky to get up in a helicopter to see the scene. The FOX affiliate made it happen -- it was their chopper. I can't thank them enough!
Now for some e-mails:
E-mail No. 1
Is there an Internet site that has the current bridge safety reports. I'm looking for a site that I can view inspection reports for bridges in my area.
Thank you.
Charles Duhon
Many, LA
E-mail No. 2
Hi Greta!
I have a question that I've always been curious about... especially NOW!
50 years ago my husband was a teenager on a trip to Canada. His class went over the Ambassador Bridge into that country. The attendant there was giving a talk, explaining the bridge and the facts about it. He told the class that the bridge could withstand tremendous weight, but if a dog started across the bridge they would shoot it. He told them that the rhythm of the dog's pace would do more damage than any weight could do. Is this true? And if it is, couldn't the jack-hammer have provided that same subtle rhythm in Minnesota?
Just curious, and I know you could find the answer!
Thanks!
Ann
E-mail No. 3
I'm no expert engineer, but if you look at the collapse, the center seemed to be, over the Mississippi River. That would indicate possibly the truss's in the water may have shifted enough to cause this collapse. I'd look real close of what was in the water, as to me seemed to be the center of the problem. Why they would have built an economic bridge over a river like the Mississippi with the fast dangerous current, is unbelievably stupidity!
Tom Rodeffer
Decatur, AL
ANSWER: This is a great question... does anyone know this answer?
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