This posting is about the fatal crane accident that occurred
in my neighborhood today. It has nothing to do with the
2nd Avenue Subway Launch Box construction project.
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Today was a sad and troubling day for many people here
in New York City.
Another tower crane collapsed, and two construction workers were killed.
I've decided to post a few pictures here since the accident happened 1/2 block from my apartment, and 1 block from the 2nd Avenue SAS Launch Box construction site.
- - -
I first learned of the accident when I got a call, from my friend Patricia at about 8.40 am while I was on my way to work. She told me that she had heard on NPR that a crane had collapsed on 1st Avenue & 91st Street on the Upper East Side and that 2 people were dead.
When I arrived home at about 7 pm this evening I walked over to the accident site to see for myself what had happened.
Here's what I saw --
92nd and 1st Avenue - looking SW
In this image New York Crane & Equipment (a private company) is setting up a very large German made Liebherr mobile crane in the middle of 1st Avenue to start the process of disassembling the base of the tower crane that fell. A 2nd smaller mobile crane can be seen in the background.
The building that was under construction is on the right.
same location
This image is a zoom shot. In it you can see the damage to the penthouse apartment in the building on the SW corner of 91st and 1st Avenue.
93rd and 1st Avenue - looking S
Another shot of the scene. (Note that it was impossible today, for me, to get any closer since the accident site was closed off for one block in each direction.
92nd Street & 1st Avenue - looking SW
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The following pictures were taken 6 weeks ago,
on April 16, 2008.
On this day I happened to be out with my camera taking a few pictures of the 2nd Avenue Subway construction site. I decided to walk down 91st Street to watch the assembly of the Kodiak tower crane on the NW corner of 91st and 1st Avenue. In fact these are pictures of the assembly of the tower crane that ultimately fell today.
1st Avenue, btw. 91st and 92 - looking SW
Here workers are preparing to lift the crane's turntable to the top of the tower.
Update June 5, 2008: The Post reported today that Kodiak crane No. 052, shown above, wasn't supposed to be installed at this work site. [you can clearly see the digits "052" stenciled on the side of the crane's turntable, if you click on the image.]
The article from the Post can be found on this link:
"Wrong Number", New York Post, 06/05/08.
higher and higher they go...
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Update June 1, 2008
I took a look on the Flicker web site today to see what had been posted by people in the neighborhood.
This picture, by El Gaspode, was taken just a few moments after the crane came down - before emergency personnel arrived.
91st and 1st Avenue, SE corner - looking NW
By El Gaspode (click on the link for more of her pictures)
And you can find about 2 dozen high resolution "before and after" pictures of the crane that was involved in this accident on Seth Holladay's Flicker page.
on the east side of 1st Avenue,
between 91st and 92nd - looking SW
by Seth Hollady
For further detailed information on the crane accident I suggest the New York Times special on-line section:
Crane Collapse - East 91st Street (NYC).
- - -
To offset just a bit of the sadness and concern that many New Yorkers felt today, I've decided to include a picture of a special event that just occurred here in the City.
The image below was taken yesterday --
on the 1st day of the so-called Manhattan Solstice.
What is the Manhattan Solstice (also sometimes called Manhattanhenge) you might ask... this is the day that the setting sun is perfectly aligned with the east-west streets in Manhattan.
Bryant Park, on a stone bench
near the New York Public Library
looking West, down 41st Street.
Note:
This is a stitched image. Left-click on it for the the "full view."
