Replies

To: Terrorista Nada
No kidding. I'll go further and say I suspect the PRC would be delighted if the fleet headquarters in San Diego were to disappear. If Davis just saved this, the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges, good for him.
bin Laden's handbook talks about the "enemy bridges." The Left Coast has a bunch of targets and terror cells--one of the largest may be in San Diego and the intelligence says something may be coming over the border. You figure it out.
40 posted on 11/1/01 7:48 PM Pacific by Fulbright

It's a no-brainer for anyone who has been following our alternative media. These connections cannot be made by the clueless idiots glued to their TV sets. They are not getting enough information. (Don't even go into the subject of apathy and 'bread and circuses'. New thread altogether.)

There is hope in convincing people to open their eyes to the world beyond their immediate lives and concerns, and I have to say I've been pleased with some of the results with people I've talked to, but there is still a long way to go.
Big media lies!

We had never seen or even been aware of the existance of this very beautiful bridge until March of this year when the wife and I traveled to Puerto Vallarto, Mexico, by cruise ship from San Pedro, CA (Port of Los Angeles). We live in San Diego about 150 miles south. (Oh, the Mexico trip was great! But don't eat fresh fruits or vegetables, even in salads and tacos :)

Vincent Thomas Bridge

Some Facts About the Vincent Thomas Bridge
(between Terminal Island & San Pedro in Los Angeles, CA)

There has always been a need to cross over the main channel of the Los Angeles Harbor, even in the early 1870's, when the first ferry service consisted of a rowboat that made the trip to Terminal Island only as passengers were available. Ferry service was the only means of transport for decades. From 1937 until 1957, various proposals were considered regarding construction of a tube tunnel connecting the Harbor and Long Beach freeways. Engineers concluded that a four-lane bridge could be built for slightly more than the two-lane tube.

Completed in 1963, "San Pedro's Golden Gate" was the first bridge of its kind to be constructed on pilings. The overall length of the bridge is 6,050 feet, with a main suspension span of 1,500 feet and 500-foot spans on either side. The towers are 365 feet high. Named for one of San Pedro's "own," an orphan from the streets and wharves who went on to become a State Assemblyman, it was The Hon. Vincent Thomas who cut the ribbon at the dedication ceremony.

Type: Suspension
Opened: November 15, 1963
Cost: $21 million
Length: 6,050 feet (1.1 miles)
Main suspension span: 1,500 feet
Spans on both sides: 500 feet each
Height of Towers: 365 feet
Vertical Clearance: 185 ft.
Designed to withstand 90 mph winds (double code requirements)
Daily Vehicle Traffic:

Construction of the bridge required:

92,000 tons of Portland cement
13,000 tons of lightweight concrete
14,100 tons of steel
1,270 tons of suspension cable

Who was Vincent Thomas?
Vincent Thomas
Former California Assemblyman, Democrat, 52nd District, San Pedro.
Namesake of Los Angeles County's Largest Bridge, the Vincent Thomas Bridge.

Vincent Thomas moved to San Pedro from Oakland in 1919. In 1928, he graduated from San Pedro High School. He received a Bachelor Degree from the University of Santa Clara in 1932 and attended the University of Santa Clara and Loyola Law Schools from 1932 to 1936. He worked as a minor sports coach and PE instructor while in college. He also played football for Santa Clara. He was married and had a daughter and son. He was elected to the California Assembly in 1940. In 1962, he was elevated to Dean of the Assembly. He also served as Chairman of the Committee on Intergovernmental Relations. He was still in the Assembly when his namesake bridge opened in 1963. He was the individual most responsible for its realization. He served in the Assembly at least through 1975.