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re: 14 Years Ago
Posted on 11/17/13 at 11:46 pm to ImperialPalace
Posted on 11/17/13 at 11:46 pm to ImperialPalace
Holy crap
0
Posted on 11/17/13 at 11:49 pm to ImperialPalace
quote:
109 feet, 10 inches
Posted on 11/17/13 at 11:49 pm to WestCoastAg
quote:
It got to 60+ feet one year didn't it?
You're 50 feet short. They started limiting height in 1970 after it hit 110 feet. The limit was pretty constantly ignored. In 99 it was around 60.
Posted on 11/18/13 at 1:15 am to ImperialPalace
Late 50s:
1969:
To give some perspective to our SEC brethren of how big a tradition this was, average attendance in the 90s was estimated at 40K:
The Longhorn Band forever changed our rivalry by raising two A&M flags during their performance and lowering their own. I don't know any Aggie that can watch the video and not get choked up.
1969:
To give some perspective to our SEC brethren of how big a tradition this was, average attendance in the 90s was estimated at 40K:
The Longhorn Band forever changed our rivalry by raising two A&M flags during their performance and lowering their own. I don't know any Aggie that can watch the video and not get choked up.
Posted on 11/18/13 at 1:17 am to WhiskerBiscuitSlayer
quote:
To give some perspective to our SEC brethren of how big a tradition this was, average attendance in the 90s was estimated at 40K:
And that was a much smaller A&M (by comparison) than today.
quote:
The Longhorn Band forever changed our rivalry by raising two A&M flags during their performance and lowering their own. I don't know any Aggie that can watch the video and not get choked up.
NOT clicking that link at work. I don't want to answer weird questions about leaky eyes
This post was edited on 11/18/13 at 1:18 am
Posted on 11/18/13 at 8:28 am to WestCoastAg
Build the hell
Miranda Denise Adams ‘02
Christopher D. Breen ‘96
Michael Stephen Ebanks ‘03
Jeremy Richard Frampton ‘99
Jamie Lynn Hand ‘03
Christopher Lee Heard ‘03
Timothy Doran Kerlee, Jr ‘03
Lucas John Kimmel ‘03
Bryan A. McClain ‘02
Chad A. Powell ‘03
Jerry Don Self ‘01
Nathan Scott West ‘02
Miranda Denise Adams ‘02
Christopher D. Breen ‘96
Michael Stephen Ebanks ‘03
Jeremy Richard Frampton ‘99
Jamie Lynn Hand ‘03
Christopher Lee Heard ‘03
Timothy Doran Kerlee, Jr ‘03
Lucas John Kimmel ‘03
Bryan A. McClain ‘02
Chad A. Powell ‘03
Jerry Don Self ‘01
Nathan Scott West ‘02
This post was edited on 11/18/13 at 8:30 am
Posted on 11/18/13 at 8:32 am to WestCoastAg
No, that belongs right here, IMHO.
That was a horrible day.
That was a horrible day.
Posted on 11/18/13 at 8:37 am to WhiskerBiscuitSlayer
quote:
The Longhorn Band forever changed our rivalry by raising two A&M flags during their performance and lowering their own.
This post was edited on 11/18/13 at 8:38 am
Posted on 11/18/13 at 8:41 am to WestCoastAg
Here
Posted on 11/18/13 at 8:59 am to TbirdSpur2010
quote:
Yeah, they gradually started building the stack taller and taller over the years (going back and looking at a few old pictures, it grew to be an absolute monstrosity).
Capped at 55 feet + outhouse in the 70's.
From 1904-1992, it was at Duncan Field and never fell. From 1993-1999, it was at the Polo Fields and fell twice.
Posted on 11/18/13 at 9:06 am to RBWilliams8
quote:
It evolved into what it was and at some point they likely had some sort of engineer in the mix.
Many engineers were in the mix--and some of the state's largest oil companies assisted as well. The tragedy was a combination of unstable soil on the polo fields, a wedding cake-tiered structure that simply became too large, and a horrible, horrible fluky collapse.
Probably the worst day of my life.
I can still close my eyes and remember the sights & sounds like they happened early this morning.
Posted on 11/18/13 at 9:07 am to WestCoastAg
Rest in Peace.
Posted on 11/18/13 at 11:48 am to EKG
Were you there that night? I was asleep in my bed, about a half mile away.
Posted on 11/18/13 at 11:54 am to Hugh McElroy
Not the moment stack fell.
My sister was.
We were there shortly thereafter. And didn't leave for weeks.
I remember being on perimeter, hitting my knees and thinking, "God, they're in there. Get them out."
Chaos & terror. They're the only words I can use.
Obviously, unspeakable grief replaced those descriptives, shortly thereafter.
My sister was.
We were there shortly thereafter. And didn't leave for weeks.
I remember being on perimeter, hitting my knees and thinking, "God, they're in there. Get them out."
Chaos & terror. They're the only words I can use.
Obviously, unspeakable grief replaced those descriptives, shortly thereafter.
Posted on 11/18/13 at 11:56 am to WestCoastAg
Never forget 
Here.
Here.
Posted on 11/18/13 at 11:57 am to WestCoastAg
Real bad deal there. RIP. Can't believe it has been 14 yrs already.
Posted on 11/18/13 at 11:59 am to TbirdSpur2010
quote:
Someone visit the memorial for me.
I try and go to the memorial as often as I can mentally take it. My wife still cannot bring herself to go, she knows exactly what will happen.
Posted on 11/18/13 at 12:01 pm to relapse98
You hear things when you go out there.
Really, really good things.
And the wind is always blowing.
It's surreal--in the best of ways.
Really, really good things.
And the wind is always blowing.
It's surreal--in the best of ways.
Posted on 11/18/13 at 12:07 pm to WestCoastAg
here
I could not control my tears at the candle light vigil the night before the game.
I could not control my tears at the candle light vigil the night before the game.
Posted on 11/18/13 at 12:12 pm to CGSC Lobotomy
quote:
quote:
Yeah, they gradually started building the stack taller and taller over the years (going back and looking at a few old pictures, it grew to be an absolute monstrosity).
Capped at 55 feet + outhouse in the 70's.
From 1904-1992, it was at Duncan Field and never fell. From 1993-1999, it was at the Polo Fields and fell twice.
This is actually inaccurate. Bonfire was at the Simpson Drill Field until the 50's and then moved to Duncan where it was then moved to the Polo Grounds in '92. The folks who lived across from what is now George Bush (then Jersey) complained about the noise and danger of Bonfire being so close to their houses. I know my Dad was a Yell Leader in the '50s and back then the Yell Leaders acted as "Red Pots", but Bonfire wasn't nearly as big of a production back then but rather just a big stack of logs all on the ground with the outhouse on top.
It also fell several times but never in a catastrophic way. That was what was so shocking. Every log was wired together. When it had fallen before (usually after a rainy Fall season) you could see it coming with the stack starting to lean. Thus they would pull everyone off stack, pull it apart, and build it over.
So many little tragedies. They went to the 53 foot "wedding cake" design in '70 and actually had some engineers that helped to make sure it was built safely. Then in the '90s because of liability they couldn't have any engineers on the project and you just had the "Red Pots" in charge. The '99 Bonfire that fell had a first and second stack that were both of almost equal size, they did this thinking it would make it stronger when in fact the opposite was true. That is why the collapse was so catastrophic and without warning, just too much weight.
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