bert farquharson was a professor of engineering at the university of washington and he was an authority on bridge structures. so when eldridge and lacey murrow became concerned about how much this bridge might move, they hired bert farquharson to conduct some studies. >> as part of his study, dr. farquharson sets up film cameras a few weeks after the bridge opens to capture its movements. several weeks later, the same cameras capture the drama of the bridge's final movements as they unfold. >> the phenomenal thing is we're watching steel and concrete half a mile long twisting 20 times a minute. as the twisting increased, light poles began to dance not only back and forth, but to snap off. the suspender cables that went from the bridge deck to the main suspension cable itself began to snap. >> and then the unimaginable happens. the massive steel structure bends, whips and contorts so violently that it collapses into the rushing water below. both make it off the bridge alive, but not tubby. he's still in the backseat when the structure gives way. the bridge failure makes news all across t