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Narrator: a devastated ruin
In a pockmarked landscape

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That turned the tide
Of the second world war.

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Many believe
This was a suicide mission.

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Narrator:
An impossibly high monolith

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Stretching to infinity,
Which became the tower of death.

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Dickrell: ever since man has
Been building things,

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There's always been a contest

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To see who could build
The highest.

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Narrator:
And a concrete structure

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Stranded at sea
That had a gruesome ending.

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Stranded at sea
That had a gruesome ending.

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It's creepy.
There was really no escape.

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This is a tomb.

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*

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Narrator: once, they were some
Of the most advanced structures

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And facilities on the planet,

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At the cutting edge
Of design and construction.

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Today, they stand abandoned,
Contaminated,

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And sometimes deadly.

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But who built them?
And how?

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And why were they abandoned?

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And why were they abandoned?

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-- captions by vitac --
Www.Vitac.Com

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Captions paid for by
Discovery communications

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*

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*

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On a headland
In normandy, northwest france,

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There's a strange
And unexpected sight

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At the top of
Dangerously high cliffs.

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At the top of
Dangerously high cliffs.

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*

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Selwood: through the mist,

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A large concrete
Structure emerges,

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Set on the point
Of the peninsula.

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And on top of
The building is a vast,

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Phallic-like structure
Reaching up into the heavens

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And entirely
Dominating the region.

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Narrator:
Beneath the concrete,

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Corridors lead to empty rooms.

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Corridors lead to empty rooms.

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Nusbacher: there's no feeling
Of humanity about them.

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These could almost be chambers

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Designed by machines
For machines.

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Narrator:
And the pockmarked fields

45
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That surround it
Only deepen the mystery.

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Selwood: around it, there are
Ominous-looking craters

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In the ground as far
As the eye can see.

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The landscape is almost lunar.

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This is a place where something
Has gone dreadfully wrong.

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This is a place where something
Has gone dreadfully wrong.

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Narrator: but what has caused
Such devastation?

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*

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The answer lies in a single day

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That would change
The course of history,

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When the allies invaded france

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To liberate europe
From the nazi scourge --

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D-day.

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Nusbacher: germany knew that it
Could not win a war

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On two fronts.

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On two fronts.

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It could not face
Both the onslaught

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Of the soviet union
From the east

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And an attack in the west.

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Narrator: so the germans,

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As a matter
Of strategic necessity,

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Had to fortify france
At all costs.

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The nazis started to build
An extended defensive wall,

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As tour guide
Anthony lewis explains.

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As tour guide
Anthony lewis explains.

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Lewis: the atlantic wall, which
Is a system of defense measures,

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Started in north norway
And went along a coastline

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Of france for some 1,670 miles,

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All the way down
To the spanish coastline.

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Narrator:
But how did the germans decide

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Where to concentrate
Those defenses?

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And how successful would they be
At repelling an allied invasion?

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Selwood:
German high command was split

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As to where
The attack would come.

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As to where
The attack would come.

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Hitler was personally convinced

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It would come across
The shortest route,

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From dover to calais.

83
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But more experienced minds knew

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That actually there
Were better attack sites

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That would also have
The element of surprise.

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Narrator:
The most important fortification

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Along this critical stretch
Of the normandy coast

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Was here at pointe du hoc.

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It had an unobstructed
View of the english channel

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And a clear line of fire
Onto the beaches below.

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And a clear line of fire
Onto the beaches below.

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Perched at the top
Of an impossibly high cliff,

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It was the perfect position
For a coastal battery.

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Lewis: this was one of two
German covered casements

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Which housed one of the
Six 155-millimeter cannons.

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And each one averaged
Some 660 tons of concrete,

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And at the same time
Strengthening it

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With some 50 tons of metal bars.

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If incoming shells
Impacted on the building,

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If incoming shells
Impacted on the building,

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Then only a small part
Of it would be destroyed.

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Narrator: these six guns

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Were a serious threat to
Allied invasion plans.

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They were sandwiched
Between utah and omaha,

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Two of the five beaches on
Which allied troops would land.

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Gough: utah beach was
Eight miles to the west.

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Omaha beach,
Five miles to the east.

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Now, these 155-millimeter guns
Had a range of 12 miles.

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Now, these 155-millimeter guns
Had a range of 12 miles.

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So imagine the carnage

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That they would have
Wreaked on those beaches.

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The allies had no choice
But to take them out.

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Narrator:
The task of destroying the guns

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Fell on an elite combat unit --
The u.S. Army rangers.

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Nusbacher: the rangers were
Young, immensely physically fit,

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And very bright,
Motivated people

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Who could be given
An immensely difficult task

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Who could be given
An immensely difficult task

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And could be counted on
To perform it

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Against overwhelming odds.

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The rangers' mission was
Very specifically to land,

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Scale the cliffs,

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And take out the german position
On pointe du hoc.

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Narrator: but these cliffs

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Were 100 feet high
And almost vertical.

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And the rangers would be facing
Over 200 german troops.

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And the rangers would be facing
Over 200 german troops.

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What were their
Chances of success?

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Many believed this
Was a suicide mission.

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Narrator:
Early on june 6, 1944,

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160,000 allied troops set off
Towards nazi-occupied france.

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D-day had begun.

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Gough: this was an armada
Of 7,000 ships,

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The largest amphibious
Invasion in history,

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The largest amphibious
Invasion in history,

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And it was coming their way.

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Nusbacher: as those ships
Started to get closer,

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The germans were being
Bombarded from the air,

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Bombarded from the sea.

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The flashes from all those guns
Lit up the june morning.

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Narrator:
The rangers' original plan

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Was to land at pointe du hoc...

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But there was a problem.

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But there was a problem.

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Lewis: unfortunately, because of
The very high tides that day,

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The very strong tide which
Was running from west to east,

147
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From left to right,
It dragged the boats down

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Beyond the pointe du hoc.

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Narrator: by the time the
Rangers reached pointe du hoc,

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They were 40 minutes late,

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And the u.S. Bombing
Of the battery had stopped.

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Nusbacher: they've stopped
Bombarding pointe du hoc

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To let the americans land
Without being blown up,

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To let the americans land
Without being blown up,

155
00:08:03,067 --> 00:08:07,233
But there's so much
Delay in landing

156
00:08:07,233 --> 00:08:10,600
That the germans are able
To come out of hiding,

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Get out of their bunkers, and
Man their defensive positions.

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Narrator: will the u.S. Rangers
Succeed in taking out the guns,

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Or is their mission
Doomed to failure

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Before it's even started?

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*

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Narrator: perched on a cliff top
In northern france

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Are german guns firing
On allied troops.

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For the d-day landings
To succeed,

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It's vital that
The u.S. Rangers take them out.

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Selwood: the rangers had to
Shoot ropes and rope ladders,

167
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Heavy and drenched with
Water, into the cliffs,

168
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Climb those ropes, themselves
Wearing sopping clothing.

169
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Climb those ropes, themselves
Wearing sopping clothing.

170
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They were under constant fire
As they climbed the cliff.

171
00:09:06,333 --> 00:09:09,733
It must have been
A terrifying prospect.

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Nusbacher: the germans were
Throwing down

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Potato-masher grenades,
And those are shock grenades.

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They're designed to
Deafen and stun people.

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And the americans
Are climbing up,

176
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Holding on with
Their fingertips and toes

177
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To tiny rock outcroppings.

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00:09:27,807 --> 00:09:28,000
To tiny rock outcroppings.

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Narrator: when one ranger fell,
Another took his place.

180
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When his rope was cut,
He found another.

181
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They even used daggers
To claw their way up.

182
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Selwood:
It's hard to envisage now.

183
00:09:45,400 --> 00:09:46,700
The scene is so calm,

184
00:09:46,700 --> 00:09:50,167
Looking out over the gentle
Waters of the channel.

185
00:09:50,167 --> 00:09:52,700
But then the scene would
Have been unimaginable.

186
00:09:52,700 --> 00:09:56,167
Climbing up a wet cliff face
With all of the noise

187
00:09:56,167 --> 00:09:57,807
And the incredible chaos
Of warfare.

188
00:09:57,807 --> 00:09:58,000
And the incredible chaos
Of warfare.

189
00:09:59,067 --> 00:10:01,667
It was one of the most dangerous

190
00:10:01,667 --> 00:10:05,633
And spectacular missions
Of world war ii.

191
00:10:07,500 --> 00:10:09,033
Narrator:
When they reached the top,

192
00:10:09,033 --> 00:10:12,500
The rangers fought fiercely
With the germans,

193
00:10:12,500 --> 00:10:15,667
But they were totally
Unprepared for what they found

194
00:10:15,667 --> 00:10:20,500
When they finally made it
Into the bunkers.

195
00:10:20,500 --> 00:10:24,333
Nusbacher: do they see
155-millimeter french guns

196
00:10:24,333 --> 00:10:26,367
With german sights
Ready to shoot down?

197
00:10:26,367 --> 00:10:27,600
No.

198
00:10:27,600 --> 00:10:27,807
They see trees,
Phone poles painted black.

199
00:10:27,807 --> 00:10:28,000
They see trees,
Phone poles painted black.

200
00:10:33,000 --> 00:10:36,767
And they must instantly
Have been concerned

201
00:10:36,767 --> 00:10:41,200
That the entire mission,
All of the death and effort

202
00:10:41,200 --> 00:10:44,733
That they put in
To get onto pointe du hoc,

203
00:10:44,733 --> 00:10:48,367
Had all been for nothing.

204
00:10:48,367 --> 00:10:50,567
Narrator: it was a huge blow.

205
00:10:50,567 --> 00:10:53,333
Why were the guns not there?

206
00:10:53,333 --> 00:10:55,933
Selwood: the allies' aerial
Bombardment of the region

207
00:10:55,933 --> 00:10:57,807
Had been so intense
In preparation for d-day

208
00:10:57,807 --> 00:10:58,000
Had been so intense
In preparation for d-day

209
00:10:58,300 --> 00:11:02,733
That the germans had moved
The guns out of harm's way.

210
00:11:02,733 --> 00:11:06,633
Narrator: in fact, the guns were
Hidden down a dirt track nearby.

211
00:11:06,633 --> 00:11:12,633
The rangers hunted them down
And they were destroyed.

212
00:11:12,633 --> 00:11:15,700
Selwood:
The mission didn't end cleanly.

213
00:11:15,700 --> 00:11:21,267
Reinforcements were supposed to
Arrive, but they never came.

214
00:11:21,267 --> 00:11:26,167
The rangers were left to
Defend the position for days.

215
00:11:26,167 --> 00:11:27,807
Narrator: in the end,
There was a high cost to life.

216
00:11:27,807 --> 00:11:28,000
Narrator: in the end,
There was a high cost to life.

217
00:11:30,267 --> 00:11:34,833
Out of 225 men,
Only 90 survived.

218
00:11:34,833 --> 00:11:40,067
*

219
00:11:40,067 --> 00:11:42,767
This battle-scarred area
Has barely changed

220
00:11:42,767 --> 00:11:46,067
Since the rangers
Took pointe du hoc.

221
00:11:46,067 --> 00:11:48,067
And the statue of
A dagger pays tribute

222
00:11:48,067 --> 00:11:54,133
To the men who clawed their way
Up the cliffs against all odds.

223
00:11:54,133 --> 00:11:57,807
Selwood: the site is deeply
Impressive for its vastness,

224
00:11:57,807 --> 00:11:58,000
Selwood: the site is deeply
Impressive for its vastness,

225
00:11:59,467 --> 00:12:02,867
But underneath that,
There's a very simple story,

226
00:12:02,867 --> 00:12:05,367
And it's a very
Common story in war,

227
00:12:05,367 --> 00:12:08,433
About one person
Facing another person,

228
00:12:08,433 --> 00:12:11,067
And the sheer courage
And determination

229
00:12:11,067 --> 00:12:13,233
To see the mission through.

230
00:12:13,233 --> 00:12:21,067
*

231
00:12:21,067 --> 00:12:22,467
Narrator: in england,

232
00:12:22,467 --> 00:12:24,067
In the northeast
Of the country,

233
00:12:24,067 --> 00:12:25,933
Just outside leeds,

234
00:12:25,933 --> 00:12:27,807
Is a completely unexpected
Industrial site.

235
00:12:27,807 --> 00:12:28,000
Is a completely unexpected
Industrial site.

236
00:12:29,600 --> 00:12:35,433
*

237
00:12:35,433 --> 00:12:38,900
Meigs: if you come on this thing
Through the morning mist,

238
00:12:38,900 --> 00:12:41,733
It looks like some kind
Of a giant factory

239
00:12:41,733 --> 00:12:48,767
Sitting on these two platforms
With a huge crane out front.

240
00:12:50,433 --> 00:12:52,233
Dougal: all of a sudden
There's metal everywhere.

241
00:12:52,233 --> 00:12:55,200
This huge, gigantic
Bit of engineering.

242
00:12:55,200 --> 00:12:57,807
What's it doing there?

243
00:12:57,807 --> 00:12:58,000
What's it doing there?

244
00:12:58,533 --> 00:13:02,267
Meigs: it's got an almost
Primitive, animalistic quality,

245
00:13:02,267 --> 00:13:04,900
Like some kind of
Extinct dinosaur.

246
00:13:04,900 --> 00:13:08,767
Narrator: out in a remote field
Is a tangled confusion

247
00:13:08,767 --> 00:13:13,300
Of heavy-duty metal,
Pulleys, and rusting wheels.

248
00:13:13,300 --> 00:13:16,167
Agrawal: it's got this big long
Arm at the front of it,

249
00:13:16,167 --> 00:13:19,867
Triangle bits of steel
All composed together,

250
00:13:19,867 --> 00:13:21,200
And it's got these slightly

251
00:13:21,200 --> 00:13:23,933
Strange-looking features
On either side.

252
00:13:23,933 --> 00:13:25,167
And it sort of
Leaves you wondering

253
00:13:25,167 --> 00:13:27,807
What was that machine
Actually used for?

254
00:13:27,807 --> 00:13:28,000
What was that machine
Actually used for?

255
00:13:29,067 --> 00:13:30,300
Narrator: what's even stranger

256
00:13:30,300 --> 00:13:33,400
Is that this machine
Was made for america,

257
00:13:33,400 --> 00:13:36,267
And it ended up
In the north of england.

258
00:13:36,267 --> 00:13:39,500
Was it used in the u.S.
Before it was shipped here?

259
00:13:39,500 --> 00:13:42,500
Or sold to britain cheaply?

260
00:13:42,500 --> 00:13:45,533
But most importantly,
How is it connected

261
00:13:45,533 --> 00:13:48,767
To an environmental disaster
Here in northern england

262
00:13:48,767 --> 00:13:51,567
That changed
The landscape forever?

263
00:13:51,567 --> 00:13:57,433
*

264
00:13:57,433 --> 00:13:57,807
The answer lies in the dark days
Following the second world war.

265
00:13:57,807 --> 00:13:58,000
The answer lies in the dark days
Following the second world war.

266
00:14:02,567 --> 00:14:04,333
When britain was
Struggling to recover

267
00:14:04,333 --> 00:14:06,700
From a devastating
Global conflict,

268
00:14:06,700 --> 00:14:11,067
Its ally, the united states,
Came to its aid.

269
00:14:11,067 --> 00:14:14,200
After world war ii,
The economies of europe

270
00:14:14,200 --> 00:14:15,767
Were really in shambles.

271
00:14:15,767 --> 00:14:19,400
And the u.S. Did something
Really quite visionary.

272
00:14:19,400 --> 00:14:21,067
We recognized that
These countries

273
00:14:21,067 --> 00:14:23,767
Had to get back
On their feet economically,

274
00:14:23,767 --> 00:14:26,367
So a lot of the investment
In helping build roads

275
00:14:26,367 --> 00:14:27,807
And bridges and railroads
Came from the u.S.,

276
00:14:27,807 --> 00:14:28,000
And bridges and railroads
Came from the u.S.,

277
00:14:28,900 --> 00:14:33,333
And so did a lot
Of the equipment.

278
00:14:33,333 --> 00:14:35,633
Narrator: this leviathan was
An essential part

279
00:14:35,633 --> 00:14:37,200
Of the rescue plan.

280
00:14:37,200 --> 00:14:40,467
It became known as "Oddball."

281
00:14:40,467 --> 00:14:45,667
This colossal machine arrived
From the u.S. In 1953.

282
00:14:45,667 --> 00:14:48,533
At 1,200 tons,
It was the second-largest

283
00:14:48,533 --> 00:14:51,767
Machine of its kind
Anywhere in the world,

284
00:14:51,767 --> 00:14:53,133
But would it help to kick start

285
00:14:53,133 --> 00:14:56,300
One of britain's most
Important industries?

286
00:15:00,167 --> 00:15:04,100
Agrawal: oddball is a piece of
Machinery that's used in mining,

287
00:15:04,100 --> 00:15:07,633
And what it does is that
It drags the layers of soil

288
00:15:07,633 --> 00:15:09,333
Off the top of coal reserves.

289
00:15:09,333 --> 00:15:13,133
So it exposes
The seams of the coal.

290
00:15:13,133 --> 00:15:15,400
Dougal: when you have coal
Near the surface,

291
00:15:15,400 --> 00:15:17,267
It's usually
Covered by some soil

292
00:15:17,267 --> 00:15:19,067
And some rock that's uneconomic.

293
00:15:19,067 --> 00:15:21,533
It's stuff you don't want
Actually in your ore.

294
00:15:21,533 --> 00:15:26,300
So in order to get rid of that,
You use this drag-line system.

295
00:15:26,300 --> 00:15:27,807
While it might look like
Quite a complex

296
00:15:27,807 --> 00:15:27,933
While it might look like
Quite a complex

297
00:15:27,933 --> 00:15:28,000
Piece of machinery,

298
00:15:29,067 --> 00:15:31,367
What it's doing is
Actually really simple.

299
00:15:31,367 --> 00:15:32,567
'cause in simple terms,

300
00:15:32,567 --> 00:15:35,733
It's using a bucket
To drag material up,

301
00:15:35,733 --> 00:15:37,233
And then using ropes and chains

302
00:15:37,233 --> 00:15:40,767
To then dump that material
In a different place.

303
00:15:44,233 --> 00:15:45,767
Narrator:
But could this u.S.-built

304
00:15:45,767 --> 00:15:49,767
Mining leviathan
Put britain back on its feet?

305
00:15:53,567 --> 00:15:54,000
*

306
00:15:59,600 --> 00:16:01,900
Narrator:
The u.S.-manufactured oddball

307
00:16:01,900 --> 00:16:04,400
Was sent to britain after
The second world war

308
00:16:04,400 --> 00:16:08,167
To help its struggling
Coal industry.

309
00:16:08,167 --> 00:16:10,100
For the next 19 years,

310
00:16:10,100 --> 00:16:14,600
It heaved itself from
One mining area to another.

311
00:16:14,600 --> 00:16:19,067
Roy lee is oddball's
Only surviving driver.

312
00:16:36,700 --> 00:16:38,467
While it might look cumbersome,

313
00:16:38,467 --> 00:16:42,167
Oddball was a very effective
Piece of machinery.

314
00:16:42,167 --> 00:16:45,067
It took 30 seconds
To scoop up and dump

315
00:16:45,067 --> 00:16:47,567
Each bucket of soil and rock.

316
00:16:47,567 --> 00:16:50,400
And it could move the equivalent
Of its own weight

317
00:16:50,400 --> 00:16:52,367
In just half an hour.

318
00:16:52,367 --> 00:16:53,218
Dougal: it's a very efficient
Way of mining,

319
00:16:53,218 --> 00:16:54,000
Dougal: it's a very efficient
Way of mining,

320
00:16:54,067 --> 00:16:56,800
Because you can drag
Away the material,

321
00:16:56,800 --> 00:16:59,600
Mine it, and then dump it
Behind as you go along.

322
00:16:59,600 --> 00:17:02,100
So you can fill up
The gap that you're leaving

323
00:17:02,100 --> 00:17:07,833
As you excavate the coal
In your open-cast mine.

324
00:17:07,833 --> 00:17:09,967
Narrator:
Such an unwieldy machine

325
00:17:09,967 --> 00:17:13,067
Took a deft pair
Of hands to move it safely.

326
00:17:13,067 --> 00:17:16,367
*

327
00:17:34,867 --> 00:17:38,067
Oddball's bucket
Was a lethal weapon,

328
00:17:38,067 --> 00:17:40,867
Particularly when it was full.

329
00:17:54,067 --> 00:17:57,067
Meigs: the challenge with
These massive cranes

330
00:17:57,067 --> 00:18:01,533
Is once they've dug
All the coal that's in reach

331
00:18:01,533 --> 00:18:04,233
Of their boom
Or their bucket, then what?

332
00:18:04,233 --> 00:18:06,267
You've got to be able
To move them.

333
00:18:06,267 --> 00:18:08,333
Every few hours
Or every few days,

334
00:18:08,333 --> 00:18:14,067
This thing's got to
Move to a new location.

335
00:18:14,067 --> 00:18:15,267
Dougal:
You can see it's got these,

336
00:18:15,267 --> 00:18:17,533
It looks like a couple
Of feet, really.

337
00:18:17,533 --> 00:18:23,218
And actually these are
The key to how it moves around.

338
00:18:23,218 --> 00:18:24,000
And actually these are
The key to how it moves around.

339
00:18:25,433 --> 00:18:28,333
It actually lifts
The whole of the unit up

340
00:18:28,333 --> 00:18:32,467
On these flat feet and
Then sort of shuffles back,

341
00:18:32,467 --> 00:18:35,067
A little bit like you were
Trying to move yourself back

342
00:18:35,067 --> 00:18:37,867
On the ground
If you were lying down.

343
00:18:40,533 --> 00:18:44,500
Narrator: even though
It moved only backwards,

344
00:18:44,500 --> 00:18:46,333
Six feet at a time,

345
00:18:46,333 --> 00:18:49,500
At a speed of
0.2 miles per hour,

346
00:18:49,500 --> 00:18:52,900
Its driver struggled
To see what was going on.

347
00:19:10,333 --> 00:19:13,667
Dougal: it's totally like
Nothing you've seen before.

348
00:19:13,667 --> 00:19:16,667
It's like star wars and
Thunderbirds meets coal mining.

349
00:19:16,667 --> 00:19:17,833
That's how I would describe it.

350
00:19:17,833 --> 00:19:22,533
But it's a very,
Very elegant thing.

351
00:19:22,533 --> 00:19:23,218
It just lifts it up
On these little legs

352
00:19:23,218 --> 00:19:24,000
It just lifts it up
On these little legs

353
00:19:24,833 --> 00:19:26,367
And shuffles around.

354
00:19:26,367 --> 00:19:27,567
Very, very ingenious way

355
00:19:27,567 --> 00:19:31,100
Of being able to do
Open-cast mining.

356
00:19:31,100 --> 00:19:34,833
Narrator:
By 1988, oddball had moved here,

357
00:19:34,833 --> 00:19:38,233
To st. Aidan's in
The northeast of england.

358
00:19:38,233 --> 00:19:40,200
But it wasn't a lake then.

359
00:19:40,200 --> 00:19:43,600
It was the biggest
Open-cast mine in yorkshire,

360
00:19:43,600 --> 00:19:48,067
Producing in total
Six million tons of coal.

361
00:19:48,067 --> 00:19:52,733
What catastrophic event happened
To flood such a huge site?

362
00:19:52,733 --> 00:19:53,218
And how did oddball
Escape a watery grave?

363
00:19:53,218 --> 00:19:54,000
And how did oddball
Escape a watery grave?

364
00:19:57,933 --> 00:20:01,467
Meigs: the mine was very close,
Probably too close,

365
00:20:01,467 --> 00:20:02,933
To a river.

366
00:20:02,933 --> 00:20:06,233
So they were digging this
Mine in a lowland area,

367
00:20:06,233 --> 00:20:09,633
A wet area, and then
As they dig out the coal,

368
00:20:09,633 --> 00:20:13,233
Of course they're
Making this massive pit.

369
00:20:13,233 --> 00:20:15,033
Narrator:
They had protected the riverbank

370
00:20:15,033 --> 00:20:18,200
With a wall of
Interlocking steel.

371
00:20:18,200 --> 00:20:20,833
But was it enough?

372
00:20:20,833 --> 00:20:23,218
As they were mining, water
Started coming out of cracks

373
00:20:23,218 --> 00:20:23,800
As they were mining, water
Started coming out of cracks

374
00:20:23,800 --> 00:20:24,000
In the side of
One of the coal seams.

375
00:20:25,833 --> 00:20:27,700
And a river
They'd actually diverted

376
00:20:27,700 --> 00:20:31,100
Then started to also contribute
To the water coming in.

377
00:20:33,900 --> 00:20:35,633
Narrator: it took just hours

378
00:20:35,633 --> 00:20:38,933
For the steel wall
To collapse completely.

379
00:20:53,600 --> 00:20:54,000
Four billion gallons
Of water flooded the site.

380
00:21:16,233 --> 00:21:17,900
Oddball survived.

381
00:21:17,900 --> 00:21:20,100
But it was 10 years
Before they were able

382
00:21:20,100 --> 00:21:23,218
To mine the area again.

383
00:21:23,218 --> 00:21:24,000
To mine the area again.

384
00:21:24,667 --> 00:21:26,800
Agrawal: by the time
The flood had subsided

385
00:21:26,800 --> 00:21:29,700
And the mine was actually
Ready to be excavated again,

386
00:21:29,700 --> 00:21:32,067
Technology had moved
On pretty quickly,

387
00:21:32,067 --> 00:21:34,700
And so modern technology
Basically replaced

388
00:21:34,700 --> 00:21:39,500
The drag line, and the drag line
Became redundant.

389
00:21:39,500 --> 00:21:43,300
Narrator: on a misty morning
In january 1999,

390
00:21:43,300 --> 00:21:46,500
Oddball took its final walk.

391
00:21:51,200 --> 00:21:53,218
Today it sits here,

392
00:21:53,218 --> 00:21:53,300
Today it sits here,

393
00:21:53,300 --> 00:21:54,000
On the site of the former
St. Aidan's mine,

394
00:21:56,667 --> 00:22:03,100
One of only a handful of
Machines of its kind ever built.

395
00:22:03,100 --> 00:22:07,200
Meigs: I'm a big fan
Of preserving the legacy

396
00:22:07,200 --> 00:22:10,900
Of our industrial
Technological history,

397
00:22:10,900 --> 00:22:14,833
Especially these
Massive pieces of equipment,

398
00:22:14,833 --> 00:22:16,433
Because I think so many of us,

399
00:22:16,433 --> 00:22:20,467
We don't think about
All the hard work,

400
00:22:20,467 --> 00:22:22,133
All the ingenuity,

401
00:22:22,133 --> 00:22:23,218
The technology it took
To build this modern world.

402
00:22:23,218 --> 00:22:24,000
The technology it took
To build this modern world.

403
00:22:25,667 --> 00:22:33,167
*

404
00:22:33,167 --> 00:22:36,100
Narrator:
Out at sea, in southeast asia,

405
00:22:36,100 --> 00:22:39,067
At the mouth of manila bay
In the philippines,

406
00:22:39,067 --> 00:22:42,067
Is an extraordinary
Warship-shaped structure.

407
00:22:42,067 --> 00:22:47,700
*

408
00:22:47,700 --> 00:22:51,267
Dickrell: this military behemoth
Is impressive,

409
00:22:51,267 --> 00:22:53,218
Immense, and completely
Mind-blowing.

410
00:22:53,218 --> 00:22:54,000
Immense, and completely
Mind-blowing.

411
00:22:55,233 --> 00:22:57,733
Gough:
This huge concrete structure

412
00:22:57,733 --> 00:23:00,900
Is pierced with slits
And openings

413
00:23:00,900 --> 00:23:04,867
That reveal
Incredibly thick walls.

414
00:23:06,100 --> 00:23:10,267
And you can see it's all
Reinforced with steel bars.

415
00:23:10,267 --> 00:23:13,133
Nusbacher:
Why is this ancient warship

416
00:23:13,133 --> 00:23:16,667
That looks like
It's carved from stone

417
00:23:16,667 --> 00:23:21,267
Sitting in the water
At the entrance to manila bay?

418
00:23:21,267 --> 00:23:23,218
Narrator:
Once inside this huge structure,

419
00:23:23,218 --> 00:23:23,867
Narrator:
Once inside this huge structure,

420
00:23:23,867 --> 00:23:24,000
The mystery deepens.

421
00:23:26,067 --> 00:23:28,067
Its dark interior is littered

422
00:23:28,067 --> 00:23:31,600
With crumbling concrete
And rusted steel,

423
00:23:31,600 --> 00:23:33,200
And its charred walls hint

424
00:23:33,200 --> 00:23:38,633
That something
Catastrophic happened here.

425
00:23:38,633 --> 00:23:41,967
You can see where the
Wall's beginning to buckle.

426
00:23:41,967 --> 00:23:43,133
And then over here you can see

427
00:23:43,133 --> 00:23:47,233
Where the entire floor
Has just given way.

428
00:23:47,233 --> 00:23:51,967
And the sea is just
Starting to pour in.

429
00:23:53,067 --> 00:23:53,218
Gough: there's twisted metal
And rubble everywhere.

430
00:23:53,218 --> 00:23:54,000
Gough: there's twisted metal
And rubble everywhere.

431
00:23:56,767 --> 00:23:59,633
Whatever happened here,
You can't imagine

432
00:23:59,633 --> 00:24:02,100
That much could have survived.

433
00:24:06,333 --> 00:24:09,600
Narrator: what is the purpose
Of this concrete warship?

434
00:24:09,600 --> 00:24:10,967
And what connection does it have

435
00:24:10,967 --> 00:24:14,933
To one of the grisliest events
Of the second world war?

436
00:24:16,700 --> 00:24:17,000
*

437
00:24:21,833 --> 00:24:24,067
Narrator: guarding the mouth
Of manila bay is

438
00:24:24,067 --> 00:24:27,400
A concrete warship,
Built into the tiny island

439
00:24:27,400 --> 00:24:29,133
Of el fraile.

440
00:24:29,133 --> 00:24:32,700
But who constructed it
And why?

441
00:24:35,833 --> 00:24:38,067
The answer lies in
The united states'

442
00:24:38,067 --> 00:24:42,400
Imperial expansion
In the early 20th century.

443
00:24:42,400 --> 00:24:46,555
In 1898, spain and
The u.S. Fought a brief war,

444
00:24:46,555 --> 00:24:46,700
In 1898, spain and
The u.S. Fought a brief war,

445
00:24:46,700 --> 00:24:47,000
And the u.S. Won.

446
00:24:50,333 --> 00:24:53,467
Spain was forced to surrender
Most of its empire,

447
00:24:53,467 --> 00:24:55,667
Including the philippines.

448
00:24:55,667 --> 00:24:58,700
It was the jewel
In america's crown

449
00:24:58,700 --> 00:25:01,833
And had to be protected
At all costs.

450
00:25:01,833 --> 00:25:07,433
And this concrete warship
Was key to its protection.

451
00:25:07,433 --> 00:25:11,733
Albert labrador
Is a local historian.

452
00:25:11,733 --> 00:25:13,700
Labrador: when the americans
Took over the philippines

453
00:25:13,700 --> 00:25:15,967
In 1898,
They basically sailed

454
00:25:15,967 --> 00:25:16,555
Right in and sank
The spanish fleet.

455
00:25:16,555 --> 00:25:17,000
Right in and sank
The spanish fleet.

456
00:25:19,367 --> 00:25:23,067
And so they realized that
They needed a defense system

457
00:25:23,067 --> 00:25:29,400
To prevent the same thing
That they did to the spanish.

458
00:25:29,400 --> 00:25:31,067
Narrator:
A major part of the system

459
00:25:31,067 --> 00:25:32,967
Was this concrete structure

460
00:25:32,967 --> 00:25:38,167
Placed on the tiny island
Of el fraile.

461
00:25:38,167 --> 00:25:42,433
Corum:
At the mouth of manila bay
Are a cluster of islands,

462
00:25:42,433 --> 00:25:45,133
Some of them fairly
Large, like corregidor,

463
00:25:45,133 --> 00:25:46,555
And some of them actually
Quite small, like el fraile.

464
00:25:46,555 --> 00:25:47,000
And some of them actually
Quite small, like el fraile.

465
00:25:49,567 --> 00:25:53,800
And these make,
At the entrance of the bay,

466
00:25:53,800 --> 00:25:58,900
Actually almost perfect
Locations for this new art,

467
00:25:58,900 --> 00:26:01,267
New development
Of coast artillery.

468
00:26:01,267 --> 00:26:03,967
Narrator: the plan was to
Construct fortifications

469
00:26:03,967 --> 00:26:06,833
On each of these five islands.

470
00:26:06,833 --> 00:26:08,800
And this one was the toughest --

471
00:26:08,800 --> 00:26:12,367
The heavily fortified
Island of el fraile,

472
00:26:12,367 --> 00:26:15,233
Known as fort drum.

473
00:26:15,233 --> 00:26:16,555
But would it work?

474
00:26:16,555 --> 00:26:17,000
But would it work?

475
00:26:18,900 --> 00:26:20,133
Corum: they took an island,

476
00:26:20,133 --> 00:26:23,200
And they essentially
Just leveled the island

477
00:26:23,200 --> 00:26:25,233
Down to the bedrock.

478
00:26:25,233 --> 00:26:28,500
And they built a massive
Concrete structure

479
00:26:28,500 --> 00:26:32,500
With two what looked like,
Essentially, battleship turrets,

480
00:26:32,500 --> 00:26:36,767
Which are ship-killing guns.

481
00:26:36,767 --> 00:26:42,667
You can see the huge
Wire-wound 14-inch batteries.

482
00:26:42,667 --> 00:26:44,367
You can imagine
The diameter of the shell.

483
00:26:44,367 --> 00:26:46,433
Each shell weighed
More than a ton,

484
00:26:46,433 --> 00:26:46,555
And it could be
Lobbed five miles out.

485
00:26:46,555 --> 00:26:47,000
And it could be
Lobbed five miles out.

486
00:26:49,367 --> 00:26:52,200
So you can imagine the reach

487
00:26:52,200 --> 00:26:55,567
And cover of these guns
Across the entire bay.

488
00:26:55,567 --> 00:26:58,100
Narrator:
Fort drum was formidable.

489
00:26:58,100 --> 00:26:59,900
It was packed with searchlights,

490
00:26:59,900 --> 00:27:03,700
Anti-aircraft batteries,
And a fire control tower.

491
00:27:03,700 --> 00:27:06,067
And hidden beneath
The concrete exterior

492
00:27:06,067 --> 00:27:09,167
Were another three
Levels to house equipment

493
00:27:09,167 --> 00:27:12,900
And up to 240 troops.

494
00:27:12,900 --> 00:27:16,100
Labrador:
We're looking right now
At the third and fourth level.

495
00:27:16,100 --> 00:27:16,555
This is where the living spaces
And the mess would be.

496
00:27:16,555 --> 00:27:17,000
This is where the living spaces
And the mess would be.

497
00:27:20,967 --> 00:27:22,933
Beneath this,
Would be a further level

498
00:27:22,933 --> 00:27:25,933
With generators and water.

499
00:27:25,933 --> 00:27:28,433
Narrator: these corridors were
Stocked with everything

500
00:27:28,433 --> 00:27:31,933
That they would need
In the event of an attack.

501
00:27:31,933 --> 00:27:35,067
But who did the u.S. Consider
To be their enemy?

502
00:27:35,067 --> 00:27:39,533
And why is the fort in such
An appalling condition?

503
00:27:39,533 --> 00:27:42,433
Gough: there was this
Perception in america

504
00:27:42,433 --> 00:27:44,567
In the early 20th century

505
00:27:44,567 --> 00:27:46,555
That the japanese
Were going to invade.

506
00:27:46,555 --> 00:27:47,000
That the japanese
Were going to invade.

507
00:27:47,367 --> 00:27:51,300
It was driven by a belief
That the peoples of east asia

508
00:27:51,300 --> 00:27:54,433
Were a threat
To the western world.

509
00:27:54,433 --> 00:28:00,333
It's inevitable that at some
Point they're gonna collide.

510
00:28:00,333 --> 00:28:01,700
Narrator: they did collide,

511
00:28:01,700 --> 00:28:03,500
Cataclysmically.

512
00:28:03,500 --> 00:28:07,067
*

513
00:28:07,067 --> 00:28:10,300
On the same day the japanese
Attacked pearl harbor,

514
00:28:10,300 --> 00:28:13,300
They also invaded
The philippines.

515
00:28:13,300 --> 00:28:15,933
And all the fortifications
Around manila bay

516
00:28:15,933 --> 00:28:16,555
Came under attack,
Including fort drum.

517
00:28:16,555 --> 00:28:17,000
Came under attack,
Including fort drum.

518
00:28:19,933 --> 00:28:22,267
But would it hold
Out against the might

519
00:28:22,267 --> 00:28:25,333
Of the japanese navy?

520
00:28:25,333 --> 00:28:27,267
Corum:
For drum begins to play a part

521
00:28:27,267 --> 00:28:30,600
At the very first day
Of the war.

522
00:28:30,600 --> 00:28:33,867
And so for the next five months,
Until the 5th of may,

523
00:28:33,867 --> 00:28:37,267
Fort drum will be
Both a target of air

524
00:28:37,267 --> 00:28:40,600
And gun attacks
From the japanese.

525
00:28:40,600 --> 00:28:42,467
Dickrell: I'm sure if you were
Inside the garrison

526
00:28:42,467 --> 00:28:45,067
At fort drum, the shelling
And other bombardment

527
00:28:45,067 --> 00:28:46,067
Would have been intense,

528
00:28:46,067 --> 00:28:46,555
But perhaps you
Would have felt safe

529
00:28:46,555 --> 00:28:47,000
But perhaps you
Would have felt safe

530
00:28:48,267 --> 00:28:50,667
In the fact that the walls
Were so thick and strong

531
00:28:50,667 --> 00:28:53,733
That you knew that
You weren't gonna die.

532
00:28:53,733 --> 00:28:55,800
Narrator:
Despite being under siege,

533
00:28:55,800 --> 00:28:58,267
The troops on fort drum
Were still able

534
00:28:58,267 --> 00:29:02,833
To inflict heavy casualties
On the japanese invasion fleet.

535
00:29:02,833 --> 00:29:07,567
Nothing they did could
Destroy the fort's guns.

536
00:29:07,567 --> 00:29:09,400
Labrador: the turrets are made
Of armored steel,

537
00:29:09,400 --> 00:29:11,333
Basically the same
Material that you would

538
00:29:11,333 --> 00:29:14,433
Make battleships out of, since
They're battleship turrets.

539
00:29:14,433 --> 00:29:16,555
And over here the roof is
Steel-reinforced concrete,

540
00:29:16,555 --> 00:29:17,000
And over here the roof is
Steel-reinforced concrete,

541
00:29:19,100 --> 00:29:23,500
So nothing the japanese threw
At this was able to penetrate.

542
00:29:23,500 --> 00:29:26,733
Narrator:
But on may 6, 1942,

543
00:29:26,733 --> 00:29:29,300
When the battle
For the philippines was lost,

544
00:29:29,300 --> 00:29:32,167
The american troops
Inside fort drum were

545
00:29:32,167 --> 00:29:36,567
Finally forced to surrender.

546
00:29:36,567 --> 00:29:42,533
Labrador:
It was able to withstand
Constant japanese bombardment

547
00:29:42,533 --> 00:29:44,533
Without a single major casualty.

548
00:29:44,533 --> 00:29:46,555
There were no deaths,
But this thing was

549
00:29:46,555 --> 00:29:47,000
There were no deaths,
But this thing was

550
00:29:47,100 --> 00:29:50,600
So sturdy that japanese forces,

551
00:29:50,600 --> 00:29:52,633
On either side,
Lobbing heavy artillery

552
00:29:52,633 --> 00:29:57,433
Onto it for months,
Did no real damage to it.

553
00:29:57,433 --> 00:30:01,567
*

554
00:30:01,567 --> 00:30:03,167
Narrator:
But if the japanese weren't able

555
00:30:03,167 --> 00:30:07,433
To damage it, why is
Its interior so destroyed?

556
00:30:11,667 --> 00:30:12,000
*

557
00:30:17,033 --> 00:30:19,233
Narrator: out in the mouth
Of manila bay,

558
00:30:19,233 --> 00:30:20,700
In the philippines,

559
00:30:20,700 --> 00:30:24,467
Is a bizarre concrete
Warship-like structure.

560
00:30:24,467 --> 00:30:26,900
It was called fort drum,

561
00:30:26,900 --> 00:30:30,000
An american military
Fortification designed

562
00:30:30,000 --> 00:30:32,000
To protect the area.

563
00:30:32,000 --> 00:30:34,667
But under heavy bombardment
From the japanese,

564
00:30:34,667 --> 00:30:40,467
It fell on may 6, 1942.

565
00:30:40,467 --> 00:30:41,543
The island's fighting days,
However, were far from over.

566
00:30:41,543 --> 00:30:42,000
The island's fighting days,
However, were far from over.

567
00:30:44,467 --> 00:30:46,933
For the next three years,
Fort drum was

568
00:30:46,933 --> 00:30:52,833
Under japanese control,
Until april 13, 1945,

569
00:30:52,833 --> 00:30:55,233
When two u.S. Landing craft
Pulled up alongside

570
00:30:55,233 --> 00:30:57,600
To take it back.

571
00:30:59,333 --> 00:31:01,100
Nusbacher:
American combat engineers

572
00:31:01,100 --> 00:31:04,633
Very bravely approached
This structure,

573
00:31:04,633 --> 00:31:07,100
Which is bristling with guns,

574
00:31:07,100 --> 00:31:11,543
And they pipe a
Mixture of diesel fuel

575
00:31:11,543 --> 00:31:12,000
And they pipe a
Mixture of diesel fuel

576
00:31:13,067 --> 00:31:14,867
And gasoline into it,

577
00:31:14,867 --> 00:31:19,767
And they then fired
Tracer rounds into the fort.

578
00:31:22,267 --> 00:31:24,467
Gough: down below were
Japanese soldiers

579
00:31:24,467 --> 00:31:26,867
Who refused to surrender.

580
00:31:26,867 --> 00:31:29,533
They must have known
What was coming.

581
00:31:29,533 --> 00:31:30,533
[booming]

582
00:31:30,533 --> 00:31:32,333
Labrador:
The explosion was so powerful

583
00:31:32,333 --> 00:31:34,833
That one of the hatches
Over here

584
00:31:34,833 --> 00:31:38,833
That weighed about a ton
Was thrown 300 feet in the air.

585
00:31:38,833 --> 00:31:40,467
Narrator:
Deep within the fort,

586
00:31:40,467 --> 00:31:41,543
The charred walls are testament

587
00:31:41,543 --> 00:31:42,000
The charred walls are testament

588
00:31:42,433 --> 00:31:47,200
To the japanese soldiers'
Horrific fate.

589
00:31:47,200 --> 00:31:52,567
So we've now entered
The third level down.

590
00:31:52,567 --> 00:31:54,367
When the americans
Poured gasoline

591
00:31:54,367 --> 00:31:56,867
Down the hatches,
On the surface,

592
00:31:56,867 --> 00:31:59,800
Most of it would have
Settled down here,

593
00:31:59,800 --> 00:32:03,733
And that is the reason
Why most of the dead japanese,

594
00:32:03,733 --> 00:32:09,900
60 of the 68 bodies, were found
Charred, in this area.

595
00:32:12,300 --> 00:32:13,733
There was really no escape.

596
00:32:13,733 --> 00:32:15,333
They couldn't have
Fought their way out,

597
00:32:15,333 --> 00:32:18,567
And so this is a tomb.

598
00:32:21,867 --> 00:32:27,633
It's creepy,
Knowing that 60 people burned

599
00:32:27,633 --> 00:32:32,067
To their deaths, in here,
With no chance of getting out.

600
00:32:32,067 --> 00:32:34,567
It was four days before
The americans could get in,

601
00:32:34,567 --> 00:32:38,200
Because the heat was unbearable.

602
00:32:38,200 --> 00:32:41,543
Narrator:
Fort drum was abandoned.

603
00:32:41,543 --> 00:32:41,600
Narrator:
Fort drum was abandoned.

604
00:32:44,700 --> 00:32:48,800
Now this concrete battleship,
Stained by war,

605
00:32:48,800 --> 00:32:50,967
Sits in these waters
Off the coast

606
00:32:50,967 --> 00:32:53,133
Of the philippines.

607
00:32:53,133 --> 00:32:55,533
It has been stripped bare
By looters,

608
00:32:55,533 --> 00:33:00,100
And few people today
Even know if its existence.

609
00:33:00,100 --> 00:33:04,367
A sad end to a piece
Of military history.

610
00:33:04,367 --> 00:33:06,500
Labrador: defense of fort drum,
As impressive

611
00:33:06,500 --> 00:33:08,967
As it was, has basically
Been forgotten

612
00:33:08,967 --> 00:33:11,543
In the annals
Of military history.

613
00:33:11,543 --> 00:33:11,633
In the annals
Of military history.

614
00:33:11,633 --> 00:33:12,000
This is a story
That really should be told.

615
00:33:14,300 --> 00:33:21,267
*

616
00:33:21,267 --> 00:33:24,500
Narrator: in the heart of russia
Is yekaterinburg,

617
00:33:24,500 --> 00:33:26,633
The country's
Fourth biggest city,

618
00:33:26,633 --> 00:33:30,300
And at its center
Is an astonishing sight.

619
00:33:34,200 --> 00:33:38,567
Agrawal: you see this very tall,
Gray, concrete structure,

620
00:33:38,567 --> 00:33:40,433
Towering over
The rest of the city,

621
00:33:40,433 --> 00:33:41,543
And it's very, very distinct,
Because of its immense height.

622
00:33:41,543 --> 00:33:42,000
And it's very, very distinct,
Because of its immense height.

623
00:33:46,900 --> 00:33:51,133
Meigs:
What strikes you about it, it's
Just impossibly thin and tall.

624
00:33:51,133 --> 00:33:54,500
It's hard to believe
That something

625
00:33:54,500 --> 00:33:57,867
That seems that delicate
Could actually stand up,

626
00:33:57,867 --> 00:34:01,933
And not be at risk
Of falling down.

627
00:34:01,933 --> 00:34:07,433
Narrator: at 720 feet tall,
It dominates the skyline.

628
00:34:09,867 --> 00:34:11,543
Dickrell: giant towers appeal
To the wonder in all of us.

629
00:34:11,543 --> 00:34:12,000
Dickrell: giant towers appeal
To the wonder in all of us.

630
00:34:14,733 --> 00:34:17,200
Ever since man has
Been building things,

631
00:34:17,200 --> 00:34:18,333
It has always been a contest

632
00:34:18,333 --> 00:34:21,067
To see who can
Build the highest.

633
00:34:21,067 --> 00:34:22,967
Meigs: it's hard to believe
It didn't have some kind

634
00:34:22,967 --> 00:34:25,700
Of symbolic intent behind it.

635
00:34:25,700 --> 00:34:29,067
Narrator:
Now, graffiti scars its walls.

636
00:34:29,067 --> 00:34:33,067
The concrete is crumbling,
And a gaping black hole hints

637
00:34:33,067 --> 00:34:36,467
That something very
Terrible once happened here.

638
00:34:36,467 --> 00:34:40,733
And to the locals,
It has a sinister reputation.

639
00:34:40,733 --> 00:34:41,543
[ man speaking russian ]

640
00:34:41,543 --> 00:34:42,000
[ man speaking russian ]

641
00:34:43,833 --> 00:34:47,400
Interpreter: most of the people
In the city refer to the tower

642
00:34:47,400 --> 00:34:51,067
As being a kind of
Abandoned ghost site.

643
00:34:53,833 --> 00:34:55,233
Narrator:
But what has happened here

644
00:34:55,233 --> 00:34:58,200
To make this tower so infamous,

645
00:34:58,200 --> 00:34:59,867
And why is it known
To the people

646
00:34:59,867 --> 00:35:03,100
Who live here
As the tower of death?

647
00:35:03,100 --> 00:35:08,800
*

648
00:35:08,800 --> 00:35:11,533
The answer lies
In the cold war battle

649
00:35:11,533 --> 00:35:11,543
Between the west and what was

650
00:35:11,543 --> 00:35:12,000
Between the west and what was

651
00:35:13,200 --> 00:35:18,200
Then the soviet union
During the last century.

652
00:35:18,200 --> 00:35:21,967
Going back to the early days
Of the soviet union,

653
00:35:21,967 --> 00:35:24,400
Meigs: supremacy in science
And technology was

654
00:35:24,400 --> 00:35:25,633
Vitally important to them.

655
00:35:25,633 --> 00:35:26,933
They wanted to prove that

656
00:35:26,933 --> 00:35:30,767
Their system could
Produce better scientists,

657
00:35:30,767 --> 00:35:34,433
Better engineering.

658
00:35:34,433 --> 00:35:36,200
Narrator:
And that includes the race

659
00:35:36,200 --> 00:35:39,500
To build the world's
Tallest structures.

660
00:35:39,500 --> 00:35:41,543
By the early 1980s,
The west was winning,

661
00:35:41,543 --> 00:35:42,000
By the early 1980s,
The west was winning,

662
00:35:43,667 --> 00:35:46,067
And the soviet union
Wanted to show

663
00:35:46,067 --> 00:35:48,167
They were still in the game.

664
00:35:48,167 --> 00:35:50,633
And this was
Their answer,

665
00:35:50,633 --> 00:35:53,367
Yekaterinburg's
Television tower.

666
00:35:57,600 --> 00:36:01,800
Propaganda was essential to
Spreading the socialist message,

667
00:36:01,800 --> 00:36:05,167
And television
Its most important medium.

668
00:36:05,167 --> 00:36:08,933
Tv is an enormously
Effective way to communicate.

669
00:36:08,933 --> 00:36:11,543
If you control
The three or four tv channels

670
00:36:11,543 --> 00:36:11,900
If you control
The three or four tv channels

671
00:36:11,900 --> 00:36:12,000
That are available
In your country,

672
00:36:13,500 --> 00:36:17,267
You really dominate
The conversation.

673
00:36:17,267 --> 00:36:20,067
Narrator:
At almost 1,200 feet high,

674
00:36:20,067 --> 00:36:22,233
The television tower
Would be the tallest

675
00:36:22,233 --> 00:36:28,067
In europe, according
To engineer danil krisky.

676
00:36:28,067 --> 00:36:31,200
Interpreter: it was to consist
Of two main parts,

677
00:36:31,200 --> 00:36:34,067
A 720-foot reinforced
Concrete column,

678
00:36:34,067 --> 00:36:38,300
And above that,
A 460-foot metal antenna.

679
00:36:42,067 --> 00:36:45,467
Narrator: this impressive tower
Would have television

680
00:36:45,467 --> 00:36:47,433
Studios and
A revolving restaurant

681
00:36:47,433 --> 00:36:51,300
At the top,
And be visible for miles.

682
00:36:54,800 --> 00:36:58,567
But with the risks involved
In building such a high tower,

683
00:36:58,567 --> 00:37:01,367
How did it finally fall?

684
00:37:05,133 --> 00:37:06,000
*

685
00:37:12,167 --> 00:37:14,600
Narrator: out in the heart
Of russia is

686
00:37:14,600 --> 00:37:19,900
Yekaterinburg's
Television tower.

687
00:37:19,900 --> 00:37:23,967
At 720 feet tall,
It is the tallest structure

688
00:37:23,967 --> 00:37:25,500
For miles around,

689
00:37:25,500 --> 00:37:29,400
And its construction
Faced many challenges.

690
00:37:32,933 --> 00:37:35,056
Agrawal: you would need to build
Some scaffolding tower

691
00:37:35,056 --> 00:37:35,900
Agrawal: you would need to build
Some scaffolding tower

692
00:37:35,900 --> 00:37:36,000
In the right shape.

693
00:37:38,733 --> 00:37:40,900
You would've had to build
What we call formwork,

694
00:37:40,900 --> 00:37:43,500
Which is bits of timber
That are shaped,

695
00:37:43,500 --> 00:37:47,767
And it's the mold within
Which the concrete is poured.

696
00:37:47,767 --> 00:37:49,700
So you need to be agile
In thinking

697
00:37:49,700 --> 00:37:53,133
About the design of the tower
In different portions of it

698
00:37:53,133 --> 00:37:56,067
Because it was so very tall.

699
00:37:56,067 --> 00:37:57,667
Narrator:
And for the men who helped

700
00:37:57,667 --> 00:38:00,500
To build it,
There was always the potential

701
00:38:00,500 --> 00:38:04,400
For danger and disaster.

702
00:38:04,400 --> 00:38:05,056
Meigs: they poured rings
Of concrete,

703
00:38:05,056 --> 00:38:06,000
Meigs: they poured rings
Of concrete,

704
00:38:07,533 --> 00:38:10,967
One on top of each other,
Gradually working their way up.

705
00:38:10,967 --> 00:38:13,900
Each tier would be about
Two and half meters high,

706
00:38:13,900 --> 00:38:17,800
And they would have to
Let one begin to cure,

707
00:38:17,800 --> 00:38:19,433
And then build
The next one on top of it,

708
00:38:19,433 --> 00:38:22,700
And gradually work their way up,
As they went.

709
00:38:22,700 --> 00:38:24,533
But you can imagine,
As they got high,

710
00:38:24,533 --> 00:38:27,167
The challenge of moving
All that liquid concrete

711
00:38:27,167 --> 00:38:29,567
Up to this
Enormously tall structure

712
00:38:29,567 --> 00:38:33,700
Must have been formidable.

713
00:38:33,700 --> 00:38:35,056
Narrator:
Even when there was a shortage

714
00:38:35,056 --> 00:38:35,200
Narrator:
Even when there was a shortage

715
00:38:35,200 --> 00:38:36,000
Of building materials
And extreme cold weather,

716
00:38:38,767 --> 00:38:42,933
It didn't stop production.

717
00:38:42,933 --> 00:38:47,700
Meigs:
It wasn't just a tower designed
To broadcast propaganda,

718
00:38:47,700 --> 00:38:50,067
But the tower itself was
Intended to be

719
00:38:50,067 --> 00:38:53,400
A form of propaganda,
An actual physical landmark

720
00:38:53,400 --> 00:38:58,300
That represented the superiority
Of the soviet system.

721
00:38:58,300 --> 00:39:01,333
Narrator: but when so much
Was invested in the tower,

722
00:39:01,333 --> 00:39:04,967
What has happened
To cause such devastation?

723
00:39:04,967 --> 00:39:05,056
Could there have been
A construction accident?

724
00:39:05,056 --> 00:39:06,000
Could there have been
A construction accident?

725
00:39:07,667 --> 00:39:10,567
Could it be connected to
The volatile political situation

726
00:39:10,567 --> 00:39:15,367
In the soviet union
In the early 1990s?

727
00:39:15,367 --> 00:39:17,533
Or could the tower
Have been the victim

728
00:39:17,533 --> 00:39:21,700
Of a terrorist attack?

729
00:39:21,700 --> 00:39:23,867
Meigs: so they worked on it
For eight years.

730
00:39:23,867 --> 00:39:27,600
They still only got about
2/3 of it done,

731
00:39:27,600 --> 00:39:31,667
And the money ran out, and
The society was no longer able

732
00:39:31,667 --> 00:39:34,967
To function in a way to
Build this kind of project.

733
00:39:38,367 --> 00:39:41,367
Narrator:
A symbol of soviet prestige was

734
00:39:41,367 --> 00:39:44,733
Now a stark reminder
Of its failure,

735
00:39:44,733 --> 00:39:48,067
But if the local authorities
Simply ran out of money,

736
00:39:48,067 --> 00:39:51,367
Why was it known
As the tower of death?

737
00:39:54,267 --> 00:39:57,700
Shortly after construction
Ground to a halt,

738
00:39:57,700 --> 00:40:02,067
The tower took on
A completely unexpected role,

739
00:40:02,067 --> 00:40:05,056
And one that would have
Fatal consequences.

740
00:40:05,056 --> 00:40:06,000
And one that would have
Fatal consequences.

741
00:40:07,333 --> 00:40:10,333
Meigs: the tower became this
Magnet for young people

742
00:40:10,333 --> 00:40:12,467
To gather and
Express themselves.

743
00:40:12,467 --> 00:40:14,133
People climbed it
Over and over again.

744
00:40:14,133 --> 00:40:17,100
There was sort of a nonstop
Party up at the top,

745
00:40:17,100 --> 00:40:22,100
And then some daredevils
Started climbing it blindfolded.

746
00:40:24,200 --> 00:40:26,633
And of course,
There were accidents,

747
00:40:26,633 --> 00:40:29,633
And one young man died.

748
00:40:29,633 --> 00:40:32,133
Others climbed
The tower as a way

749
00:40:32,133 --> 00:40:35,056
To commit suicide
In a very dramatic fashion.

750
00:40:35,056 --> 00:40:36,000
To commit suicide
In a very dramatic fashion.

751
00:40:37,933 --> 00:40:40,833
Narrator: the television tower
Had now become

752
00:40:40,833 --> 00:40:43,367
The tower of death,

753
00:40:43,367 --> 00:40:45,967
And it was barricaded up,
So that no one

754
00:40:45,967 --> 00:40:48,267
Would ever die here again.

755
00:40:48,267 --> 00:40:53,300
*

756
00:40:53,300 --> 00:40:58,167
On march 24, 2018,
The local authority decided

757
00:40:58,167 --> 00:41:03,233
To demolish yekaterinburg's
Most striking landmark.

758
00:41:03,233 --> 00:41:05,056
*

759
00:41:05,056 --> 00:41:06,000
*

760
00:41:12,400 --> 00:41:21,567
*

761
00:41:21,567 --> 00:41:30,700
*

762
00:41:30,700 --> 00:41:33,267
Now, there is nothing
Left of the tower

763
00:41:33,267 --> 00:41:35,056
That once dominated
The city skyline.

764
00:41:35,056 --> 00:41:36,000
That once dominated
The city skyline.

765
00:41:36,133 --> 00:41:41,333
In its place,
They are building an ice rink.

766
00:41:41,333 --> 00:41:43,567
I can understand why
The tower was such a landmark,

767
00:41:43,567 --> 00:41:48,800
And sort of beloved
By some people in the city.

768
00:41:48,800 --> 00:41:52,200
On the other hand, I don't
Think anyone wants the symbol

769
00:41:52,200 --> 00:41:54,300
Of their city to be something

770
00:41:54,300 --> 00:41:58,067
That was a colossal failure,
A white elephant.

771
00:41:58,067 --> 00:42:03,433
*