To the beam-in-tree skeptics

the post got kind of old and it's way down there -(for us not using modern view) but I wanted to respond.

This accident occurred right down the road from me, I passed the accident (Though there was too much going on for me to notice the beam in the tree)

The pictures are taken directly off the Sutton police department's page.

So although I didn't actually SEE the beam go into the tree with my OWN eyes... I trust our police department enough to believe they didn't doctor the picture!

I believe you, but all you have to do is go down there and see if the iron is still in the tree and if it looks like a fresh cut, then report back. Appears to be new iron from the looks of the picture.

Seems many people doubt what they don't/can't understand. All you need to do is look at the reactions to things like GMO crops, etc....They don't understand, therefore it must be wrong. This is the result of how so many people think they know everything about everything.

Same applies to the steel in the tree.

I look at it this way. If someone wants to demonstrate how close minded they really are, just stand back and let 'em show their cards.

Back in 2013 when the tornado took out man of my buildings, found a chunk of the rounded metal ridge cap off one of the old garages stuck in a tree. That is a LOT thinner metal than that beam, so I know it is possible.

Or the emergency vehicle down the road.

JR, I have been active on this Forum well over 15 years and have observed behaviors that sort of go with the territory on here, such as:

Often a responding poster has an answer, but its NOT an answer to the question that was asked and goes down a totally different path.

I think its simply human nature, with no intent to be bad or anything, that if a person doesn't understand something, then it must be wrong. Such is on so many electrical questions where a poster doesn't understand the NEC, so its wrong, but what his brother in law told him is right lol.

And there are those that if you say its white, they say its black regardless, its just in their DNA lol

There are some whose attitude seems to be ITS MY WAY OR THE HIGHWAY and if you dare post a different opinion or way or method or answer, you better watch out !!!!!!!!!

But for the most part there's a fine group of gents here all willing to help out and well intentioned. I enjoy reading ALLLLLLLL answers and don't consider them bad and appreciate all inputs and stories and methods and ways of doing things and the information they provide. Its up to the questioner to take or leave or discount or place high value on anyones answer at their own risk or peril and more often then not, a good sound answer is provided.

That's why I love it here and help as best I can and appreciate and enjoy all you good gents.

Merry Christmas

Ol John T and all

That's funny! I just read the skeptic replies to the post. I didn't realize there was a controversy bubbling. LOL

http://boston.cbslocal.com/2014/12/15/sutton-crash-sends-steel-beams-through-car-oak-tree/

Boston CBS affiliate picked up the story. I have seen a lot of steel coil accidents from when the steel mills were open. Lots of things seem impossible until you see them with your own eyes!

Many years ago I saw a straw (long plant stem) stuck into a power pole after a tornado. No holes, or cracks in that pole either. Leo

My Dad went to see tornado damage and saw a straw driven into the galvanized angle iron leg of a windmill!

By theory s needle can be driven into a steel beam. But I have never tried it as I know it will fail. From engineering theory it can be done but my odds would be one thousand to one you cannot do it.

Do I see a "MythBusters " show here? I would love to see the machine they would make to do that. joe

I remember my dad mentioning that years ago as well about straw.

MythBusters Episode 61: Deadly Straw
Untitled URL Link

Hi
I don't know how bigger diameter the needle would have to be.
But i do know my Dad had a Hilti gun powered by blank cartridges, that would fire special nails into heavy steel building beams.
I seem to remember the cartridges being different colors/ strenght for different jobs, and if you had the beam ones in when doing concrete block work. It would blow the nails right through the block!. I was about 10 or so when he did it one day to show me, and that still rates as cool in my book with a few other things over the years !
Regards Robert

Only thing more powerful then wind is water.

(quoted from post at 01:48:28 12/17/14) Hi, I do know my Dad had a Hilti gun powered by blank cartridges, that would fire special nails into heavy steel building beams. I seem to remember the cartridges being different colors/ strenght for different jobs, and if you had the beam ones in when doing concrete block work. Regards Robert

Click to expand...

I worked commercial construction for a few years and was always amazed at how those guns would drive a fastener in a steel beam, and hold a piece of relatively thin upper and lower steel track to hold steel studs. Learned a lot about building on those hi-rise jobs.