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Narrator:
A perplexing and brutal
Industrial complex...
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It's one of the most
Claustrophobic places on earth.
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00:00:11,600 --> 00:00:15,333
Narrator:
...A heavily armed giant
Rusting away underwater...
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Bell:
That shift in technology and
The amount of engineering skill
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00:00:18,567 --> 00:00:21,333
And knowledge that needed to be
Brought and focused in
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Was phenomenal.
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Narrator: ...And one of
The world's largest
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And most secretive weapons
Ever constructed.
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It's almost primitive technology
That's just been ramped up
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00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:31,000
It's almost primitive technology
That's just been ramped up
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00:00:33,367 --> 00:00:35,867
To as big as it possibly can.
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00:00:37,533 --> 00:00:40,067
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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00:00:50,667 --> 00:00:52,467
And sometimes deadly.
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00:00:53,900 --> 00:00:56,400
But who built them?
And how?
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And why were they abandoned?
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-- captions by vitac --
Www.Vitac.Com
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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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Out in the remote deserts
Of arizona
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Is one of the u.S. Army's
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Most important
Secret research sites.
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Standing in the wilderness
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Is a massive
Single-barreled gun...
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...Dominating the barren
Landscape around it.
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At 100 feet in length, it has
A huge 16-inch-wide barrel.
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Able to shoot
With an unheard-of 50,000 psi...
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...It's designed to fire
400-pound projectiles
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...It's designed to fire
400-pound projectiles
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Over 100 miles.
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00:02:03,833 --> 00:02:08,633
But why would anyone build
Such a huge, powerful gun?
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00:02:08,633 --> 00:02:10,967
And why was it abandoned?
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Man:
5...4...3...2...1...
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Zero.
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Narrator: in 1961,
The space race is in full swing.
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Yuri gagarin gives the soviets
The first man in space,
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And america responds
With the mercury test rockets
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And america responds
With the mercury test rockets
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And then
The apollo space missions.
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But at a secret test facility
In yuma, arizona,
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The engineers and scientists
Have a challenge.
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Can they launch regular
Unmanned projectiles into space
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At a fraction of nasa's costs?
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I had absolutely no idea
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That space technology
Was anything
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But the cutting edge of rockets
Sent up into space,
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But the cutting edge of rockets
Sent up into space,
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00:03:03,500 --> 00:03:04,967
But apparently not.
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Apparently, you can revert
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Right back to technology
That is centuries old --
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The gun.
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Just get a huge charge
And fire it straight up.
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00:03:17,333 --> 00:03:20,533
Using guns to put something
Into orbit isn't a silly idea.
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In fact, it's quite
A cheap and reliable method,
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Potentially,
To put something into orbit.
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These were the early days
Of the space era.
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Technology was moving out
Of the second world war
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Technology was moving out
Of the second world war
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And finding its use
In a completely new frontier,
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And you don't necessarily know
What's going to work,
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So it's much better to have
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The two approaches
Funded simultaneously --
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Your rockets and your big guns.
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Narrator:
This is the h.A.R.P. Super gun,
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And its target isn't on earth.
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It's the edge of our atmosphere.
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But why would
The u.S. Department of defense,
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With the help of canada,
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Use such a huge gun to launch
A projectile into space?
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Use such a huge gun to launch
A projectile into space?
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00:04:06,233 --> 00:04:08,400
Archer: if you want to know
Conditions up in space
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Before you send
A very expensive rocket,
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00:04:10,267 --> 00:04:12,300
Then you can fire
Cheap sensors up,
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Find out a bit about
What is going on
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Directly above where you're
Going to fire this big rocket.
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Then you're going to get some
Really valuable data, surely.
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Gough: it was a win-win.
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Sure, you're going to gather
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All this information
About the upper atmosphere.
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Great.
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But you're also going to gain
A strategic military advantage
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But you're also going to gain
A strategic military advantage
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'cause now you're going to learn
About how you can
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Launch missiles across the world
At your enemy.
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So that's what they were
Really interested in.
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Narrator: the h.A.R.P. Super gun
Is the brainchild
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Of a canadian-american
Ballistics expert
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00:04:44,633 --> 00:04:48,400
Named dr. Gerald bull.
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His aim is to make gun-fired,
Low-cost space flight a reality.
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00:04:55,200 --> 00:04:59,333
But could he make
This ambitious project work?
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You look at what he was doing --
Very much the engineer,
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00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:01,000
You look at what he was doing --
Very much the engineer,
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00:05:02,167 --> 00:05:05,800
Very much the scientist,
Always testing.
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When he began thinking
Of gun-launched technology
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For suborbital
Or orbital launches,
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There were a lot of people
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That made jules verne jokes
About him.
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There were others that said,
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"Well, even if you could
Do that, it's worthless
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Unless you have some kind
Of a telemetry package on it
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Transmitting data
Back to earth."
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Green: he had this idea
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That super guns were the way
To get cheap access into space,
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And a huge amount was learned
Through that program.
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And a huge amount was learned
Through that program.
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Narrator:
The target for the super gun
Is the ionosphere,
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A layer
Of electrically charged air
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That lies on
The edge of the atmosphere,
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40 miles above the earth.
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But to reach that height,
Can bull and his engineers
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Construct the most powerful gun
Ever built?
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Shilders: program picked up
Two 16-inch naval barrels
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Almost 69 feet long,
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Almost 69 feet long,
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00:06:01,567 --> 00:06:04,700
And one was 50 foot long,
Approximately,
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And they're welded in the center
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00:06:06,133 --> 00:06:08,900
And braced with
A superstructure around it.
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Where the big bolts are,
Right back here to the rear,
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That's where the two pieces
Were joined together and welded.
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00:06:14,867 --> 00:06:18,567
They built this superstructure
To stiffen,
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To keep them from coming apart,
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Plus give it strength
When you're up vertical
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'cause when you fire a gun
Like that,
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You might get a little whip
And things like that,
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And you definitely
Don't want any tube droop
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Or anything of that nature.
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Or anything of that nature.
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Narrator: after multiple years
Of development,
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Bull and his engineers first
Test the h.A.R.P. Super gun
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On the island of barbados
In the caribbean
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In the early '60s.
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Positioned just north
Of the equator,
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It allows projectiles to be
Launched into the atmosphere
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And then recovered from the sea.
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The super gun is designed
To fire up into the sky
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At an angle of 85 degrees.
140
00:06:58,467 --> 00:07:00,000
But the velocity of the launch
Has a significant impact
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But the velocity of the launch
Has a significant impact
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On the surrounding community.
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Marshal: there were more than
2,000 firings of this gun
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00:07:09,300 --> 00:07:13,067
In the period from 1962
Onward into the '70s.
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That is quite a lot
Of sonic boom.
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And it was a heavy boom.
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Barbadians felt this boom
From here
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Up to almost
The top of the island.
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The reverberations
Were terrible.
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00:07:28,667 --> 00:07:30,000
Houses were shaken
To the foundations,
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00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:31,000
Houses were shaken
To the foundations,
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And quite a few cracks in houses
Were reported.
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Barbadians felt generally
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That this was
All to the good of the island.
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It seemed as though
It would project barbados
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Into the stratosphere
Of world prestige.
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Narrator:
But this ambitious project
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Has other,
Significant disadvantages.
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As well as advantages
Of using a giant gun,
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There are drawbacks, as well.
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So, to get something
To the speed
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So, to get something
To the speed
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That you need to get it
High up in altitude,
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You have to accelerate it
Very fast,
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And your objects may not be able
To withstand the forces,
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The g-forces,
That are experienced,
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And then there's also an issue
Of mass, as well,
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Because you can't launch
Particularly heavy things
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Using this kind of technique,
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So you're limited
To small objects.
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Narrator:
Will the h.A.R.P. Super gun
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Actually send a successful
Projectile into space?
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And why was it abandoned?
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And why was it abandoned?
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*
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Narrator: in the barren deserts
Of arizona,
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The so-called h.A.R.P. Super gun
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Is an unexpected marvel
Of american space engineering.
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Built in 1961,
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The same year the soviets
Got the first human into orbit,
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Its ambitious aim is to launch
Nonman payloads into space
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At a fraction of the cost
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00:09:01,433 --> 00:09:02,512
Of nasa's
Mercury and apollo programs.
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00:09:02,512 --> 00:09:03,000
Of nasa's
Mercury and apollo programs.
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00:09:07,400 --> 00:09:09,200
But how will this project
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Actually collect
Vital information
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00:09:11,200 --> 00:09:14,233
On space flight
And the ionosphere?
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00:09:14,233 --> 00:09:16,267
And will it actually work?
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To get something up into space,
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Apparently, it doesn't need
To be rocket science.
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It can be
So much simpler than that,
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As we see with the h.A.R.P. Gun.
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It's almost primitive technology
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That's just been ramped up
To as big as it possibly can
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00:09:32,512 --> 00:09:33,000
That's just been ramped up
To as big as it possibly can
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To fire a projectile
111 miles straight up.
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Narrator:
The projectile in question
Is something called a martlet,
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00:09:46,100 --> 00:09:48,800
A revolutionary
Dart-shaped missile
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That is encased
In the firing tube
200
00:09:51,133 --> 00:09:55,633
With a tight wooden ring
Called the sabot.
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00:09:55,633 --> 00:09:57,533
Hadner: the martlet
Was an aerodynamic shape.
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Think of it
As a large dart with fins.
203
00:10:00,033 --> 00:10:01,633
So, the idea of the sabot
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Is to fill the void
Of the cylinder of the tube.
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Is to fill the void
Of the cylinder of the tube.
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00:10:04,567 --> 00:10:08,233
In this case, they used plywood,
Each third called a pedal,
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00:10:08,233 --> 00:10:11,867
And the gases would then exert,
Push this thing out the barrel.
208
00:10:11,867 --> 00:10:14,167
Then the pedals would fall away,
209
00:10:14,167 --> 00:10:16,800
And you would then have
This very aerodynamic shape
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With, within the nose cone,
A telemetry package,
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00:10:20,000 --> 00:10:23,767
And in the aft end, the ability
To eject certain materials,
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Depending on what your test was.
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00:10:26,233 --> 00:10:28,733
There is some detailed
Engineering going on here,
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00:10:28,733 --> 00:10:31,700
But what I love about it is,
It's primitive technology
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00:10:31,700 --> 00:10:32,512
With modern engineering
Applied to it
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00:10:32,512 --> 00:10:33,000
With modern engineering
Applied to it
217
00:10:34,433 --> 00:10:37,667
To achieve something
That's record-breaking --
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00:10:37,667 --> 00:10:40,567
Firing that projectile
That high up.
219
00:10:43,600 --> 00:10:45,767
Narrator: huge amounts
Of propellant are needed
220
00:10:45,767 --> 00:10:47,200
To blast the martlets
221
00:10:47,200 --> 00:10:52,000
Higher into the ionosphere
Than ever before.
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00:10:52,000 --> 00:10:54,867
Every firing
Generates colossal forces
223
00:10:54,867 --> 00:10:56,933
Within the super gun itself,
224
00:10:56,933 --> 00:11:00,900
And with that
Comes real dangers.
225
00:11:00,900 --> 00:11:02,512
You can see the massive size
Of this breach
226
00:11:02,512 --> 00:11:02,800
You can see the massive size
Of this breach
227
00:11:02,800 --> 00:11:03,000
In the interrupted screw design
That would allow it to lock in.
228
00:11:05,800 --> 00:11:06,833
There's just the length of it.
229
00:11:06,833 --> 00:11:09,433
It just shows you
The mass of this breach
230
00:11:09,433 --> 00:11:11,167
To be able to handle
Those charges and pressures
231
00:11:11,167 --> 00:11:12,767
That they're firing.
232
00:11:12,767 --> 00:11:17,067
They were looking at pressures
Psi around 50,000, I think,
233
00:11:17,067 --> 00:11:19,467
With some of the testing.
234
00:11:19,467 --> 00:11:21,600
You need to think
About the materials,
235
00:11:21,600 --> 00:11:23,933
The size of the explosion
236
00:11:23,933 --> 00:11:25,867
Through the propellant
That you're going to use.
237
00:11:25,867 --> 00:11:27,067
You need to make sure
238
00:11:27,067 --> 00:11:30,167
The recoil's not going to
Just tear the gun apart,
239
00:11:30,167 --> 00:11:32,512
And that you've got a barrel
That's long enough
240
00:11:32,512 --> 00:11:33,000
And that you've got a barrel
That's long enough
241
00:11:33,267 --> 00:11:36,200
To project something
That far up.
242
00:11:36,200 --> 00:11:38,800
There's a lot that goes into it,
243
00:11:38,800 --> 00:11:40,500
And there's a lot
Of thought and design
244
00:11:40,500 --> 00:11:42,900
That goes into achieving this,
245
00:11:42,900 --> 00:11:44,433
But at the heart of it,
246
00:11:44,433 --> 00:11:46,500
It's still
Very primitive engineering,
247
00:11:46,500 --> 00:11:47,800
And I love that.
248
00:11:52,633 --> 00:11:56,833
Narrator:
On the 18th of november 1966,
In arizona,
249
00:11:56,833 --> 00:11:59,900
The h.A.R.P. Super gun
Fires a martlet
250
00:11:59,900 --> 00:12:02,512
Traveling at 7,000 feet
Per second,
251
00:12:02,512 --> 00:12:02,867
Traveling at 7,000 feet
Per second,
252
00:12:02,867 --> 00:12:03,000
111 miles into space --
253
00:12:06,333 --> 00:12:10,567
A record that still stands
To this very day,
254
00:12:10,567 --> 00:12:12,067
And using telemetry,
255
00:12:12,067 --> 00:12:15,767
The martlets successfully gather
Critical information
256
00:12:15,767 --> 00:12:19,233
About space flight
And global surveillance.
257
00:12:21,700 --> 00:12:23,567
But because of souring relations
258
00:12:23,567 --> 00:12:25,800
Between canada
And the united states
259
00:12:25,800 --> 00:12:27,500
Over the vietnam war,
260
00:12:27,500 --> 00:12:31,267
The h.A.R.P. Program ends
In 1966.
261
00:12:34,400 --> 00:12:37,067
And today,
The guns sit abandoned --
262
00:12:37,067 --> 00:12:40,800
A potent reminder of both
The dangers of the space race
263
00:12:40,800 --> 00:12:45,300
And our eternal quest
For the stars.
264
00:12:45,300 --> 00:12:49,067
The future of space exploration
May well be dependent
265
00:12:49,067 --> 00:12:52,100
On billions of dollars' worth
Of investment
266
00:12:52,100 --> 00:12:55,767
Into technologies that we don't
Even know about yet.
267
00:12:55,767 --> 00:12:57,933
I'm not saying you're going to
Get a man on mars
268
00:12:57,933 --> 00:13:00,433
By firing him out of a gun
All the way up.
269
00:13:00,433 --> 00:13:01,767
That's not going to happen.
270
00:13:01,767 --> 00:13:02,512
But if you're talking about
Getting payloads and objects
271
00:13:02,512 --> 00:13:03,000
But if you're talking about
Getting payloads and objects
272
00:13:04,933 --> 00:13:06,533
Into low earth orbit,
273
00:13:06,533 --> 00:13:10,100
Which could then be assembled
As part of a project
274
00:13:10,100 --> 00:13:12,200
To then go off further in space
275
00:13:12,200 --> 00:13:15,233
More than
We ever have done before...
276
00:13:15,233 --> 00:13:17,733
And it just makes me smile,
The thought of that,
277
00:13:17,733 --> 00:13:20,100
That you could have
This combination of technologies
278
00:13:20,100 --> 00:13:21,900
And of engineering eras
279
00:13:21,900 --> 00:13:25,567
That come together
To give us something that is,
280
00:13:25,567 --> 00:13:28,100
Well, at the moment,
Out of this world.
281
00:13:32,767 --> 00:13:33,000
*
282
00:13:35,700 --> 00:13:37,800
Narrator:
6,000 miles away,
283
00:13:37,800 --> 00:13:40,133
Off the southwest coast
Of japan,
284
00:13:40,133 --> 00:13:42,333
Near the port of nagasaki
285
00:13:42,333 --> 00:13:44,767
Is a most mysterious place.
286
00:13:46,933 --> 00:13:48,867
*
287
00:13:48,867 --> 00:13:53,467
Out in the east china sea,
This abandoned 16-acre island
288
00:13:53,467 --> 00:13:58,200
Is 550 feet wide
And just over 1,600 feet long --
289
00:13:58,200 --> 00:14:02,512
The length
Of only four football fields.
290
00:14:02,512 --> 00:14:02,767
The length
Of only four football fields.
291
00:14:02,767 --> 00:14:03,000
But it has the remains
Of dozens of buildings
292
00:14:06,333 --> 00:14:10,667
And housed 5,500 people.
293
00:14:10,667 --> 00:14:12,133
This island represents
294
00:14:12,133 --> 00:14:14,700
One of the greatest
Engineering achievements
295
00:14:14,700 --> 00:14:16,767
Of the 20th century.
296
00:14:16,767 --> 00:14:20,700
Incredibly,
It's almost entirely man-made,
297
00:14:20,700 --> 00:14:23,067
Constructed from reclaimed land.
298
00:14:24,267 --> 00:14:27,833
Reclaimed land is actually
A massive engineering challenge
299
00:14:27,833 --> 00:14:31,167
Because you're working
With water, which moves.
300
00:14:31,167 --> 00:14:32,512
The levels come up and down.
301
00:14:32,512 --> 00:14:32,533
The levels come up and down.
302
00:14:32,533 --> 00:14:33,000
It can be quite acidic,
Quite salty.
303
00:14:35,367 --> 00:14:38,367
It corrodes man-made materials
Quite easily.
304
00:14:38,367 --> 00:14:40,700
And then
What you're trying to do
305
00:14:40,700 --> 00:14:42,633
Is bring stacks of new material
306
00:14:42,633 --> 00:14:46,067
And pile it up
Within this movable medium
307
00:14:46,067 --> 00:14:48,800
And create
A solid, stable structure
308
00:14:48,800 --> 00:14:50,600
That you can then
Live and work in
309
00:14:50,600 --> 00:14:53,600
And build huge buildings on.
310
00:14:53,600 --> 00:14:56,633
Gough: it was not called
The island without green
311
00:14:56,633 --> 00:14:58,233
For no good reason.
312
00:14:58,233 --> 00:15:02,512
It's one of the most
Claustrophobic places on earth.
313
00:15:02,512 --> 00:15:03,000
It's one of the most
Claustrophobic places on earth.
314
00:15:03,067 --> 00:15:07,533
Over 5,000 people lived
In a really tiny community,
315
00:15:07,533 --> 00:15:09,433
But the funny thing is,
They got used to it.
316
00:15:09,433 --> 00:15:11,100
And when they went
Onto the mainland,
317
00:15:11,100 --> 00:15:12,567
They felt uncomfortable.
318
00:15:12,567 --> 00:15:14,433
But tourists go there today,
319
00:15:14,433 --> 00:15:16,933
And they tell me
They can't wait to leave.
320
00:15:18,567 --> 00:15:20,467
Narrator:
But how did this tiny island
321
00:15:20,467 --> 00:15:23,067
Become the most crowded
Working environment
322
00:15:23,067 --> 00:15:24,300
On the planet?
323
00:15:24,300 --> 00:15:26,567
And why was it abandoned?
324
00:15:29,900 --> 00:15:32,512
1890, hashima island.
325
00:15:32,512 --> 00:15:33,000
1890, hashima island.
326
00:15:33,933 --> 00:15:35,800
From this half-an-acre island,
327
00:15:35,800 --> 00:15:40,500
Japanese engineers are trying
To tap a massive coal vein
328
00:15:40,500 --> 00:15:44,567
650 feet under the seabed.
329
00:15:44,567 --> 00:15:48,400
They drill a deep shaft down
To reach the coal deposits,
330
00:15:48,400 --> 00:15:49,900
And it works.
331
00:15:52,567 --> 00:15:55,400
Over the course
Of the next eight decades,
332
00:15:55,400 --> 00:15:59,167
Japanese energy demands
Increase dramatically.
333
00:15:59,167 --> 00:16:02,512
They eventually mine coal over
Half a mile beneath the sea.
334
00:16:02,512 --> 00:16:03,000
They eventually mine coal over
Half a mile beneath the sea.
335
00:16:05,700 --> 00:16:07,267
To meet these demands,
336
00:16:07,267 --> 00:16:13,333
Engineers expand the island
To 16 acres by the 1970s.
337
00:16:13,333 --> 00:16:14,800
But one thing is constant --
338
00:16:14,800 --> 00:16:17,900
The working conditions
Are unbearable.
339
00:16:17,900 --> 00:16:20,367
[ kobata speaking japanese ]
340
00:16:20,367 --> 00:16:23,767
Interpreter: it was
A really dangerous place.
341
00:16:23,767 --> 00:16:26,667
Stones often fell
From the ceiling.
342
00:16:26,667 --> 00:16:30,100
It was like doing hard labor
In a steam bath.
343
00:16:32,467 --> 00:16:32,512
Narrator: how was this island
Built to sustain
344
00:16:32,512 --> 00:16:33,000
Narrator: how was this island
Built to sustain
345
00:16:34,767 --> 00:16:38,833
The millions of tons of coal
Extracted?
346
00:16:38,833 --> 00:16:40,300
And why was this marvel
347
00:16:40,300 --> 00:16:44,067
Of modern commercial engineering
Abandoned?
348
00:16:45,667 --> 00:16:46,000
*
349
00:16:51,133 --> 00:16:53,200
Narrator:
Hashima island in japan is
350
00:16:53,200 --> 00:16:57,367
One of the engineering marvels
Of the modern world.
351
00:16:57,367 --> 00:17:02,433
At its peak in the early 1970s,
This tiny 16-acre island
352
00:17:02,433 --> 00:17:07,367
Produces nearly half a million
Tons of coal a year.
353
00:17:07,367 --> 00:17:09,133
The mine runs continuously
354
00:17:09,133 --> 00:17:13,767
For 365 days a year,
24 hours a day,
355
00:17:13,767 --> 00:17:15,270
With over 5,000 workers
Sharing three shifts.
356
00:17:15,270 --> 00:17:16,000
With over 5,000 workers
Sharing three shifts.
357
00:17:19,300 --> 00:17:24,933
It's hot, crowded, noisy,
And heavily polluted.
358
00:17:24,933 --> 00:17:29,067
The increasing number of workers
Who come to live and work here
359
00:17:29,067 --> 00:17:32,400
Puts space on the island
At a premium.
360
00:17:32,400 --> 00:17:36,067
And that poses
Another significant problem.
361
00:17:38,700 --> 00:17:43,333
Agrawal:
I think hashima is an incredible
Engineering achievement.
362
00:17:43,333 --> 00:17:45,270
You're talking about digging
A 200-meter-deep mine in the sea
363
00:17:45,270 --> 00:17:46,000
You're talking about digging
A 200-meter-deep mine in the sea
364
00:17:47,500 --> 00:17:49,533
Next to
This tiny, little island.
365
00:17:49,533 --> 00:17:51,600
And you think about
"Well, fine, I've got this mine,
366
00:17:51,600 --> 00:17:53,467
And I've got all this material
Coming up,
367
00:17:53,467 --> 00:17:54,800
But where am I going to send it?
368
00:17:54,800 --> 00:17:55,867
Where am I going to store it?
369
00:17:55,867 --> 00:17:58,567
There's no space
To actually position it."
370
00:17:58,567 --> 00:18:02,067
So you have to think about
Conveying it out.
371
00:18:02,067 --> 00:18:04,867
How far can the ships
Actually come to the island?
372
00:18:04,867 --> 00:18:06,867
How are you gonna get
The material from
The island to the ship
373
00:18:06,867 --> 00:18:08,200
And then the ship can sort of
374
00:18:08,200 --> 00:18:09,933
Disseminate it
Back to the country?
375
00:18:09,933 --> 00:18:12,533
It's an incredible
Logistical challenge
376
00:18:12,533 --> 00:18:13,733
And, I think, something
377
00:18:13,733 --> 00:18:15,270
That they seem to have done
Really, really well.
378
00:18:15,270 --> 00:18:16,000
That they seem to have done
Really, really well.
379
00:18:20,100 --> 00:18:23,100
What really strikes me
About the island hashima
380
00:18:23,100 --> 00:18:25,700
Is that it's almost
This self-propagating entity.
381
00:18:25,700 --> 00:18:27,133
The deeper you go
Into the mine,
382
00:18:27,133 --> 00:18:29,800
The more material
You're bringing up.
383
00:18:29,800 --> 00:18:31,700
And to use that to backfill
384
00:18:31,700 --> 00:18:34,167
And make your island
Slightly bigger
385
00:18:34,167 --> 00:18:37,167
To maybe then house more miners
So you can go even deeper,
386
00:18:37,167 --> 00:18:38,967
It kind of keeps going
'round and 'round.
387
00:18:38,967 --> 00:18:40,233
Where does it stop?
388
00:18:42,233 --> 00:18:45,270
Narrator: over the years,
The workforce grows massively.
389
00:18:45,270 --> 00:18:45,633
Narrator: over the years,
The workforce grows massively.
390
00:18:45,633 --> 00:18:46,000
And over time,
Engineers gradually increase
391
00:18:48,733 --> 00:18:52,300
The massive concrete seawall
Surrounding the island
392
00:18:52,300 --> 00:18:55,633
To protect it from the storms.
393
00:18:55,633 --> 00:18:58,600
This makes hashima
Resemble a warship.
394
00:18:58,600 --> 00:19:01,233
It's known locally
As gunkanjima,
395
00:19:01,233 --> 00:19:03,667
Or "Battleship island."
396
00:19:03,667 --> 00:19:05,867
[ kobata speaking japanese ]
397
00:19:05,867 --> 00:19:09,767
Interpreter:
When I saw the island
From a ship for the first time,
398
00:19:09,767 --> 00:19:11,100
I had a very strong impression
399
00:19:11,100 --> 00:19:13,500
That the island
Does look like a battleship.
400
00:19:15,633 --> 00:19:16,000
The first thing
I was surprised by
401
00:19:17,600 --> 00:19:20,200
Was the reinforced-concrete
Buildings.
402
00:19:21,833 --> 00:19:23,833
I didn't know much
About the island,
403
00:19:23,833 --> 00:19:25,167
So I never even dreamt
404
00:19:25,167 --> 00:19:28,667
About seeing so many tall,
Reinforced-concrete buildings
405
00:19:28,667 --> 00:19:30,367
Everywhere on the island.
406
00:19:32,867 --> 00:19:38,200
Narrator:
It's a master class in designing
And engineering with concrete.
407
00:19:38,200 --> 00:19:40,867
It seems like reinforced
Concrete was almost designed
408
00:19:40,867 --> 00:19:45,200
For something like building
On the small island at hashima.
409
00:19:45,200 --> 00:19:45,270
You don't have much space
To move around
410
00:19:45,270 --> 00:19:46,000
You don't have much space
To move around
411
00:19:47,300 --> 00:19:49,633
And to bring in and have
Lots of stores of materials
412
00:19:49,633 --> 00:19:50,833
That you're going to build,
413
00:19:50,833 --> 00:19:53,167
So reinforced concrete's
Great for that.
414
00:19:53,167 --> 00:19:57,367
You pour it where you want it --
Job done once it's set.
415
00:19:57,367 --> 00:19:59,533
The other advantage
Of using it on hashima
416
00:19:59,533 --> 00:20:01,500
Is that
It's pretty much fireproof.
417
00:20:01,500 --> 00:20:03,767
You can't set fire
To reinforced concrete.
418
00:20:03,767 --> 00:20:06,933
And when you're dealing with
A coal mine,
419
00:20:06,933 --> 00:20:09,400
It's probably that material
You'd want best.
420
00:20:10,933 --> 00:20:12,233
Narrator:
Though practical,
421
00:20:12,233 --> 00:20:15,270
The rigid and imposing
Architecture of hashima island
422
00:20:15,270 --> 00:20:15,600
The rigid and imposing
Architecture of hashima island
423
00:20:15,600 --> 00:20:16,000
Affects the way people live.
424
00:20:18,700 --> 00:20:20,033
[ speaking japanese ]
425
00:20:20,033 --> 00:20:22,567
Interpreter: there were
So many people here --
426
00:20:22,567 --> 00:20:26,767
So many people
That you couldn't believe it.
427
00:20:26,767 --> 00:20:28,500
I lived in building 30
428
00:20:28,500 --> 00:20:31,433
With my three
Other family members.
429
00:20:31,433 --> 00:20:35,567
We shared one room
That we'd all live in together.
430
00:20:35,567 --> 00:20:37,767
It was extremely small.
431
00:20:37,767 --> 00:20:43,933
Interpreter:
There was no elevator at all
In these high-rise buildings,
432
00:20:43,933 --> 00:20:45,270
So people moved about
Horizontally.
433
00:20:45,270 --> 00:20:46,000
So people moved about
Horizontally.
434
00:20:47,967 --> 00:20:50,900
There were lots of passageways.
435
00:20:50,900 --> 00:20:52,633
They didn't need
To go downstairs
436
00:20:52,633 --> 00:20:55,467
To go around
Apartment buildings.
437
00:20:55,467 --> 00:20:57,967
They moved horizontally
Between apartments.
438
00:21:02,367 --> 00:21:04,333
There was a kindergarten,
439
00:21:04,333 --> 00:21:06,933
Elementary school,
Junior high school,
440
00:21:06,933 --> 00:21:09,633
Hospital, pachinko parlor,
441
00:21:09,633 --> 00:21:12,867
Hostess bar,
Barber, and a florist.
442
00:21:14,800 --> 00:21:15,270
Considering that, you know,
80% of our populations
443
00:21:15,270 --> 00:21:16,000
Considering that, you know,
80% of our populations
444
00:21:17,567 --> 00:21:19,800
Are going to be living in cities
In the next few decades,
445
00:21:19,800 --> 00:21:21,767
I think there's going to be
A lot more skyscrapers
446
00:21:21,767 --> 00:21:24,300
And height
To fit all these people in.
447
00:21:24,300 --> 00:21:26,233
And I always imagine there to be
448
00:21:26,233 --> 00:21:29,667
These kind of futuristic
Air bridges joining buildings up
449
00:21:29,667 --> 00:21:31,533
So that you don't need
To kind of go down
450
00:21:31,533 --> 00:21:32,933
And then come up again.
451
00:21:32,933 --> 00:21:36,800
And it's fascinating for me that
Hashima did this decades ago,
452
00:21:36,800 --> 00:21:39,933
So I think that there's
A real interesting model there
453
00:21:39,933 --> 00:21:41,667
For us to think about now.
454
00:21:43,767 --> 00:21:45,270
Maybe there is
An element at hashima
455
00:21:45,270 --> 00:21:46,000
Maybe there is
An element at hashima
456
00:21:46,167 --> 00:21:51,167
That the kind of human factor
And well-being of everybody
457
00:21:51,167 --> 00:21:54,800
And just having some space
To not be crowded,
458
00:21:54,800 --> 00:21:58,333
Not feel so imposed upon.
459
00:21:58,333 --> 00:22:01,333
Just not sure
That was ever considered.
460
00:22:01,333 --> 00:22:03,400
All they wanted to do
Was make it functional.
461
00:22:03,400 --> 00:22:05,633
Hashima was there
To be functional,
462
00:22:05,633 --> 00:22:08,600
And outside of
Being efficient at work,
463
00:22:08,600 --> 00:22:11,400
I'm not sure
Much more was thought about.
464
00:22:14,467 --> 00:22:15,270
Narrator: the tight quarters
Especially affect the children.
465
00:22:15,270 --> 00:22:16,000
Narrator: the tight quarters
Especially affect the children.
466
00:22:18,633 --> 00:22:20,267
[ kobata speaking japanese ]
467
00:22:20,267 --> 00:22:23,833
Interpreter:
Children used their imagination
To play here.
468
00:22:23,833 --> 00:22:25,800
They played cards on the stairs,
469
00:22:25,800 --> 00:22:28,533
Played marbles wherever
They could find tiny spaces.
470
00:22:28,533 --> 00:22:30,933
The rooftops
Of all the buildings
471
00:22:30,933 --> 00:22:32,433
Were their playgrounds.
472
00:22:34,233 --> 00:22:35,900
[ kinoshita speaking japanese ]
473
00:22:35,900 --> 00:22:39,967
Interpreter:
We thought carefully about how
To play baseball in our own way.
474
00:22:39,967 --> 00:22:42,600
We used our brains a lot
To play on this island.
475
00:22:45,567 --> 00:22:46,000
Narrator:
But with the 5,000 inhabitants
Adapting to life here
476
00:22:49,267 --> 00:22:52,667
And with half a million tons
Of coal extracted each year,
477
00:22:52,667 --> 00:22:56,100
Why is hashima island abandoned?
478
00:22:59,867 --> 00:23:00,000
*
479
00:23:05,267 --> 00:23:07,400
Narrator: by the 1970s,
480
00:23:07,400 --> 00:23:09,567
The island of hashima's
Population
481
00:23:09,567 --> 00:23:12,900
Grows to over 5,500 people --
482
00:23:12,900 --> 00:23:17,400
All crammed into less than half
Of the 16-acre island,
483
00:23:17,400 --> 00:23:21,233
Making hashima one of
The most densely populated areas
484
00:23:21,233 --> 00:23:23,900
On the planet -- ever.
485
00:23:23,900 --> 00:23:26,600
Bell:
Population density on hashima
Got to the point
486
00:23:26,600 --> 00:23:29,578
Where it was double what
Civic engineers at that time
487
00:23:29,578 --> 00:23:30,000
Where it was double what
Civic engineers at that time
488
00:23:30,467 --> 00:23:33,333
Would have recommended
As being the maximum,
489
00:23:33,333 --> 00:23:35,367
So, I mean, talk about crowded.
490
00:23:35,367 --> 00:23:38,100
You might think you live quite
Close to your neighbors now.
491
00:23:38,100 --> 00:23:40,800
That's nothing compared to what
It would have been at hashima.
492
00:23:43,200 --> 00:23:45,467
Narrator:
In its 84-year history,
493
00:23:45,467 --> 00:23:46,833
The hashima mine produces
494
00:23:46,833 --> 00:23:52,067
An incredible
16.5 million tons of coal.
495
00:23:52,067 --> 00:23:53,200
Its workers endure
496
00:23:53,200 --> 00:23:56,067
Some of the hardest
Working conditions on earth.
497
00:23:56,067 --> 00:23:58,133
[ kobata speaking japanese ]
498
00:23:58,133 --> 00:23:59,578
Interpreter:
It was such hard work --
No days off --
499
00:23:59,578 --> 00:24:00,000
Interpreter:
It was such hard work --
No days off --
500
00:24:02,300 --> 00:24:04,067
So it's true to say
501
00:24:04,067 --> 00:24:07,867
I wanted to leave the island
As soon as possible.
502
00:24:07,867 --> 00:24:11,467
Narrator: but eventually,
Its coal deposits are exhausted,
503
00:24:11,467 --> 00:24:15,367
And the mining operation closes
In 1974.
504
00:24:15,367 --> 00:24:20,267
And when the island's heart
Stops, its community dies, too.
505
00:24:21,900 --> 00:24:24,800
Today, hashima is abandoned.
506
00:24:24,800 --> 00:24:26,867
Aside from occasional use
For movies,
507
00:24:26,867 --> 00:24:29,167
Like james bond's "Skyfall,"
508
00:24:29,167 --> 00:24:29,578
It's mostly left
To the mercy of the elements.
509
00:24:29,578 --> 00:24:30,000
It's mostly left
To the mercy of the elements.
510
00:24:34,233 --> 00:24:36,800
*
511
00:24:36,800 --> 00:24:40,533
Approximately 6,000 miles away,
Across the pacific,
512
00:24:40,533 --> 00:24:44,267
Is one of the most unusual
And brash transport projects
513
00:24:44,267 --> 00:24:46,067
Ever undertaken.
514
00:24:50,133 --> 00:24:52,933
In the middle
Of a 350-mile route
515
00:24:52,933 --> 00:24:55,233
That runs between
San diego, california,
516
00:24:55,233 --> 00:24:59,578
And phoenix, arizona,
Is a very unusual stretch.
517
00:24:59,578 --> 00:25:00,000
And phoenix, arizona,
Is a very unusual stretch.
518
00:25:00,333 --> 00:25:03,900
This road is made
Entirely out of wood.
519
00:25:06,300 --> 00:25:09,267
Each plank used is 8 feet long
520
00:25:09,267 --> 00:25:12,333
By 4 inches wide
And 1 inch deep,
521
00:25:12,333 --> 00:25:15,200
And it runs for 6 1/2 miles,
522
00:25:15,200 --> 00:25:17,267
Using thousands of wooden planks
523
00:25:17,267 --> 00:25:21,333
Snaking through the shifting
Sands of the california desert.
524
00:25:23,600 --> 00:25:27,333
It's a beautiful
Kind of american sheer audacity
525
00:25:27,333 --> 00:25:28,967
Of taking on such a project.
526
00:25:28,967 --> 00:25:29,578
"Yeah, why not?
Of course I'm going to do it.
527
00:25:29,578 --> 00:25:30,000
"Yeah, why not?
Of course I'm going to do it.
528
00:25:31,233 --> 00:25:33,167
Nothing's too much of a problem
For me.
529
00:25:33,167 --> 00:25:35,500
A road through the desert?
Hell yeah."
530
00:25:37,167 --> 00:25:41,100
Agrawal: deserts are
Very, very dynamic landscapes.
531
00:25:41,100 --> 00:25:43,733
You've got wind,
You've got these sand dunes,
532
00:25:43,733 --> 00:25:46,067
And when they interact
With each other,
533
00:25:46,067 --> 00:25:48,300
It just completely changes
The surface.
534
00:25:48,300 --> 00:25:50,933
Things move,
They get lower, they get higher.
535
00:25:50,933 --> 00:25:52,700
So trying to build a road
On that
536
00:25:52,700 --> 00:25:55,133
Seems like
A pretty crazy thing to do.
537
00:25:55,133 --> 00:25:59,200
Bell: it's almost like
The simplest idea was the best.
538
00:25:59,200 --> 00:25:59,578
We're dealing with fast-moving,
Shifting sand,
539
00:25:59,578 --> 00:26:00,000
We're dealing with fast-moving,
Shifting sand,
540
00:26:02,800 --> 00:26:04,533
And when you think about a road,
You think of it
541
00:26:04,533 --> 00:26:06,800
As something solid,
Something that doesn't move.
542
00:26:06,800 --> 00:26:08,667
With the sand
Continuously moving,
543
00:26:08,667 --> 00:26:12,200
They needed something that was
Gonna be a little bit flexible.
544
00:26:12,200 --> 00:26:15,767
It's a very simple idea,
But maybe it was that simplicity
545
00:26:15,767 --> 00:26:17,633
Which actually meant
That it worked.
546
00:26:18,833 --> 00:26:21,933
Narrator: why was
This incredible road made?
547
00:26:21,933 --> 00:26:25,067
How great are the problems
That the engineers face?
548
00:26:25,067 --> 00:26:27,500
And how does it end up
Being abandoned?
549
00:26:29,933 --> 00:26:30,000
In 1912, los angeles
Is the final hub
550
00:26:33,900 --> 00:26:37,133
Of america's
Transcontinental railroad.
551
00:26:37,133 --> 00:26:40,500
But without any direct
Connecting routes to the east,
552
00:26:40,500 --> 00:26:45,333
Nearby san diego risks becoming
An economic backwater
553
00:26:45,333 --> 00:26:50,800
Blocked by an expanse of desert
Which is considered impassable.
554
00:26:50,800 --> 00:26:53,933
But local businessman
Ed fletcher demands
555
00:26:53,933 --> 00:26:56,467
That the southern california
Road network
556
00:26:56,467 --> 00:26:59,333
Use san diego as its hub.
557
00:26:59,333 --> 00:26:59,578
Ed fletcher is one of these
Great unsung american heroes.
558
00:26:59,578 --> 00:27:00,000
Ed fletcher is one of these
Great unsung american heroes.
559
00:27:03,700 --> 00:27:05,267
He takes the initiative,
560
00:27:05,267 --> 00:27:08,500
He sees the challenge,
And he seizes it.
561
00:27:08,500 --> 00:27:11,967
"Let's build a road
Across the desert."
562
00:27:11,967 --> 00:27:13,367
"Oh, really?
How are you going to do that?
563
00:27:13,367 --> 00:27:15,867
Wooden planks --
Is that the best idea?"
564
00:27:15,867 --> 00:27:17,067
He does it anyway.
565
00:27:17,067 --> 00:27:20,500
People think california
Is full of crazy people.
566
00:27:20,500 --> 00:27:22,533
Well, you know what --
maybe they always were,
567
00:27:22,533 --> 00:27:24,700
But you have to admire
That ambition.
568
00:27:27,400 --> 00:27:29,578
Narrator: fletcher calls
His novel creation
569
00:27:29,578 --> 00:27:30,000
Narrator: fletcher calls
His novel creation
570
00:27:30,300 --> 00:27:32,567
"The plank road."
571
00:27:32,567 --> 00:27:34,700
Bell: we're talking about
An engineering achievement here,
572
00:27:34,700 --> 00:27:37,833
But it's planks
Laid out through the desert,
573
00:27:37,833 --> 00:27:40,733
Which is the kind of solution
I might have come up with
574
00:27:40,733 --> 00:27:43,100
As, like, a 7-year-old
Thinking about it.
575
00:27:43,100 --> 00:27:46,567
But it's the fact
That they laid this out,
576
00:27:46,567 --> 00:27:48,633
13,000 planks,
577
00:27:48,633 --> 00:27:51,067
Laid one after the other
After the other after the other,
578
00:27:51,067 --> 00:27:53,767
Which you might say, "Hang on.
That's just not possible."
579
00:27:53,767 --> 00:27:56,067
For ed fletcher,
anything was possible.
580
00:27:59,067 --> 00:27:59,578
Narrator:
What prevents each wooden plank
581
00:27:59,578 --> 00:28:00,000
Narrator:
What prevents each wooden plank
582
00:28:01,233 --> 00:28:03,500
From moving
In the shifting sands
583
00:28:03,500 --> 00:28:07,667
Is the engineer's inclusion
Of the three metal rods.
584
00:28:07,667 --> 00:28:10,933
Nailed into each plank,
They hold the planks together
585
00:28:10,933 --> 00:28:14,067
Despite
Constantly moving terrain.
586
00:28:15,633 --> 00:28:18,567
Amazingly,
Fletcher's improvised road
587
00:28:18,567 --> 00:28:22,367
Is so successful
That in 1915, it's incorporated
588
00:28:22,367 --> 00:28:25,133
Into california's
State highway system.
589
00:28:27,067 --> 00:28:29,067
Bell:
If I'd picked up a map back then
590
00:28:29,067 --> 00:28:29,578
And navigated my way
To san diego
591
00:28:29,578 --> 00:28:30,000
And navigated my way
To san diego
592
00:28:31,767 --> 00:28:33,767
And it happened to take in
The plank road,
593
00:28:33,767 --> 00:28:38,067
To get there
And actually see literal planks
594
00:28:38,067 --> 00:28:39,600
Forming the road,
595
00:28:39,600 --> 00:28:42,100
I think I would have been
Extremely shocked.
596
00:28:42,100 --> 00:28:45,133
It's not what you'd expect.
597
00:28:45,133 --> 00:28:48,933
Agrawal: it's completely bizarre
And utterly surprising to me
598
00:28:48,933 --> 00:28:54,333
That two planks of wood
In this moving sand desert
599
00:28:54,333 --> 00:28:56,333
Can be part of a highway.
600
00:28:56,333 --> 00:28:58,867
I mean, it's incredible.
601
00:28:58,867 --> 00:28:59,578
Bell: despite its name,
The plank road wasn't a joke.
602
00:28:59,578 --> 00:29:00,000
Bell: despite its name,
The plank road wasn't a joke.
603
00:29:02,700 --> 00:29:04,833
It wasn't just a bunch of timber
604
00:29:04,833 --> 00:29:07,733
Laid out rustically
In front of you.
605
00:29:07,733 --> 00:29:11,833
There was thought
And process and design
606
00:29:11,833 --> 00:29:13,867
That went into
Building the road,
607
00:29:13,867 --> 00:29:17,500
Right down to the construction
Technique that they used.
608
00:29:17,500 --> 00:29:20,567
Having a contraption
That was specifically made
609
00:29:20,567 --> 00:29:23,100
To lay out each section
Of the road in front of it,
610
00:29:23,100 --> 00:29:26,500
Which you could then
Roll the contraption onto
611
00:29:26,500 --> 00:29:28,567
To lay down the next bit
In front of you,
612
00:29:28,567 --> 00:29:29,578
It's kind of how tunnel-boring
Machines work nowadays.
613
00:29:29,578 --> 00:29:30,000
It's kind of how tunnel-boring
Machines work nowadays.
614
00:29:31,767 --> 00:29:33,433
But they weren't
Boring a tunnel.
615
00:29:33,433 --> 00:29:35,933
They were building a wooden road
Through the desert.
616
00:29:36,933 --> 00:29:41,133
Narrator:
For 10 years, the plank road
Is in constant use --
617
00:29:41,133 --> 00:29:42,833
Not only by local traffic,
618
00:29:42,833 --> 00:29:45,833
But also by tourists
Who come to enjoy
619
00:29:45,833 --> 00:29:50,933
This incredibly bumpy ride
Across the desert.
620
00:29:50,933 --> 00:29:53,467
Gough: fletcher's plank road
Becomes a success
621
00:29:53,467 --> 00:29:55,367
Because it's a novelty.
622
00:29:55,367 --> 00:29:58,133
It's the path less taken.
623
00:29:58,133 --> 00:29:59,578
It's an adventure.
People want to drive on it.
624
00:29:59,578 --> 00:30:00,000
It's an adventure.
People want to drive on it.
625
00:30:00,900 --> 00:30:02,700
They know it's going to be
An experience,
626
00:30:02,700 --> 00:30:04,067
And that's what it's all about.
627
00:30:04,067 --> 00:30:06,767
It's sort of
The original thrill-seekers.
628
00:30:06,767 --> 00:30:07,933
People would brag to each other.
629
00:30:07,933 --> 00:30:09,333
"Have you been on
The plank road?
630
00:30:09,333 --> 00:30:10,833
I have. It's amazing."
631
00:30:10,833 --> 00:30:12,967
And everybody wanted to do it.
632
00:30:14,767 --> 00:30:19,933
Narrator:
But with its popularity peaking,
Why is the plank road abandoned?
633
00:30:23,333 --> 00:30:24,000
*
634
00:30:28,900 --> 00:30:30,233
Narrator: the plank road
635
00:30:30,233 --> 00:30:32,700
Out in the middle
Of the californian desert
636
00:30:32,700 --> 00:30:34,400
Is one of the most daring
637
00:30:34,400 --> 00:30:36,933
And extraordinary
Engineering projects
638
00:30:36,933 --> 00:30:39,500
Of the early 20th century.
639
00:30:39,500 --> 00:30:44,267
Made out of more than 13,000
Large wooden planks,
640
00:30:44,267 --> 00:30:48,733
This popular but rugged road
Stretches nearly 7 miles
641
00:30:48,733 --> 00:30:53,087
And forms the critical link
Of a 350-mile highway
642
00:30:53,087 --> 00:30:53,400
And forms the critical link
Of a 350-mile highway
643
00:30:53,400 --> 00:30:54,000
From san diego, california,
To phoenix, arizona.
644
00:30:58,633 --> 00:31:02,933
But despite the iron railings
That hold the road in place,
645
00:31:02,933 --> 00:31:06,667
The planks are still
Very susceptible to the wind
646
00:31:06,667 --> 00:31:08,233
And the moving sands.
647
00:31:10,233 --> 00:31:14,567
In 1926, san diego businessman
Ed fletcher
648
00:31:14,567 --> 00:31:16,300
Replaces the wooden planks
649
00:31:16,300 --> 00:31:19,067
With a professional
Asphalt surface
650
00:31:19,067 --> 00:31:21,100
Built up on a sandbank.
651
00:31:22,867 --> 00:31:23,087
Bell: analysis was done
On the moving sand,
652
00:31:23,087 --> 00:31:24,000
Bell: analysis was done
On the moving sand,
653
00:31:24,833 --> 00:31:28,067
And it was found
That the sands moved a lot more
654
00:31:28,067 --> 00:31:29,333
When it was lower.
655
00:31:29,333 --> 00:31:31,400
Anything that was
Raised up slightly
656
00:31:31,400 --> 00:31:34,900
Was less susceptible
To the moving sands.
657
00:31:34,900 --> 00:31:37,667
And so when the more permanent
Road was put in
658
00:31:37,667 --> 00:31:39,500
With an asphalt surface,
659
00:31:39,500 --> 00:31:42,800
That was put in
On a kind of raised bank,
660
00:31:42,800 --> 00:31:44,900
Whereas the original plank road
661
00:31:44,900 --> 00:31:49,467
Was right down
Where all the shifting sand was.
662
00:31:49,467 --> 00:31:52,100
Narrator: with the new
Asphalt highway in place,
663
00:31:52,100 --> 00:31:53,087
The plank road
Is sidelined in the desert.
664
00:31:53,087 --> 00:31:54,000
The plank road
Is sidelined in the desert.
665
00:31:55,533 --> 00:31:58,133
It slowly disappears
Under the sand
666
00:31:58,133 --> 00:32:00,900
And is largely torn up
By scavengers
667
00:32:00,900 --> 00:32:02,733
Wanting its timbers.
668
00:32:02,733 --> 00:32:05,433
But ed fletcher shows
What can be done
669
00:32:05,433 --> 00:32:10,967
With just a little imagination
And a lot of determination.
670
00:32:10,967 --> 00:32:13,067
Bell:
I love the iterative process
671
00:32:13,067 --> 00:32:14,500
The designers and engineers
Went through here,
672
00:32:14,500 --> 00:32:17,233
From going from
The two parallel rows of planks
673
00:32:17,233 --> 00:32:19,300
That you'd have to
Keep your wheels onto
674
00:32:19,300 --> 00:32:21,967
To the continuous rows of planks
675
00:32:21,967 --> 00:32:23,087
Just laid out in front of you
As a more solid structure.
676
00:32:23,087 --> 00:32:24,000
Just laid out in front of you
As a more solid structure.
677
00:32:25,300 --> 00:32:27,367
But you've still got planks.
678
00:32:27,367 --> 00:32:29,733
It's not great big
Slabs of concrete.
679
00:32:29,733 --> 00:32:32,567
Driving across that,
I'm sure in the kind of cars
680
00:32:32,567 --> 00:32:34,133
That they would have been
Driving at the time,
681
00:32:34,133 --> 00:32:35,833
It would have made
A heck of a racket
682
00:32:35,833 --> 00:32:39,433
And would have been
Quite a bone-rattling ride.
683
00:32:39,433 --> 00:32:42,367
I'm sure
You would have been relieved
684
00:32:42,367 --> 00:32:45,067
To get to the end of it,
Whichever way you were going.
685
00:32:47,967 --> 00:32:50,800
Narrator: today,
The plank road lies abandoned
686
00:32:50,800 --> 00:32:53,087
Out in the california desert --
687
00:32:53,087 --> 00:32:54,000
Out in the california desert --
688
00:32:54,067 --> 00:32:56,400
A powerful but decaying reminder
689
00:32:56,400 --> 00:32:59,200
Of humanity's
Unquenchable desire
690
00:32:59,200 --> 00:33:02,433
To cross
This planet's vast expanses
691
00:33:02,433 --> 00:33:04,467
To connect our cities.
692
00:33:06,200 --> 00:33:08,233
*
693
00:33:08,233 --> 00:33:10,233
On the opposite side
Of the planet,
694
00:33:10,233 --> 00:33:12,467
On the southern coast
Of australia,
695
00:33:12,467 --> 00:33:14,800
Is a sunken wreck
That was once
696
00:33:14,800 --> 00:33:18,067
At the cutting edge
Of maritime technology.
697
00:33:22,700 --> 00:33:23,087
It is 225 feet long
And 45 feet wide
698
00:33:23,087 --> 00:33:24,000
It is 225 feet long
And 45 feet wide
699
00:33:27,267 --> 00:33:30,700
And weighs 10,000 tons,
700
00:33:30,700 --> 00:33:35,600
And it's made
Almost entirely out of iron --
701
00:33:35,600 --> 00:33:38,867
Tons of iron.
702
00:33:38,867 --> 00:33:44,733
Its 13 coal-fired steam boilers
Provide nearly 1,400 horsepower
703
00:33:44,733 --> 00:33:49,533
Powered through
Two 13-feet-diameter propellers.
704
00:33:49,533 --> 00:33:53,087
Four 10-inch guns are on board,
Each weighing 18 tons,
705
00:33:53,087 --> 00:33:54,000
Four 10-inch guns are on board,
Each weighing 18 tons,
706
00:33:56,100 --> 00:34:00,600
Which are fired from
Two huge solid-iron gun turrets.
707
00:34:02,300 --> 00:34:03,600
Beauty of gun turrets
708
00:34:03,600 --> 00:34:07,200
Is that you can rotate them
Pretty much 360 degrees,
709
00:34:07,200 --> 00:34:10,067
So you can fire
In any direction.
710
00:34:10,067 --> 00:34:12,233
One at the front,
One at the back of the ship,
711
00:34:12,233 --> 00:34:13,633
You're good to go.
712
00:34:13,633 --> 00:34:16,967
You can maneuver your firepower
Wherever you need it
713
00:34:16,967 --> 00:34:18,900
Very, very quickly.
714
00:34:18,900 --> 00:34:21,533
For me,
That's a revolutionary time
715
00:34:21,533 --> 00:34:23,087
In the design of battleships
716
00:34:23,087 --> 00:34:23,400
In the design of battleships
717
00:34:23,400 --> 00:34:24,000
Because that design
With the two gun turrets,
718
00:34:25,700 --> 00:34:27,600
One each end of the ship,
719
00:34:27,600 --> 00:34:30,933
Lasted us then for --
Well, decades to come.
720
00:34:32,833 --> 00:34:34,867
Narrator:
But who built this warship?
721
00:34:34,867 --> 00:34:37,367
And why was it abandoned?
722
00:34:39,300 --> 00:34:42,700
In 1870,
The crown colonies of australia
723
00:34:42,700 --> 00:34:46,200
Are just under 100 years old.
724
00:34:46,200 --> 00:34:47,900
As a fledgling state
725
00:34:47,900 --> 00:34:50,733
Vying for its place
In the pacific ocean,
726
00:34:50,733 --> 00:34:53,087
Australia faces
An imminent threat
727
00:34:53,087 --> 00:34:53,733
Australia faces
An imminent threat
728
00:34:53,733 --> 00:34:54,000
From a far bigger
And more established country --
729
00:34:57,133 --> 00:34:58,767
Russia.
730
00:35:00,400 --> 00:35:04,667
In the late 1870s, the russians
Actually had two plans
731
00:35:04,667 --> 00:35:06,300
In case of war with britain.
732
00:35:06,300 --> 00:35:08,533
One was to attack singapore.
733
00:35:08,533 --> 00:35:11,133
The other was to attack
The australian ports.
734
00:35:11,133 --> 00:35:13,400
So they would have attacked
Sydney, melbourne,
735
00:35:13,400 --> 00:35:14,800
Then headed off and hid
736
00:35:14,800 --> 00:35:18,667
In the west coast ports
Of america, which were neutral.
737
00:35:18,667 --> 00:35:20,433
Narrator:
To defend its waters,
738
00:35:20,433 --> 00:35:22,300
The australian government
Commissions
739
00:35:22,300 --> 00:35:23,087
The most advanced warship
Of its time --
740
00:35:23,087 --> 00:35:24,000
The most advanced warship
Of its time --
741
00:35:25,833 --> 00:35:28,367
The hmvs cerberus.
742
00:35:29,633 --> 00:35:31,133
David:
The willingness of people
743
00:35:31,133 --> 00:35:32,900
In the state of victoria
In australia
744
00:35:32,900 --> 00:35:34,533
To put their hands
In their pockets
745
00:35:34,533 --> 00:35:36,533
To pay out for this warship
746
00:35:36,533 --> 00:35:38,867
To protect themselves
Against russian attack
747
00:35:38,867 --> 00:35:40,867
Sounds a bit nutty
On the surface,
748
00:35:40,867 --> 00:35:42,767
But actually,
There was a good reason
749
00:35:42,767 --> 00:35:45,433
Why they did that --
Because, in 1864,
750
00:35:45,433 --> 00:35:49,667
The times reported that
the russian pacificfleets
751
00:35:49,667 --> 00:35:50,933
Were very much a danger
752
00:35:50,933 --> 00:35:53,087
To shipping
Right across the pacific.
753
00:35:53,087 --> 00:35:53,633
To shipping
Right across the pacific.
754
00:35:53,633 --> 00:35:54,000
And therefore,
The purchase of the cerberus --
755
00:35:55,767 --> 00:35:58,633
Which was way ahead of its time
In terms of military technology,
756
00:35:58,633 --> 00:36:01,700
This ironclad
With quite powerful guns --
757
00:36:01,700 --> 00:36:03,833
Would have played
A very practical purpose
758
00:36:03,833 --> 00:36:05,333
To deter the russians.
759
00:36:06,967 --> 00:36:09,567
Narrator: will the world's
Most powerful warship
760
00:36:09,567 --> 00:36:12,367
Stem the looming threat
From russia?
761
00:36:12,367 --> 00:36:16,267
And why is the cerberus
Now underwater?
762
00:36:18,333 --> 00:36:19,000
*
763
00:36:23,733 --> 00:36:27,533
Narrator: on the eastern coast
Of australia is a sunken wreck
764
00:36:27,533 --> 00:36:29,467
That was once
At the cutting edge
765
00:36:29,467 --> 00:36:32,367
Of design and technology.
766
00:36:32,367 --> 00:36:35,500
Commissioned to defend
Against russian invasion
767
00:36:35,500 --> 00:36:38,900
And with two huge
Solid-iron gun turrets,
768
00:36:38,900 --> 00:36:43,933
Hmvs cerberus is one of the most
Formidable weapons ever built.
769
00:36:43,933 --> 00:36:46,567
It's the forerunner
Of some of the 20th century's
770
00:36:46,567 --> 00:36:48,242
Most powerful
And deadly battleships.
771
00:36:48,242 --> 00:36:49,000
Most powerful
And deadly battleships.
772
00:36:55,700 --> 00:36:57,167
The guns are
Absolutely enormous.
773
00:36:57,167 --> 00:36:58,667
You can see the scale
Of the figure here.
774
00:36:58,667 --> 00:37:00,267
They're about 18 tons each.
775
00:37:00,267 --> 00:37:01,467
Wow.
776
00:37:01,467 --> 00:37:05,600
About 20 men were inside this
In a wartime operation.
777
00:37:05,600 --> 00:37:08,067
Two guns from this turret
In the water on the other side
778
00:37:08,067 --> 00:37:11,200
And the two from the aft turret
On the seaboard.
779
00:37:11,200 --> 00:37:13,600
Amazing bit
Of artillery.
780
00:37:13,600 --> 00:37:17,800
Cerberus was the answer
To the american uss monitor,
781
00:37:17,800 --> 00:37:18,242
A great improvement
In that she had
782
00:37:18,242 --> 00:37:19,000
A great improvement
In that she had
783
00:37:19,600 --> 00:37:22,467
A central superstructure
Known as the breastwork.
784
00:37:22,467 --> 00:37:24,633
This enabled the turrets
To be raised
785
00:37:24,633 --> 00:37:27,233
Well out of the harm's way
Of water flooding them,
786
00:37:27,233 --> 00:37:30,067
Which is what had happened
To the uss monitor.
787
00:37:30,067 --> 00:37:31,933
One of the advantages
Cerberus had
788
00:37:31,933 --> 00:37:34,933
Was that she could take on
490 tons of water,
789
00:37:34,933 --> 00:37:39,067
Thereby lowering her profile
And being a smaller target.
790
00:37:39,067 --> 00:37:41,400
Bell: if you put yourself
In the shoes of a naval engineer
791
00:37:41,400 --> 00:37:43,067
In the mid-19th century,
792
00:37:43,067 --> 00:37:45,233
The challenges
You'd come up against
793
00:37:45,233 --> 00:37:47,067
Would probably seem
Almost endless.
794
00:37:47,067 --> 00:37:48,242
It's not just changing material
Of the hull from wood to iron.
795
00:37:48,242 --> 00:37:49,000
It's not just changing material
Of the hull from wood to iron.
796
00:37:51,467 --> 00:37:53,900
You've then got to think
About the armor.
797
00:37:53,900 --> 00:37:56,167
And as you change your armor
on your ships,
798
00:37:56,167 --> 00:37:59,100
Your opponents will be changing
their armor on their ships.
799
00:37:59,100 --> 00:38:01,767
So then you need to think
About your firepower.
800
00:38:01,767 --> 00:38:04,267
You need to be able
To pierce through their armor.
801
00:38:04,267 --> 00:38:06,800
That's a whole new way
Of thinking.
802
00:38:08,967 --> 00:38:13,133
Narrator: but australia faces
An even greater problem.
803
00:38:13,133 --> 00:38:17,100
The hmvs cerberus
Is made in great britain,
804
00:38:17,100 --> 00:38:18,242
And in 1870, getting this ship
To australia is no easy feat.
805
00:38:18,242 --> 00:38:19,000
And in 1870, getting this ship
To australia is no easy feat.
806
00:38:22,300 --> 00:38:24,100
This iron warship,
807
00:38:24,100 --> 00:38:27,667
Primarily designed
To patrol shoreline waters,
808
00:38:27,667 --> 00:38:32,133
Must sail
A whopping 10,000 miles.
809
00:38:32,133 --> 00:38:35,133
To get it there,
They actually took out the guns
810
00:38:35,133 --> 00:38:36,700
And shipped them over separately
811
00:38:36,700 --> 00:38:39,433
And filled the turrets
With coal --
812
00:38:39,433 --> 00:38:43,067
Coal in every available space
On this ship --
813
00:38:43,067 --> 00:38:46,500
To try and make sure
They had enough fuel
814
00:38:46,500 --> 00:38:48,242
To cover the 10,000 miles.
815
00:38:48,242 --> 00:38:49,000
To cover the 10,000 miles.
816
00:38:49,067 --> 00:38:51,833
But just in case
They didn't have enough,
817
00:38:51,833 --> 00:38:53,667
What did they have on board
818
00:38:53,667 --> 00:38:56,767
Just as a little bit
Of extra power?
819
00:38:56,767 --> 00:39:00,067
Masts and sails, reverting back
To old technology.
820
00:39:01,267 --> 00:39:04,667
Narrator: after nearly
Five grueling months at sea,
821
00:39:04,667 --> 00:39:08,433
The 10,000-ton cerberus
Makes the epic journey
822
00:39:08,433 --> 00:39:12,467
From england
To the far end of the world.
823
00:39:12,467 --> 00:39:17,833
But it just goes to show
How impressive this ship was
824
00:39:17,833 --> 00:39:18,242
And the engineers behind it.
825
00:39:18,242 --> 00:39:19,000
And the engineers behind it.
826
00:39:20,200 --> 00:39:22,733
The war and the battle
That they had to fight --
827
00:39:22,733 --> 00:39:27,067
not against a human enemy,but against a natural enemy --
828
00:39:27,067 --> 00:39:30,233
To get that ship that far,
829
00:39:30,233 --> 00:39:32,067
A ship
That was only really designed
830
00:39:32,067 --> 00:39:36,167
Ever to be 30, 40 miles away
From a coastline,
831
00:39:36,167 --> 00:39:37,867
It's an impressive feat.
832
00:39:39,533 --> 00:39:40,867
Narrator:
The australians hope
833
00:39:40,867 --> 00:39:44,867
This ironclad war-machine
Can defend its waters
834
00:39:44,867 --> 00:39:48,242
From the threat
Of the great russian navy.
835
00:39:48,242 --> 00:39:48,467
From the threat
Of the great russian navy.
836
00:39:48,467 --> 00:39:49,000
For 50 years,
837
00:39:50,067 --> 00:39:54,700
Hmvs cerberus valiantly guards
The australian shoreline.
838
00:39:54,700 --> 00:40:00,600
And perhaps not unironically,
The russians don't invade.
839
00:40:00,600 --> 00:40:03,800
Cerberus, like
The nuclear deterrent today,
840
00:40:03,800 --> 00:40:04,867
Worked very well.
841
00:40:04,867 --> 00:40:07,767
The russians never came,
Peace was preserved,
842
00:40:07,767 --> 00:40:10,500
Port phillip head
Was never bombarded.
843
00:40:10,500 --> 00:40:11,933
Bell: in her day,
844
00:40:11,933 --> 00:40:14,867
Cerberus was one of the most
Powerful warships out there.
845
00:40:14,867 --> 00:40:17,967
It could easily have taken care
Of her contemporaries.
846
00:40:17,967 --> 00:40:18,242
As it happened, she never
Had to fire her guns in anger
847
00:40:18,242 --> 00:40:19,000
As it happened, she never
Had to fire her guns in anger
848
00:40:21,500 --> 00:40:25,567
Because the pace of technology
Picked up so quickly,
849
00:40:25,567 --> 00:40:28,900
The design of battleships
Moved on enormously
850
00:40:28,900 --> 00:40:30,600
Within a couple of decades.
851
00:40:30,600 --> 00:40:34,267
You would never have got to
Where that naval technology went
852
00:40:34,267 --> 00:40:36,200
Without the design
And engineering
853
00:40:36,200 --> 00:40:39,600
That went into
Designing cerberus.
854
00:40:39,600 --> 00:40:41,467
She was part
Of that iterative process
855
00:40:41,467 --> 00:40:44,367
To get to
The world war I battleships.
856
00:40:44,367 --> 00:40:48,242
Narrator: by 1918, at the end
Of the first world war,
857
00:40:48,242 --> 00:40:48,733
Narrator: by 1918, at the end
Of the first world war,
858
00:40:48,733 --> 00:40:49,000
Cerberus has still never
Fired her guns in battle.
859
00:40:52,567 --> 00:40:57,400
As more advanced battleships
Emerge, she is no longer needed.
860
00:40:59,400 --> 00:41:01,067
So, what can you do
861
00:41:01,067 --> 00:41:05,267
With 10,000 tons
Of floating iron and steel?
862
00:41:05,267 --> 00:41:07,767
The australians sink it
863
00:41:07,767 --> 00:41:10,200
And turn it into
A coastal breakwater
864
00:41:10,200 --> 00:41:12,467
To protect the harbor.
865
00:41:12,467 --> 00:41:14,400
Smith: cerberus was lucky
That it survived
866
00:41:14,400 --> 00:41:16,200
Because it had been mothballed
867
00:41:16,200 --> 00:41:18,067
In the port of melbourne
For many years,
868
00:41:18,067 --> 00:41:18,242
And that saved it, really.
869
00:41:18,242 --> 00:41:19,000
And that saved it, really.
870
00:41:19,500 --> 00:41:21,100
And then the opportunity came
871
00:41:21,100 --> 00:41:24,333
To sink the vessel here
As a breakwater.
872
00:41:24,333 --> 00:41:25,900
The defender of the harbor
873
00:41:25,900 --> 00:41:28,633
Became the defender
Of the coastline.
874
00:41:28,633 --> 00:41:30,800
For me, cerberus is
So much more now
875
00:41:30,800 --> 00:41:34,700
Than a rustbucket
Being dumped out at sea.
876
00:41:34,700 --> 00:41:38,533
It marks the very start
Of victorian engineering
877
00:41:38,533 --> 00:41:42,100
And the industrial revolution
Being applied at sea
878
00:41:42,100 --> 00:41:44,700
In a military sense.
879
00:41:44,700 --> 00:41:47,467
All that knowledge
And skill and drive
880
00:41:47,467 --> 00:41:48,242
That the industrial revolution
Had on our shores,
881
00:41:48,242 --> 00:41:49,000
That the industrial revolution
Had on our shores,
882
00:41:49,700 --> 00:41:54,133
The metal-rolling,
Development of steam technology,
883
00:41:54,133 --> 00:41:55,467
All in one place
884
00:41:55,467 --> 00:41:59,700
That we ruled the waves with
For decades and decades to come.
885
00:41:59,700 --> 00:42:03,433
And cerberus, then, now,
Is a reminder of that.
71300
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