There are many bridges connecting the various
boroughs of New York City to adjacent communities - so why is the Brooklyn Bridge which only connects Manhattan and Brooklyn over the narrow East River the world famous one? "Hey, want to by a bridge? Cheap?"
Chief Engineer of the Brooklyn Bridge Project, John A. Roebling, died before actual construction even began. His son, Washington Roebling, assumed the responsibilities. The Brooklyn Bridge, then the longest suspension bridge ever built, was a bridge of many firsts: first to use steel cable for suspension, first to use pneumatic
caissons (gigantic 'barrels used to keep the water out while building the bridge supports); first to use explosives within the
caissons... |
The Brooklyn Bridge was plagued with many other misfortunes. A premature blast wrecked one of the caissons. Then a fire damaged the other. One of the main suspension cables came loose from its mooring on shore and wound up in the East River. Even its supervising engineer, Washington Roebling, was afflicted with the Bends due to overstaying his
allotted time in a caisson early in the project. He directed the project from his bedroom window (using a telescope).
In its century-plus of use, the Brooklyn Bridge has been featured in countless movies, the center of attraction in many events - would you believe a "beer run"?
For an interesting
recap of the events and statistics of this bridge, see: BBridgeFacts
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