New Delhi: Over time, bridges have opened worldwide, and most of them are unique in their own way. One such bridge is the Brooklyn Bridge, a hybrid cable-stayed or suspension bridge. It was opened on May 24, 1883. This bridge was the first fixed crossing of the East River and, when it was opened, the longest suspension bridge in the world. Let us look at some unknown facts about the Brooklyn Bridge.
Brooklyn Bridge: Unknown facts
The Planning
In the early 1800s, proposals were suggested for a bridge between Brooklyn and New York (the then-separate cities). At that time, one could travel between them by several ferry lines. Several engineers presented many designs that were never built because of construction difficulties. Also, proposals for tunnels under the East River were made, but these were considered prohibitively expensive.
Major players behind the construction
Four major individuals are behind the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge, whose contributions have massively helped shape its history.
John Augustus Roebling: The German immigrant engineer envisioned the daring idea of building the Brooklyn Bridge. His expertise in suspension bridge design laid the foundation for what is now known as an architectural marvel.
William “Boss” Tweed: He used his political influence to get the funding needed to build the Brooklyn Bridge.
Washington Augustus Roebling: After an incident that prevented John Augustus Roebling from overseeing the bridge’s construction, his son, Washington Augustus Roebling, stepped in as Chief Engineer of the bridge. He understood the engineering complexity of the bridge, and his meticulous attention to detail and ability to come up with innovative solutions helped ensure the successful completion of the bridge.
Emily Warren Roebling: Washington’s wife was known as the silent heroine behind the scenes of the bridge’s construction. Emily played an important role in seeing the bridge’s construction through to completion when her husband’s health deteriorated.
Construction
The construction of the bridge took 14 years and cost $15 million. It was finally opened on May 24, 1883, and Manhattan and Brooklyn were finally connected. The construction took over 600 workers to transform 6,740 tonnes of the material into an iconic wonder. The bridge is supported by four cables, each 3,578 feet long, 15.5 inches thick and comprises 21,000 individual wires.
Construction of the bridge (Photo credit: Getty Images)
When the world got its longest suspension bridge
The Brooklyn Bridge was the first steel-wire suspension bridge. When it was built, its 1,595-foot main span made it the longest suspension bridge in the world. However, in 1903, the Williamsburg Bridge broke that record by 4.5 feet.
A curse?
Brooklyn Bridge’s construction took a human toll, and there are no exact numbers. But at least 20 people died building the architectural masterpiece. It started with John A Roebling, who died of tetanus after he crushed his foot and had to amputate his toes. Also, several workers fell off the bridge, were hit by debris, or had caisson disease.
Another tragedy happened after the bridge was opened. On Memorial Day in 1883, it is believed that there was some rumour that the bridge was about to fall, and a panic ensued. Around 12 people died on the stairways, while many others were injured.
Elephants to the rescue
As the stampede incident made many people wary, there was only one solution to ensure the public that the Brooklyn Bridge would not collapse. So, in 1884, Jumbo, a seven-tonne elephant, and 20 of his elephant friends left their circus tent and casually walked from Brooklyn to Manhattan. The parade of elephants across the Brooklyn Bridge was a proverbial walk in the park. People were happy, and the elephants had quite the story to tell.
Brooklyn Bridge, New York City (Photo credit: Getty Images)
Hidden treasure?
A shopping arcade was planned inside the bridge’s foundation on the Brooklyn side, but it did not work out well. The space was used for various art exhibitions before it was closed for security reasons in 2001. In 2006, city workers discovered a Cold War shelter in one of the vaults on the Manhattan Side of the bridge that was filled with medical supplies, blankets, and over 300,000 packs of expired crackers.
The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the greatest engineering marvels in the world and a must-see landmark when visiting New York. Let’s look at some of the interesting facts about the bridge, which took 14 years to build. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
