When EmiÂly RoeÂbling walked across the BrookÂlyn Bridge on May 24th, 1883, the first perÂson to cross its entire span, she capped a famÂiÂly saga equal parts triÂumph and tragedy, a stoÂry that began sixÂteen years earÂliÂer when her father-in-law, GerÂman-AmerÂiÂcan engiÂneer John AugusÂtus RoeÂbling, began design work on the bridge. RoeÂbling had already built susÂpenÂsion bridges over the MononÂgaÂhela RivÂer in PittsÂburgh, the NiaÂgara RivÂer between New York and CanaÂda, and over the Ohio RivÂer between CincinÂnati and CovÂingÂton, KenÂtucky. But the bridge over the East RivÂer was to be someÂthing else entireÂly. As RoeÂbling himÂself said, it “will not only be the greatÂest bridge in exisÂtence, but it will be the greatÂest engiÂneerÂing work of the conÂtiÂnent, and of the age.”
New York City offiÂcials may have had litÂtle reaÂson to think so in the mid-1860s. “SusÂpenÂsion bridges were colÂlapsÂing all across Europe,” notes the TED-Ed video above by Alex Gendler. “Their indusÂtriÂal cables frayed durÂing turÂbuÂlent weathÂer and snapped under the weight of their decks.” But the overÂcrowdÂing city needÂed relief. An “East RivÂer Bridge Project” had been in the works since 1829 and was seen as more necÂesÂsary with each passÂing decade. Despite their misÂgivÂings, the authorÂiÂties were willÂing to trust RoeÂbling with a hybrid design that comÂbined methÂods used by both susÂpenÂsion and cable-stayed bridges. Two years latÂer, he was dead, the result of a tetanus infecÂtion conÂtractÂed after he lost sevÂerÂal toes in a dock acciÂdent.
Roebling’s son WashÂingÂton, a civÂil engiÂneer who had fought for the Union Army at the BatÂtle of GetÂtysÂburg, took over the project, only to sufÂfer from paralÂyÂsis after he got the bends while trapped inside a caisÂson in 1870. For the remainÂder of the bridge’s conÂstrucÂtion, he would advise from his bedÂroom, relayÂing instrucÂtions through his wife Emily—who became after a time the bridge’s de facÂto chief engiÂneer. She “studÂied mathÂeÂmatÂics, the calÂcuÂlaÂtions of cateÂnary curves, strengths of mateÂriÂals and the intriÂcaÂcies of cable conÂstrucÂtion,” writes EmiÂly Nonko at 6sqft. She knew the bridge so well that “many were under the impresÂsion she was the real designÂer.”
“1.5 times longer than any preÂviÂousÂly built susÂpenÂsion bridge,” the video lesÂson notes, Roebling’s design worked because it used steel cables instead of hemp, with towÂers risÂing over 90 meters (295 feet) above sea levÂel. This is almost three times highÂer than ediÂtors at the New York MirÂror proÂjectÂed in 1829, when they called the brand new “East RivÂer Bridge Project” an “absurd and ruinous” propoÂsiÂtion. “Who would mount over such a strucÂture, when a pasÂsage could be effectÂed in a much shortÂer time, and that, too, withÂout exerÂtion or trouÂble, in a safe and well-shelÂtered steamÂboat?”
Just six days after EmiÂly RoeÂbling crossed the newÂly opened BrookÂlyn Bridge, a stamÂpede killed twelve peoÂple, and months latÂer, P.T. BarÂnum led 21 eleÂphants over the bridge to prove its safeÂty. Who would cross such a strucÂture? It turned out, for betÂter or worse, anyÂone and everyÂone would driÂve, walk, run, subÂway, bike, scoot, climb up, leap from, and othÂerÂwise “mount over” the East RivÂer by way of the neo-gothÂic wonÂder (and latÂer its much ugliÂer sibÂling, the ManÂhatÂtan Bridge). Learn much more in the short lesÂson above how John A. Roebling’s bomÂbasÂtic claims about his design were not far off the mark, and why the BrookÂlyn Bridge is one of the greatÂest engiÂneerÂing feats in modÂern hisÂtoÂry.
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
A MesÂmerÂizÂing Trip Across the BrookÂlyn Bridge: Watch Footage from 1899
An Online Gallery of Over 900,000 BreathÂtakÂing PhoÂtos of HisÂtoric New York City
ImmacÂuÂlateÂly Restored Film Lets You RevisÂit Life in New York City in 1911
Josh Jones is a writer and musiÂcian based in Durham, NC. FolÂlow him at @jdmagness
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