URBANIZATION- Brooklyn Bridge

US HISTORY RESEARCH: URBANIZATION

Sean Davis

The Brooklyn Bridge

New York City View (at night)

Known as the eighth wonder of the world, the Brooklyn Bridge is a significant icon and symbol of the late 19th century's innovation and progress. It was perhaps the greatest engineering feat of its time, it was unlike anything Americans had ever seen before. The bridge connects New York and Brooklyn over the East River. Cities were developing new techniques of road and bridge designs. The completion of the Brooklyn Bridge was one of the great technological marvels of the 1800s, a dramatic steel-cable suspension span designed by John A. Roebling.

Map of Brooklyn Bridge connecting Manhattan and Brooklyn

In 1870, the population of New York was 1.5 million people, about one tenth of the Brooklyn Population commuted to New York and back for their work. Before the creation of the Bridge, linking the two of the most central parts of NY, people used ferry boats to traverse. This form of transportation took an extremely long time as well as  a very uncertain chance of working, ice in the water would often delay or interrupt travel.

Brooklyn Bridge at sunrise on Brooklyn side

  Urban Growth posed monumental transportation challenges in New York. Not only did the condition of the streets impending urban transportation, the vast number of people that traveled from one section to another was a bigger problem. This mandated the development of mass transportation. Mass transportation was dealt with by general public forms of group travel systems. With the thought of automobiles sparking attention, a bridge between New York and Brooklyn sounded better every year.

Initial Construction of the Brooklyn Bridge

  The creator of the Brooklyn Bridge, a German designer named John Augustus Roelding. Known as a "great pioneer" in the design of steel suspension bridges. On April 14th 1860, Roebling outlined his project for a bridge in "The Architects' and Mechanics' Journal". Its construction was set in motion in a congressional enactment in favor of the bridge on March 2nd, 1869. Before construction, Roebling was fatally injured while taking compass readings across the East River when a boat smashed the toes of his foot leading to his death 3 weeks later of tetenus: a serious bacterial infection that causes painful muscle spasms. The Bridges construction started soon after on January 3rd, 1870. 

Brooklyn Bridge at Mid-Point in Construction

  Roelding's son, Washington Roebling took over construction as the chief engineer. The workers were named sand hogs. Sand hogs were usually made up of immigrants earning 2 dollars a day. They used shovels and tnt to clear the bottom of the river to lay down granite. When underwater, the workers were incredibly uncomfortable, with hot dense air giving them blinding headaches, itchy skin, bloody noses and slowed heart rates. The workers used small iron containers as airlocks to breath underwater. Overall, the construction took 14 years, involving over 600 workers and cost 15 million dollars (equal to aproxamently 320 mil today). Twelve workers were killed and twenty six were wounded in the making of the Bridge.

  The Bridge was finished on May 24th, 1883. The opening of the Brooklyn Bridge is an event of National importance, as the idea of the bridge was long deemed impossible. Yet it was accomplished after 14 years of industrious labor.  The Bridge was one of the first roadway bridges in the US at a length of 5,989 ft and 275ft above the water. Its Granite towers and steel cables offered a safe and scenic passage to millions of commuters and tourists during the age of Urbanization truly making it the 8th wonder of the world. 

Walking Path on the Brooklyn Bridge

Sources:
1. “Brooklyn Bridge” - ABC CLIO
-Article from ABC Clio, defined general basis for the need of the Brooklyn Bridge
2. Historic American Newspapers (16 June 1883)
-News Report the Day the Brooklyn Bridge became open to the public
3. CH 18 American History: A Survey p. 508
-Talks about Urban Growth and how people commute through the bridge (1800s)
4. “Brooklyn Bridge.” - History
-Important Facts and Information on the Brooklyn Bridge
5. “Brooklyn Bridge (1883)”
-Information on Bridges generalized
6. PBS “The Brooklyn Bridge.” by Ken Burns
-PBS information on the Brooklyn Bridge (Mr. Raiford showed this to me)
7. “How Do They Do It?” - Brooklyn Bridge.
-Modern Marvels Video (Mr. Raiford showed this to me)