questiokns asked about the brookly bridge

Washington, who was in charge after his father died, was bedridden due to his illness and had to lead the construction without physically being there. Numerous workers fell off the bridge, were hit by debris or got caisson disease – a decompression sickness that paralyzed the workers, including Washington Roebling, the son of the bridge’s designer. Roebling, who crushed his foot and had to amputate his toes, which lead to him dying of tetanus shortly after. The construction of the Brooklyn Bridge took its (human) toll – there are no exact numbers, but at least 20 people died building the architectural masterpiece. In 1903, the neighboring Williamsburg Bridge broke that record by 4.5 feet. The Brooklyn Bridge was the first steel-wire suspension bridge, and at the time it was built, its 1,595 (486m) feet main span made it the the longest suspension bridge in the world. The bridge is supported by four cables, each 3578 feet (1090 m) long, 15.5 inches (40 cm) thick, and made up of 21,000 individual wires. It took over 600 workers to transform 6,740 tons of material into the iconic wonder of the Industrial Revolution.

14 years and 600 workersĪfter 14 years of construction that cost $15 million, the Brooklyn Bridge was opened in 1883 – and Manhattan and Brooklyn were finally connected. The Brooklyn Bridge is not only one of the engineering marvels of the 19th century and a must-see/must-photograph spot when visiting New York – it’s also up next in our series on fun landmark facts to impress, delight, and win trivia night with.

Questiokns asked about the brookly bridge