Building the Bridge

The late historian David McCullough built an impressive career writing big books about big people (John Adams and Harry Truman), big events (the American Revolution and the Johnstown Flood) ) and big structures (the Panama Canal). His early book The Great Bridge (1972) helped established the pattern.

Nearly 150 years after it was completed, the Brooklyn Bridge still stands, still fills a necessary purpose and still impresses everyone who sees it. 

The suspension bridge was the brainchild of John Roebling, an engineer who built bridges and who also owned a wire business, wire being essential for the construction of suspension bridges. For many years he was credited by many with building the great bridge over the East River, connecting Brooklyn with New York City. Yet he died while the bridge was still in its early stages, and the actual construction was supervised by his son, Washington Roebling, a Civil War hero.

Yet Washington was himself absent during most of the bridge construction because of a disabling injury caused by the bends. He, like many of his workers, came to the surface too quickly from a caisson deep under the river. He supervised the construction from his bed, his gifted wife Emily learning about bridge engineering at his bedside and passing down instructions to supervisors.

The chief engineer's absence did not become controversial until late in the construction when there was an unsuccessful attempt to oust him. Other controversies, however, had a bigger impact. The project became involved in political corruption because of Boss Tweed and others. Because it was thought the Roebling wire company should not supply the wire for the bridge, the contract went to a supplier who substituted inferior wire for the specified wire after it was inspected and approved. The bridge cost much more than estimated, not only because the graft. And, of course, some people didn't approve of Emily Roebling's prominence in the project.

Men died during the construction, and later people died jumping from the bridge.

Yet the bridge was eventually completed and opened in 1883 to a massive celebration.

McCullough may tell you more about bridge-building than you really want to know, yet his book also tells a fascinating human story.