Brooklyn Bridge is, of course, the hallmark of New York. Despite the fact that there are hundreds of attractions in the metropolis, this place has won the greatest love and the number of fans. His image is replete with every second American film, and the majesty and beauty are amazing. Let's get acquainted with this proud "old man" - Brooklyn Bridge.
Description
An amazing building is located in North America, in the city of New York. It was opened in 1883. The length of the Brooklyn Bridge is nearly 2 km, or to be more precise - 1825 m. For a long time it was the longest bridge in New York and one of the longest mounted structures in the world. An amazing feature - it was built from steel cables, and he became a pioneer in such technologies.
The height of the Brooklyn Bridge is 41 m. This is exactly the same as its neighbors - the Manhattan and Williamsburg bridges. The main span is 486.3 m long. Built in neo-Gothic style.
In 1964, the bridge became a National Historic Landmark, as evidenced by a direct entry in the state register. This is a very popular holiday destination for residents and tourist pilgrimages for visitors. Thanks to the reverent attitude of Hollywood directors, who show it in paintings in all its glory, the bridge has become the favorite symbol of New York.
What connects
The Brooklyn Bridge is located on the East River and combines two large areas of the city - Manhattan and Brooklyn.
Manhattan is not just one of the most important areas of the entire United States, it is the heart of America. On a small island, the whole life of the metropolis and the whole country is located. Here are the offices of the most significant companies and stock exchanges, the most interesting sights, hundreds of theaters, museums, exhibitions. A small piece of land is home to 1.6 million residents.
At the beginning of the 19th century, Manhattan and Brooklyn were two separate cities. Unlike a city that never sleeps, Brooklyn has always been considered the sleeping area of the center. The population here has always lived more, but the bustle was replaced by calm and the pacification of family idyll. Brooklyn has always been called the "miniature globe." This is not surprising, because on a small island called Long Island, representatives of all kinds of nationalities gathered: Russians, Jews, Chinese, Arabs, Indians, and many others. The Russian quarter described in one of the Soviet films is called Brighton Beach.
Construction history
The tragic fate of its creator, John Rebling, is connected with the beginning of the construction of the bridge. He was a German engineer, bridge builder, who first proposed using steel cables instead of cast iron, which will be stronger and more reliable. When he proposed his project, the government immediately approved it. In 1869, John Rebling worked hard on creating a drawing and took control measurements. One day, while staying on a boat, he got carried away and did not notice how close the ferry came. His leg was accidentally sandwiched between the vessels so much that it crushed the bones. As a result of blood poisoning, gangrene began to develop, and the foot had to be amputated. But this did not save the engineer. A few months later he died in a coma from tetanus.
But the story of the Brooklyn Bridge continued. And John’s son, Washington Rebling, got down to work. He helped his father in everything and was no less talented specialist.
Difficulties of the first stage
The giant bridge stands on several piers. But how to fix them under water at the end of the 19th century, without modern technology? It was extremely difficult. To solve this problem, Washington Rebling suggested that the workers go down under the water through giant wooden crates reinforced with granite. Inside, water was pumped out and compressed air was supplied so that you could breathe. At the bottom, work was done on digging and digging the channel. After the preparatory phase, when the workers climbed to a solid rock, it was undermined and piles were inserted, which became a support.
The danger came from where they had not expected it. Work under water at high air pressure led to the fact that workers complained of wild pain in the joints, vomiting, convulsions. Later, this ailment will be called a caisson disease. In the meantime, construction was underway, hundreds of men suffered. Five died. Washington didn’t pass the trouble either. Having survived two attacks of caisson disease, he was paralyzed and now could only watch from a distance from the construction process.
The woman who saved the building
New York shuddered. Is the greatest building of its time and will remain unfinished? Already the two chief engineers bowed their heads in front of her. But the situation was saved by Washington's wife Emily Rebling. She was a very strong-willed and talented girl. From the very beginning of the construction, she was interested in the work of her husband and was dedicated in every detail. When her husband fell ill, she came to the site and gave his instructions to the workers. Soon everyone began to consider her their boss.
Thanks to Emily Brooklyn Bridge was completed in 1883. It was built for a long 14 years, of which 11, in fact, the head was a woman.
Opening
Solemn event took place on May 24. This day was declared a weekend in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Hundreds of thousands of people came to see the greatest creation of New York. An orchestra played on the bridge all day; in the evening, a grandiose firework was arranged. All dignitaries, priests, city leaders, and even the president of the United States attended the event. Emily Rebling, along with the president, was one of the first to cross the bridge on a horse.
On that day, more than 150 thousand people walked across the bridge. Passed 2 thousand vehicles. Today, the traffic flow of the Brooklyn Bridge is 150 thousand cars daily.
Elephants on the bridge
Just a few days after the opening, another tragedy occurred. People actively used the innovation and wondered how a structure hanging above the water can support the weight of hundreds of carriages, horses and citizens at the same time. At that time it was fantastic. By chance, on May 30, 1883, one woman stumbled and fell. A nearby "joker", frightened, shouted that the bridge was collapsing. People in a panic began to run to the shore. As a result of a stampede, 12 people died, 36 were seriously injured.
City officials decided to reassure residents in a very unusual way. They invited the famous circus company Barnum & Bailey to help realize their goals and to certify the safety of the Brooklyn Bridge. New York loved the circus. Especially favorite was the jumbo elephant. And so, on May 17, 1884, “Barnum” brought to the bridge all its wards: twenty-one elephants, 17 camels and, of course, Jumbo's favorite, who closed the procession. The group easily crossed the bridge back and forth, convincing people of the strength of the structure.
Diving
The largest number of jumps from the bridge was made by the French daredevil Thierry Devo. He jumped from a bungee 8 times. But he was not a pioneer. Before him, a tragic maneuver was made by Professor Robert Emmett Odlum. His goal was to prove to people that jumping from burning houses could save lives. He already had several jumps from other bridges in New York. But on this day, everything went wrong. In flight, Emmett turned so that he fell flat on the water and hit very hard. His friend, who had insured downstairs on the boat, had picked up a professor, but it was no longer possible to save him. The ribs were damaged from the blow and the internal organs were torn. So the Brooklyn Bridge claimed another life.
Secret shelter
During the Cold War, all of America was concerned about the attack of the Soviet Union. Bunkers were built in the country and strategic stockpiles were deposited. They found out about the availability of shelter under the Brooklyn Bridge in the early 2000s, when workers carried out scheduled repairs. They accidentally discovered a secret door leading to a small room full of food and warm clothes.
In the 60s of the 20th century, paranoia was not only among people, but also among the government. They were not able to think sensibly. After all, if indeed an atomic or hydrogen bomb had fallen on New York, then everything would be demolished overnight and no one would have time to run to the bunkers.
Wine cellars
Another of the secret places of the underwater part of the bridge is the room where wine is stored. The cellar with alcoholic drinks was also found quite by accident 50 years after the date of manufacture on the bottles. Obviously, in this way, the authorities wanted to recoup the construction costs and leased the premises to merchants.
By the way, this was not the only way to profit. At the beginning of the 20th century, a small wagon transporting people across the East River cruised over the bridge. The fare was 5 cents and took 5 minutes. Walking the bridge on your own was much cheaper - for 1 penny. On a horse - 5 pennies. And if there was a cart or a carriage - then as much as 10 pennies! The price was also affected by livestock size. With a cow for a walk - 5 cents, with a sheep or a dog - 2 cents.
Ingenious scam
The Brooklyn Bridge (New York) has the largest financial scam. She was brilliant and simple. One con man named George Parker was selling the ownership of the bridge to gullible tourists. And it was very popular. People from other countries considered America to be a country of unlimited possibilities. A tempting offer to own a whole bridge could not be ignored. For a moderate fee, they received a bright piece of paper, which testified to the fact that this person became the new owner. The police had more work: 2-3 times a week cranks appeared, demanding either to repaint, then rebuild the bridge or change the price for crossing it.
George Parker sold not only the Brooklyn Bridge. Documents for the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, and the Metropolitan Museum of Demand were in demand. After these events, the persistent expression “sell the Brooklyn Bridge” appeared in American speech, which means tricking a gullible person.
