Brooklyn Bridge opened on May 24, 1883. It is one of the most famous landmarks in New York and connected Manhattan with Brooklyn for the first time. Before the bridge Brooklyn was not a part of New York. The total length of this bridge is 5,989 feet, width 85 feet and height above mean water is 276.5 feet.
John Augustus Roebling designed this suspension bridge. This bridge transports 120,000 vehicles and pedestrians every day. It remained the longest suspension bridge in the world until 1903.
Brooklyn Bridge Facts For Kids
- Opened in 1883.
- Connects Manhattan, Brooklyn.
- Iconic New York landmark.
- Steel suspension bridge.
- John Roebling’s design.
- Overcame engineering challenges.
- Used for cars, and pedestrians.
- Offers stunning city views.
- Historic, cultural symbol.
- Endures as a tourist attraction.
Design
The Brooklyn Bridge is a unique combination of suspension and cable-stayed bridge designs, with towers made of limestone, granite, and Rosendale cement. The limestone was sourced from the Clark Quarry in Essex County, New York, while the granite blocks were quarried and shaped on Vinalhaven Island, Maine.
The bridge’s anchorages were built with multiple passageways and compartments, which were rented out by New York City to generate funds for the bridge. These vaults were used to store wine and were always kept at a temperature of 60 °F (16 °C). One cellar, visited by New York magazine in 1978, had a fading inscription on the wall that read: “Who loveth not wine, women and song, he remaineth a fool his whole life long.”
Construction
The construction of the bridge began in 1869 with German immigrant John Augustus Roebling as the designer. Despite facing challenges and setbacks, including Roebling’s own injury and subsequent death, the project continued under the supervision of his son Washington Roebling. The bridge’s two towers were built using caissons, which were sunk into the riverbed with the help of compressed air.
However, this method led to workers falling ill with a condition known as caisson disease. Washington Roebling, who also suffered from decompression sickness, oversaw the project from his apartment, with the assistance of his wife Emily Warren Roebling.
The construction process and the story behind the Brooklyn Bridge have been documented in various sources, such as the book “The Great Bridge” by David McCullough and the PBS documentary “Brooklyn Bridge” by Ken Burns.
Opening
The Brooklyn Bridge, originally called the New York and Brooklyn Bridge, opened on May 24, 1883. President Chester A. Arthur and Mayor Franklin Edson crossed the bridge to celebratory cannon fire and were greeted by Brooklyn Mayor Seth Low.
Emily Warren Roebling was the first to cross the bridge. The bridge’s main span is 1,595 feet 6 inches long. It cost $15.5 million to build and 27 people died during construction. The bridge is a treasured landmark and is floodlit at night. The bridge’s design is neo-Gothic with pointed arches.
The paint scheme is Brooklyn Bridge Tan and Silver. The bridge’s truss system is six times stronger than necessary, which is why it still stands today. The bridge also has diagonal cables for added beauty, although they are unnecessary for support.
Cultural significance
A bronze plaque is attached to one of the bridge’s anchorages, which was built on a property occupied by a mansion, the Osgood House, at 1 Cherry Street in Manhattan. It served as the first Presidential Mansion, housing George Washington, his family, and household staff from April 23, 1789 to February 23, 1790, when New York City was the national capital.
Its owner, Samuel Osgood, a Massachusetts politician and lawyer, married Maria Bowne Franklin, widow of Walter Franklin, the New York merchant who built it in 1770. Washington occupied the structure a week before his 1789 inauguration as the first President of the United States. In addition to living quarters, the Osgood House contained the President’s private office and the public business office, making it the first seat of the executive branch of the federal government.
Love locks are a practice where a couple inscribes a date and their initials onto a lock, attaches it to the bridge, and throws the key into the water as a sign of their everlasting love. The origin of this practice is unknown, but it is more popular in Europe, where more than 20 countries have at least one city with a similar location. It has caused damage to certain bridges and is officially illegal in New York City. Workers periodically remove the love locks from the bridge.
Quick Facts
- On Memorial Day, a week after the opening of bridge, a panic started over a rumor that it was about to collapse. There were 20,000 people on the bridge and 12 were crushed to death.
- It took approximately 14 years, the labor of 600 men and over $15 million to construct the bridge.
- Designer of the bridge, John Augustus Roebling wouldn’t live to see its completion. He passed away in July 1969 due to tetanus caused after an accident.
- His son, Washington Roebling took over after his death.
- Emily Warren Roebling, wife of Washington Roebling steeped in when he fell ill. She was known as the ‘first women field engineer’.
- It was the world’s first steel-wire suspension bridge. John Roebling is credited with steel-wire innovation into bridge design.
- On the opening day, 1800 vehicles crossed the bridge.
- An entrepreneurial showman P.T. Barnum took 21 elephants over the bridge in May 1884 to convince commuters about its safety.
- The total length of wire used in the bridge is more than 14,000 miles. Every cable is made up of 19 strands and each strand has 278 separate wires.
- The bridge rises about 3 inches if the weather is too cold.