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essay on the brooklyn bridge
essay on the brooklyn bridge
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The Brooklyn Bridge
Over the East River in New York City stands the Brooklyn Bridge, connecting the Brooklyn and Manhattan boroughs. From end to end, the bridge spans 6,016 feet and weighs a heavy 14,680 tons. Ever since construction on the Brooklyn Bridge was completed in 1883, the bridge has offered a safe route with scenic views to tens of thousands of tourists and commuters who have traveled it via train, car, pushcart, and bicycle. The history behind the Brooklyn Bridge is definitely intriguing as well as important because many fatalities occurred in the construction process, including one which occurred before construction on the bridge even started. Also, a lot of workers, time and money were used in building the bridge. In addition,
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After Roebling’s success in bridging the Niagara Gorge using a web truss for stabilization, New York legislators granted Roebling permission to construct the world’s first steel suspension bridge, which would connect Manhattan and Brooklyn. Unfortunately, however, Roebling did not get to see his idea come to fruition. While taking final compass readings, some of Roebling's toes were smashed by a boat, leading to his contracting tetanus, from which he died three weeks later. After John Augustus Roebling's death, his son, Washington A. Roebling, who had collaborated with his father on many projects and had helped design the Brooklyn Bridge, took the project into his own hands, becoming “Chief Engineer of the Brooklyn Bridge”.
The
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For example, a blast of compressed air ruined a caisson, which slowed the process of building the bridge. Construction was also delayed by a weeks-long fire in one of the caissons. In addition, a cable became detached from its anchorage and fell into the East River, and there was a fraud involving a steel-wire contractor that required tons of cable to be
According to Wikipedia, Forty-six people were killed in the silver-bridge collapse and another nine people were injured. “The Silver Bridge was an eye-bar-chain suspension bridge built in 1928 and named for the color of its aluminum paint. The bridge connected Point Pleasant, West Virginia, and Gallipolis, Ohio, over the Ohio River” (Wikipedia). This was a highly used bridge serving thousands of cars a day before the collapse. “It was designed with a twenty-two foot roadway and one five-foot sidewalk” (Silver). The silver bridge was a very long bridge. “An eye-bar is a long steel plate having large circular ends with an "eye" or hole through which a
The Jericho Covered Bridge in Kingsville, Maryland was built in 1865 and restored in 1982. The bridge is 100 feet long and cased in cedar planks and timber beams. Legend has it that after the Civil War many lynchings occurred on the bridge. Passersby were supposedly captured on the bridge and hung from the upper rafters. The bridge is very close to my house and I have driven over it several times. The storyteller, age 19, also lives a couple minutes away from the bridge. He has lived in Kingsville, Maryland his entire life. He recalled a dramatic story he had heard from his older brother involving the haunted bridge.
On May 24, 1854, construction began of the Victoria Bridge. This was a difficult task for the workers given the size of the bridge (“almost two miles in length from shore to shore” ) was the largest construction project during this period of time. Moreover, the construction of the bridge did not cease during the winter months. Therefore, many of the workers on the bridge would continue even while the St-Lawrence River froze underneath their
The first and most challenging problem associated with building the Mackinac Bridge arrived long before the bridge was even designed. Financing such an enormous project was no easy feat. In 1928, the idea of connecting the upper and lower peninsulas was proposed to Congress for the first time (Brown 4). At the time, the suspected bridge project was very much under government scrutiny and control. In fact, the initial boost in interest in pursuing the construction of a bridge came about due to the depression. The Public Works Administration (PWA) had been created under President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal economic plan which would fund certain construction projects with th...
The concept for the Holland Tunnel was developed in 1906.1 In 1906, a coalition of the New York State and New Jersey Interstate Bridge and Tunnel Commission began studies for a bridge connecting lower Manhattan to Jersey City, New Jersey.2 By the end of World War I (1918), the number of cars and trucks on U.S. roads had skyrocketed. This trend did not differ in the streets of New York City.3 At this time the Hudson River ferries were carrying about 30 million vehicles each year (24,000 vehicles a day3) from New York to New Jersey. This had become a major problem for commuters and a solution was needed.2
In 1962, Hurricane Frieda blew across the property wreaking havoc, but the bridge stood unharmed. Recently in the winter of 2006, a 93,000pound, 9.4 meters, 300 year old Douglas fir tree fell on the western part of the bridge. The cables did not snap under the loading, but the bridge was closed for three months for renovations. During this time, the tree was removed from the bridge and testing was done. Also the supporting concrete on either side of the bridge was upgraded to 114tons (Capilano Suspension Bridge Park par.
Gender and Race play the most prominent role in the criminal justice system. As seen in the movie Central Park 5, five African American boys were charged with the rape of the a white women. In class decision we’ve discussed how the media explodes when it reports cross-racial crimes. The Central Park 5 were known everywhere and even terms were being made up during the process such as wilding. Also, during one of the class discussions it was brought up that victims of crime are of the same race of the perpetrator. However, the media likes to sensationalize crime of the victim being of a different race, because it makes for a good story. By doing this, the media does create more of a division of race. As seen in the video Donald Trump was trying
The Tacoma Narrows Bridge is perhaps the most notorious failure in the world of engineering. It collapsed on November 7, 1940 just months after its opening on July 1, 1940. It was designed by Leon Moisseiff and at its time it was the third largest suspension bridge in the world with a center span of over half a mile long. The bridge was very narrow and sleek giving it a look of grace, but this design made it very flexible in the wind. Nicknamed the "Galloping Gertie," because of its undulating behavior, the Tacoma Narrows Bridge drew the attention of motorists seeking a cheap thrill. Drivers felt that they were driving on a roller coaster, as they would disappear from sight in the trough of the wave. On the last day of the bridge's existence it gave fair warning that its destruction was eminent. Not only did it oscillate up and down, but twisted side to side in a cork screw motion. After hours of this violent motion with wind speeds reaching forty and fifty miles per hour, the bridge collapsed. With such a catastrophic failure, many people ask why such an apparently well thought out plan could have failed so badly?(This rhetorical question clearly sets up a position of inquiry-which iniates all research.) The reason for the collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge is still controversial, but three theories reveal the basis of an engineering explanation. (Jason then directly asserts what he found to be a possible answer to his question.)
On January 5, 1933, the construction of one of California's most impressive architectural achievements began. Over the next four years, the State of California built the golden gate bridge, which stands high in the San Francisco Bay. The bridge painted “international orange” contrasts with the deep blue of the sea. Today, the golden gate bridge stands as a symbol of freedom for many people seeking a new home in California. It has a rich past filled with many fascinating facts.
Fortunately the only loss of life was a dog since the man in the car escaped while unfortunately the dog wouldn't leave so there was no collateral damage from that on October 14, 1950 a new bridge was made to replace it and is currently the fifth largest bridge in the US but fortunately the collapse boosted research on bridge aerodynamics and on July 2007 a second bridge that ran parallel to the first was opened.
In December of 1967, a Highway bridge that connected Point Pleasant, West Virginia and Kanauga, Ohio collapsed into the Ohio River (Silver Bridge Collapse). When the failure occurred, all vehicles traveling fell with the bridge. With the outrageous number of fatalities and injuries, one of the most important transportation routes had been demolished (Silver Bridge Collapse). In 1928, The American Bridge Company designed the Silver Bridge as a two-lane eye-bar suspension bridge. It measured at 2,235 feet in length and was specifically structured by the American Society of Civil Engineers (Silver Bridge Collapse). The bridge was named the “Silver Bridge” because it was the first aluminum painted bridge in the nation. It was designed with a twenty-two-foot roadway and one five-foot sidewalk (Silver Bridge Collapse). The Silver Bridge was also the very first eye-bar suspension bridge built In the United States.
In the winter of 1852, John Roebling and his 15 year-old son, Washington were riding a ferry boat across the East River from New York to Brooklyn. John Roebling was an engineer. His specialty was building bridges. As he looked across the East River, he could picture the bridge he wanted there. For years after that, John tried to convince people that his plan for a bridge across the East River was a good one. But most people thought it was nearly impossible to bridge the wide and powerful river. John knew it would be difficult. There were many problems to be solved. The bridge would have to be strong enough to withstand the swift currents and powerful winds of the East River. It could not get in the way of the hundreds of boats that traveled on the river every day. It had to be so high that the masts of tall sailing ships could easily pass under it. And it had to be long. The East River was nearly half a mile wide at that point. But John also knew about a type of bridge that could solve all the problems. It was called a suspension bridge.
The Brooklyn Bridge is a world-famous spectacle that is regarded by some as “the nineteenth century’s most important and defining work of engineering, and, equally, the world’s most famous and beloved span” (Haw, 3). In his book The Brooklyn Bridge: A Cultural History, Richard Haw writes about the two relatively distinct identities that the Brooklyn Bridge inhabits, and in turn, how imagination and perception have affected its admiration. Haw describes the bridge by saying, “As [it’s] physical construction began in 1869, a parallel process of cultural construction was also initiated… [Resulting] in two quite distinct Brooklyn Bridges…the physical bridge that stands astride the East River…and the cultural bridge of the mind and imagination” (Haw, 7). While the bridge was first built in order to ease the commute from Brooklyn to Manhattan, it initially epitomized the technological advancements that the United States had made during the Second Industrial Revolution and thus, its beauty was purely physical. It was not until the bridge’s centennial, however, that Americans became aware of the bridge’s everlasting presence in their lives, and its beauty was manifested in what it has come to represent- the essence of American culture. The bridge had become a source of inspiration for Americans and instilled pride within every American who saw the bridge as a preeminent symbol of national pride and the achievement of the American Dream. ADD MORE ABOUT BEAUTY
When you ask people around the world “Which bridge is the most famous?” most of their answers will certainly be “Golden Gate Bridge, Brooklyn Bridge or Bosphorus Bridge”. It can be explained why these are famous as the following sentences. These bridges are known most by people because of TV and cinema. Directors have noticed the beauties of these bridges and they wanted to use them in their movies and TV series. They are definitely right these bridges are engineering marvel. They are designed perfectly maybe that is the most efficient reason why they want to ornament their TV series or movies with these perfect designs. In here it is going to explained how these bridges was built, how engineers designed them and how they are still survived and famous.
For this bridge its fall was inflicted by an unknown patron. One who’s identity or existence we never see verified. The record of the fall is short in the story described as only being for a moment. Then the bridge was finally introduced to “the sharp rocks which had always gazed up at me so peacefully from the rushing water”. Rocks gazing peacefully? This is almost as absurd as a bridge turning around. An action that the bridge itself cannot seem to believe it is doing. This attempt by the bridge was his final effort before his fall. I cannot even picture how a bridge would turn around and attempt to look on his back. The question that comes to my mind is how can a bridge see what’s on his back? If this book is trying to make us believe that this bridge is a human, or has human like qualities. Then how flexible a person is this bridge? Because I know very few people who can see whats on their back. Especially without turning so much that anything on their back would fall off. So is this bridge so inflexible that it breaks itself by turning around or is it trying to buck off its attacker unintentionally? This answer is never answered due to the story ending shortly thereafter this scene. With the short fall of the bridge onto the sharp rocks it had stared at for the entirety of its life. The events before and during the fall of the bridge was the main issue I had with my thesis that the bridge was