3. The Brooklyn Bridge is also known as the East River Bridge or the New York and Brooklyn Bridge. During construction, the bridge was named the “Hudson River Bridge” or “Fort Lee Bridge.” The Port Authority of New York, who commissioned its construction and manages it, wanted to avoid contested names such as the Brooklyn Bridge or Manhattan Bridge , … Brooklyn Bridge. The bridge quickly became a cultural sensation. 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 HAS GONE BY SEVERAL NAMES. The bridge took 14 years to build, and the project used 600 workers. The span was originally called the New York and Brooklyn Bridge or the East River Bridge but was officially renamed the Brooklyn Bridge in 1915. Prior to the merger, it was the fourth most populous city in the country—behind only New York, Chicago and Philadelphia—with loads of manufacturing jobs, many churches, relatively low crime and good schools. CTRL + SPACE for auto-complete. You can find the depiction of this borough in various pictures, cinema, and literature. Local police were called to remove several “owners” who were attempting to build toll booths on the busy bridge. Many jumpers have since survived their leaps, including one man trying to impress his girlfriend and one who wore a pair of canvas wings. Before the bridge, the only way to travel was by a ferry and so the two mayors decided upon building a … As of 2018, an average of over 116,000 vehicles, 30,000 pedestrians and 3,000 cyclists travel over the Brooklyn Bridge each day. The opening of the bridge helped to transform Brooklyn from a rural region to one of the busiest urban neighborhoods in the world. That’s quite an increase from the 21 elephants that P.T. The GPS Coordinates for the Brooklyn Bridge are 40.7057°N 73.9964°W. Bridge Facts George C. 2. The bridge is supported using four cables that are 3,570 feet long and 15.5 inches thick. The wire’s quality went unnoticed until after it had been used in parts of the bridge. Surprisingly, people fell for the scam, and Parker sold the Brooklyn Bridge many times over the years. The present name dates back to 1915, when it … A bomb shelter was discovered beneath the Brooklyn Bridge as recently as 2006. It remained that way until 1903, when the nearby Williamsburg Bridge overtook it by 4.5 feet. Huge crowds gathered on May 24, 1883, to watch the bridge’s opening ceremony, which The New York Times described, in reference to Brooklyn, as “the greatest gala day in the history of that moral suburb.” President Chester A. Arthur, New York Governor (and future president) Grover Cleveland and various local politicians marched onto the bridge, accompanied by a military band and an attachment of troops. Yes, George Washington really slept here during the first 10 months of his fledgling presidency. The supplies uncovered include 352,000 packs of crackers, water drums, blankets and medical supplies. [3], 16. Es brauchte mehr als 600 Arbeiter, um 6.740 Tonnen an Material in dieses kunstvolle Bauwerk der industriellen Revolution zu verwandeln. Other stuntmen have flown planes under the bridge and bungee jumped from or climbed its towers. The granite vaults, cooled by the East River, were 50 feet tall. 3. William M. “Boss” Tweed, the infamously corrupt head of New York City’s Tammany Hall political machine, latched on to the Brooklyn Bridge project from the very beginning. Many Irish boycotted the ceremony because it coincided with the birthday of British monarch Queen Victoria. On May 17, 1884, he marched his elephants across the bridge as a publicity stunt for his circus, which was operating at a showground at the intersection of Fulton and Tompkins Avenues. The Bridge Was Built Thanks to Generous Bribes. The Brooklyn Bridge is a vital part of Brooklyn's history as well as its future. At least 20 people died during the bridge’s construction.. The resulting panic caused 12 deaths and 36 or more serious injuries. A brilliant feat of 19th-century engineering, the Brooklyn Bridge was the first bridge to use steel for cable wire, and during its construction explosives were used inside a pneumatic caisson for the first time. Here are 5+ interesting Brooklyn Bridge facts to know: 1. [1], 2. The bridge's total length is 6,855 ft (2,089 m). At the time, it was the longest suspension bridge. The cache was discovered during a structural inspection, and it probably dates back to the Cold War. The Brooklyn Bridge has arguably inspired more art than any other manmade structure in the United States. 10 Things You May Not Know About the Brooklyn Bridge 1. The Brooklyn Bridge was the first suspension bridge to use steel wire in its construction, an idea pioneered by the original designer John Augustus Roebling. It has a main span of 486.3 meters (1,595.5 feet), and was the first steel-wire suspension bridge constructed. Die Brücke wird von vier Kabelsträngen gehalten, wobei jeder davon 1.090 m lang und 40 cm breit ist sowie aus 21.000 Industriedrähten besteht. Here are the facts you ought to know: – completed and opened on May 24th, 1883 (took over 13 years to build) – at the time it opened, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world He then became a major holder of bridge stock and joined a committee charged with managing the project’s finances. The tactics he used to get the project built included making a big payoff to William “Boss” Tweed to the tune of $65,000 in bribes for Tweed’s political cronies. “Brooklyn Bridge” seems like a natural handle for the hybrid suspension and... 3. Of all the engineering advances in the 1800s, the Brooklyn Bridge stands out as perhaps the most famous and most remarkable. 9. Facts About Brooklyn Bridge. He died, but a number of later jumpers survived, including one man allegedly trying to impress his girlfriend and another who wore large canvas wings. German-born John A. Roebling, who designed the bridge, was taking compass readings one afternoon when his foot was crushed between some pilings and a boat. Many residents call the merger “the great mistake of 1898.”[2], 6. The following year, Robert E. Odlum, a swimming instructor from Washington, D.C., became the first to leap into the East River below. In 1883, it was the biggest suspension bridge ever built. A few high-profile collapses in the first half of the 19th century prevented suspension bridges from immediately catching on. The Brooklyn Bridge opened in 1883. Undeterred, Roebling figured out how to stabilize them, largely by adding a web truss to either side of the roadway platform. The Brooklyn Bridge connects two boroughs over the East River in New York City, Brooklyn and Manhattan. The Brooklyn Bridge was designed by John Augustus Roebling, a German engineer who immigrated to the United States and had already constructed shorter suspension bridges in Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Texas. Twice a week we compile our most fascinating features and deliver them straight to you. But he was arrested in 1871 before he could fully realize his plan. Peregrine falcons are the fastest animals on record, capable of reaching speeds over 200 miles per hour. Facts about Brooklyn Bridge tell you about the suspension bridge in New York City. Under pressure from civic groups and commuters, the pedestrian toll was repealed in 1891. Peregrine falcons nest atop it. Barnum used to showcase the bridge’s stability. The first fatality came in … The Manhattan Bridge is a suspension bridge that crosses the East River in New York City, connecting Lower Manhattan at Canal Street with Downtown Brooklyn at the Flatbush Avenue Extension.The main span is 1,480 ft (451 m) long, with the suspension cables being 3,224 ft (983 m) long. In the new afterword Trachenberg explores the history of Hart Crane’s The Bridge, especially the poem’s integral relationship with the powerful photography of Evans. Fast facts • The Brooklyn Bridge was the first suspension bridge to use steel rather than iron for its cables. [5], 23. It is one of the oldest suspension bridges in United States (completed in 1883) and a first steel-wire suspension bridge in the world. Engineers decided to build vaults under the bridge for storing wine at a continuous cool temperature. Since its construction, the bridge has become an essential landmark of New York City—an outstanding … Due to the demands of Brooklyn residents, the name was shortened to the Brooklyn Bridge in 1915. Nach 14 Jahren des Bauens und Kosten von 15 Millionen Dollar wurde die Brooklyn Bridge im Jahre 1883 eingeweiht und somit waren Manhattan und Brooklyn endlich miteinander verbunden. In 1883, the bridge was completed. Tweed allegedly hoped to skim money from the city’s bridge contracts, much as he had done with other large public works. Fourteen of Walker Evans’s evocative photographs of Brooklyn Bridge, most of which have never been published, appear in this edition of Alan Trachenberg’s Brooklyn Bridge: Fact and Symbol. Some say that a woman tripped; others claim a rumor of an impending collapse stated the stampede. Known as the 8th wonder of the world, it was originally built to connect the two city halls of Brooklyn and Manhattan together when they were separate cities in 1883. 17 Interesting Facts About Brooklyn Bridge. He was a swimming instructor who thought he could survive the dive, but he didn’t. [3], 10. Definition and Summary of the Brooklyn Bridge. Proposals for a bridge connecting Manhattan and Brooklyn were first made in the early 19th century, which eventually led to the construction of the current span, designed by John A. Roebling. The name of the Brooklyn Bridge seems to be a no-brainer, but the bridge operated under several names. Brooklyn Bridge is a suspension bridge in New York, which stretches over the East River. Surprisingly, the birds soon began thriving in New York City, where they nest on bridges, church steeples and skyscrapers. Brooklyn Bridge achieved international fame after opening in 1883 for being the longest suspension bridge in the world at 1,595 ft. Brooklyn Bridge was designed by John Augustus Roebling. [3], 11. Dozens more suffered debilitating injuries, including Roebling’s son Washington, who became bedridden with the bends after taking over as chief engineer from his father. The Brooklyn Bridge project was kickstarted with a bribe. George C. Parker, a con man who lived from 1860 to 1936, was known for swindling people by selling the Brooklyn Bridge and other property he didn’t own. The bridge opened on May 24, 1883 and received leisurely use for the first five days. The first fatality came in 1869 before construction had even begun. This building spans over the East River and links the Boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. [3], 9. The first steel-wire suspension bridge to be built in the world, it was initially known as ‘New York and Brooklyn Bridge’. It’s one of the oldest and most famous bridges in the United States and offered New York residents the first fixed … If you check the American films, Brooklyn is dubbed as the typical New York. 2. Not everyone was happy, however. Peregrine falcons make their home in the bridge’s penthouses located in the two towers. The cards, poorly selling at the time, included a Mickey Mantle that currently sold for $500,000 at auction. His toes were amputated, and a few weeks later he died of tetanus. It combines cable-stayed and suspension bridge technology to connect New York City's Brooklyn and Manhattan boroughs. [2], 3. Visitors get spectacular views of the New York skyline, the Statue of Liberty and the East River, and strolling along can be one of the most romantic events in all of New York. 1. The roadway tolls were then rescinded in 1911 with the support of New York Mayor William J. Gaynor, who declared, “I see no more reason for toll gates on the bridges than for toll gates on Fifth Avenue or Broadway.” The Brooklyn Bridge and three other bridges that likewise cross the East River have stayed free ever since for both walkers and drivers, even as New York’s other major bridges and tunnels have gotten steadily more expensive. Plagued by tragedies. [4], 21. Embarrassed by the swindle, the project increased security measures and increased the wire beyond what was necessary to keep the public from learning the truth.