Brooklyn Bridge (1883)
Moving into modern times, the Brooklyn Bridge is a new world wonder. Before the early 1880s, getting across the East River from Manhattan to Brooklyn was a chore; it was by ferry, a slow, labor-intense process. City officials decided a bridge would better move traffic. John Roebling won the contract for the bridge design. He had developed a strong, stable suspension bridge using wire cable stays and stiffening trusses to create a deck.
He used caissons to create the foundation of the suspension towers, a new technology with airtight chambers secured to the river bottom with large granite weights. The caissons had pressurized air to keep river water out, which gave many workers the bends when they emerged from the depths. Still, it was a technological marvel. In the end, Roebling’s work has become a symbol of New York City and has provided safe passage for over 140 years.
