Roebling is presented as down-to-earth and a genuinely good, kind of geeky, guy: He treats his workers well and earns their loyalty, but he also does crazy experiments out of sheer curiosity. During that time his wife, Emily, served as a courier, bringing plans and notes to the work area and perhaps contributing in other ways as well. In fact, Roebling ruined his health by spending too much time underwater and was bedridden for the last part of the project. The caissons were not for the faint of heart, or the claustrophobic. The caissons were filled with pressurized air, so the workers inside could safely dig away the ground beneath their feet. Roebling designed caissons, bottomless underwater chambers, which sat on the riverbed. Much of the book focuses on the task of excavation. It’s a factual account that stresses the heroic efforts that were necessary, and the obstacles that had to be overcome, to span the East River for the first time. The Bridge is the story of the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge, told mostly from the point of view of the chief engineer on the project, Washington Roebling. Creator(s): Peter Tomasi (writer), Sara DuVall (artist)
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