Meanwhile, he earned a reputation as a designer of suspension bridges, which at the time were widely used but known to fail under strong winds or heavy loads. Roebling is credited with a … See more

In 1867, on the basis of these achievements, New York legislators approved Roeblings plan for a suspension bridge over the East River between Manhattan and Brooklyn. I… See more

To achieve a solid foundation for the bridge, workers excavated the riverbed in massive wooden boxes called caissons. These airtight chambers w… See more

This often caused a constellation of painful symptoms known as caisson disease or the bends: excruciating joint pain, paralysis, convulsions, numbness, speech impediments and, in some … See more

Just before construction began in 1869, Roebling was fatally injured while taking a few final compass readings across the East River. A boat smashe… See more

Underwater, the workers in the caisson were uncomfortablethe hot, dense air gave them blinding headaches, itchy skin, bloody noses and slowed heartbeatsbut relatively safe. The journey to and from the depths of the East River, h… See more

By the early 20th century, scientists had figured out that if the airlocks traveled to the rivers surface more gradually, slowing the workers decompression, the bends could be prevented altogether. In 1909, New Yorks legislature pass… See more