Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-22
The Master Builder.


generations as the builder of the
Brooklyn Bridge" Few Of the pres
ent generation, however knew the
full meaning Of that phrase, or under
Roebling to the work that first
linked this city of New York with
neighboring territory. i Ia. for in
stance, not generally recalled now
that his father, John A. Roebling,
the first of the family to come TO
America from Germany, was himself
a noted designer and constructor OF
viaducts and aoueducts. He did his
first work Of this kind in 1S44-45, at
Pittsburgh, little later four suspen,
sion aQueducts for the Delaware Canal,
and in 1851 he constructed the rail-
road bridge across the Niagara River
below the Falls, then the largest work
Of its kind and reckoned as one OF the
wonders of the world. Other works
OF a similar nature followed, with the
son Washington aiding and qualify.
ing as an expert.
When the elder Roeblins was given
the commission TO bridge the East
River with what would be the longest
span in the world the son went to Eu
rope, and for a year studied in Eng
land, France ami Germany on the sub
ject Of pneumatic caiSsons. The
knowledge he thus gained enabled
him to carry through 20 a triumphant
completion a work that suddenly fell
upon him to supervise, when his IA
Their. shortly after the start on the
great undertaking, died Of an injury
received in his own supervision Of the
preparatory construction. Realizing
that IN the underground and under
water work lay the real test of sue.
cess, Washington Roebling spent
much of his time in the caissons and
thereby incurred the disability that
became known as the "caisson dis
ease" caused by the extremely high
air pressure maintained in these
sunken compartments. He was part
~ disabled for a long time. but from
q wheel chair continued his detailed
supervision and personally prepared
countless plans and Specifications for
the operation
The Brooklyn Bridge succeeded the
Niagara Bridge as a world wonder"
Roebling was acclaimed as a master
engineer. His fame became interna.
tionai. That he survived many years
the disabilities that crippled him early
in. that great work and participated in
numerous other enterprises was in it
self one of the wonders of the time
Meanwhile the East River has been
SPAWNED by other bridges. greater in
dimensions than the first TO cross that
stream. But the dream of the Roeb
lings for the spanning of the North
River with an even greater bridge has
not been realized. IT was known that
Col Roebling aspired to undertake
this forbidding enterprise.
Those who use these seemingly frail
viaducts. suspended high over mighty
rivers by slender cables spun over
towering abutments, are seldom aware
of the extremely difficult and danger
Gus work that lies hidden. or of the
sacrifices that attended its accom-
plishment During the course of the
construction there is little surface in
dication of the drama that is being
enacted below ground or under water,
the desperate fight against heavy
odds, the short -spanned toll of gangs
Of sand hogs in air pressures that
must be approached by degrees
through graduating chambers, the in.
cessant danger of collapse Of the
mighty caissons driving steadily down
ward under the weight of accumulat-
ing masonry, the possibility of en-
countering strata of soft material ad
hitting the water in overwhelming
quantities. Few realize the intensity
of the anxiety of those concerned in
such a work. Washington A. Roeb-
ling, CALAMITY following his father
after the senior had fallen a victim
to his profession, carried through
such a work, and to him and his sue
cess may be attributed countless i'm
provements that followed, that have
contributed intellectually to the advan.
ta ua of the America n yaqan1o