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#11
Firearms / Re: My favorite squirrel gun.
Last post by FinsnFur - May 27, 2024, 01:20:36 PMYeeeeesh! 
Dont let Biden see that black scary thing
Dont let Biden see that black scary thing
#12
Firearms / Re: My favorite squirrel gun.
Last post by nastygunz - May 27, 2024, 11:12:44 AM
#13
The Tailgate / Today in history 5-27
Last post by remrogers - May 27, 2024, 10:09:42 AM1937
May 27
Golden Gate Bridge opens
San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, a stunning technological and artistic achievement, opens to the public after five years of construction. On opening day—"Pedestrian Day"—some 200,000 bridge walkers marveled at the 4,200-foot-long suspension bridge, which spans the Golden Gate Strait at the entrance to San Francisco Bay and connects San Francisco and Marin County. The next day, on May 28, the Golden Gate Bridge opened to vehicular traffic.
The concept of bridging the nearly mile-wide Golden Gate Strait was proposed as early as 1872, but it was not until the early 1920s that public opinion in San Francisco began to favor such an undertaking. In 1921, Cincinnati-born bridge engineer Joseph Strauss submitted a preliminary proposal: a combination suspension-cantilever that could be built for $27 million. Although unsightly compared with the final result, his design was affordable, and Strauss became the recognized leader of the effort to bridge the Golden Gate Strait.
During the next few years, Strauss' design evolved rapidly, thanks to the contributions of consulting engineer Leon S. Moisseiff, architect Irving F. Morrow, and others. Moisseiff's concept of a simple suspension bridge was accepted by Strauss, and Morrow, along with his wife, Gertrude, developed the Golden Gate Bridge's elegant Art Deco design. Morrow would later help choose the bridge's trademark color: "international orange," a brilliant vermilion color that resists rust and fading and suits the natural beauty of San Francisco and its picturesque sunsets. In 1929, Strauss was selected as chief engineer.
To finance the bridge, the Golden Gate Bridge and Highway District was formed in 1928, consisting of San Francisco, Marin, Sonoma, Del Norte, and parts of Mendocino and Napa counties. These counties agreed to collectively take out a large bond, which would then be paid back through bridge tolls. In November 1930, residents of the Golden Gate Bridge and Highway District voted 3-1 to put their homes, farms, and businesses up as collateral to support a $35 million bond to build Strauss' Golden Gate Bridge.
Construction began on January 5, 1933, at the depths of the Great Depression. Strauss and his workers overcame many difficulties: strong tides, frequent storms and fogs, and the problem of blasting rock 65 feet below the water to plant earthquake-proof foundations. Eleven men died during construction. On May 27, 1937, the Golden Gate Bridge was opened to great acclaim, a symbol of progress in the Bay Area during a time of economic crisis. At 4,200 feet, it was the longest bridge in the world until the completion of New York City's Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in 1964. Today, the Golden Gate Bridge remains one of the world's most recognizable architectural structures.
May 27
Golden Gate Bridge opens
San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, a stunning technological and artistic achievement, opens to the public after five years of construction. On opening day—"Pedestrian Day"—some 200,000 bridge walkers marveled at the 4,200-foot-long suspension bridge, which spans the Golden Gate Strait at the entrance to San Francisco Bay and connects San Francisco and Marin County. The next day, on May 28, the Golden Gate Bridge opened to vehicular traffic.
The concept of bridging the nearly mile-wide Golden Gate Strait was proposed as early as 1872, but it was not until the early 1920s that public opinion in San Francisco began to favor such an undertaking. In 1921, Cincinnati-born bridge engineer Joseph Strauss submitted a preliminary proposal: a combination suspension-cantilever that could be built for $27 million. Although unsightly compared with the final result, his design was affordable, and Strauss became the recognized leader of the effort to bridge the Golden Gate Strait.
During the next few years, Strauss' design evolved rapidly, thanks to the contributions of consulting engineer Leon S. Moisseiff, architect Irving F. Morrow, and others. Moisseiff's concept of a simple suspension bridge was accepted by Strauss, and Morrow, along with his wife, Gertrude, developed the Golden Gate Bridge's elegant Art Deco design. Morrow would later help choose the bridge's trademark color: "international orange," a brilliant vermilion color that resists rust and fading and suits the natural beauty of San Francisco and its picturesque sunsets. In 1929, Strauss was selected as chief engineer.
To finance the bridge, the Golden Gate Bridge and Highway District was formed in 1928, consisting of San Francisco, Marin, Sonoma, Del Norte, and parts of Mendocino and Napa counties. These counties agreed to collectively take out a large bond, which would then be paid back through bridge tolls. In November 1930, residents of the Golden Gate Bridge and Highway District voted 3-1 to put their homes, farms, and businesses up as collateral to support a $35 million bond to build Strauss' Golden Gate Bridge.
Construction began on January 5, 1933, at the depths of the Great Depression. Strauss and his workers overcame many difficulties: strong tides, frequent storms and fogs, and the problem of blasting rock 65 feet below the water to plant earthquake-proof foundations. Eleven men died during construction. On May 27, 1937, the Golden Gate Bridge was opened to great acclaim, a symbol of progress in the Bay Area during a time of economic crisis. At 4,200 feet, it was the longest bridge in the world until the completion of New York City's Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in 1964. Today, the Golden Gate Bridge remains one of the world's most recognizable architectural structures.
#14
The Tailgate / Memorial Day List - 2024
Last post by coyote101 - May 27, 2024, 09:02:48 AMI have posted this every Memorial Day since 2008, so here again is my annual tribute to my friends:
For several years I carried a small piece of paper in my wallet. It is just a slip from a note pad, about 4 X 5 inches. It was folded twice and stuck in the back of the wallet with some other stuff. When I changed wallets last year, it was left in the old one and forgotten for a while. I dug it out a couple of days ago. This is what is on it:
Mark Gardner
Mike Steele
Jim Crump
Doug Dowd
Cheryl Sirunian
George Harrelson
Doc Halliday
Mark Bernstien
Pierre Desroches
"Augie" Wienaug
Steve Penrod
Benny Hardin
Twelve names, that's it. Twelve people who were friends and acquaintances of mine. All of them were U.S. Army aviators and all of them died in aircraft accidents. I was closer to some of them than others, but I knew them all.
Memorial Day seems like a good time to pay them a small tribute. So here goes.
Mark Gardner and Doug Dowd were killed in separate AH-1 Cobra crashes at Ft. Rucker, Alabama during aircraft qualification training. Their instructor pilots died also. I had been stationed with both of these guys in Korea in 1978-79. In fact Major Dowd was the unit commander when I left Korea.
Cheryl Sirunian was killed in February 1980 when the UH-1 Huey she was flying hit high power lines in bad weather. She and her crew were returning to Ft. Campbell, Kentucky following a MEDEVAC mission. Cheryl was the first female Army helicopter pilot to die in an aircraft accident. The rest of the crew died too.
George Harrelson was an instructor pilot at Ft. Rucker. He died in a mid-air collision while conducting night vision goggle training. His student and the crew of the other aircraft were also killed. George and I went to the Instructor Pilots' course together in 1981.
Michael "Doc" Halliday and Mark Bernstien were also instructors at Ft. Rucker. They each died during OH-58 tactical training flights with flight school students. Doc and I had been stationed together in Germany, and we were in the same unit at Ft. Rucker when he was killed.
Pierre Desroches was an MH-47 pilot with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment at Ft. Campbell. He was killed, along with the rest of the crew, during a night training flight over Kentucky in 1996. Pierre and I went through S.E.R.E. training together at Ft. Bragg.
Steve Penrod and "Augie" Wienaug were killed during an NVG flight when their OH-58 fell from a formation. Four aircraft took off for Ft. Campbell, and only three arrived. The wreckage was located a day and a half later in a remote part of LBL. Some of us may have walked over that very spot during the LBL hunt this spring.
Benny Hardin was a flight school classmate of mine. He was killed in Gander, Newfoundland just before Christmas in 1985 along with 258 other members of the 101st Airborne Division. They were returning from a U.N. peacekeeping mission in the middle east when the chartered commercial airliner they were on crashed.
Jim Crump and Mike Steele were killed in an AH-1 Cobra crash in Korea in November 1979. Mike was also a flight school classmate of mine and a good friend. We had been roommates at flight school and were stationed together in Korea. I had just returned to the U.S. about a month before Mike died. We shared the same birthday, a year apart and one of my sons is named after Mike. He was 21 years old when he was killed.
Young American men and women are making the ultimate sacrifice every day. I live close to Ft. Campbell, and the 101st is currently deployed. It seems that every day or two another 101st soldier is killed or seriously wounded protecting us. I put this up just as a reminder to all of us that Memorial Day isn't really about furniture sales and picnics and swimming pools opening. It's a day to remember and pay tribute to those men and women, and their families, who have sacrificed so much so the rest of us can continue to live the blessed lives that we live.
My friend Mike Steele in Korea 1979
Mike's Mom, sister and some of his friends after his funeral in Bremerton WA, November 1979
Pat
For several years I carried a small piece of paper in my wallet. It is just a slip from a note pad, about 4 X 5 inches. It was folded twice and stuck in the back of the wallet with some other stuff. When I changed wallets last year, it was left in the old one and forgotten for a while. I dug it out a couple of days ago. This is what is on it:
Mark Gardner
Mike Steele
Jim Crump
Doug Dowd
Cheryl Sirunian
George Harrelson
Doc Halliday
Mark Bernstien
Pierre Desroches
"Augie" Wienaug
Steve Penrod
Benny Hardin
Twelve names, that's it. Twelve people who were friends and acquaintances of mine. All of them were U.S. Army aviators and all of them died in aircraft accidents. I was closer to some of them than others, but I knew them all.
Memorial Day seems like a good time to pay them a small tribute. So here goes.
Mark Gardner and Doug Dowd were killed in separate AH-1 Cobra crashes at Ft. Rucker, Alabama during aircraft qualification training. Their instructor pilots died also. I had been stationed with both of these guys in Korea in 1978-79. In fact Major Dowd was the unit commander when I left Korea.
Cheryl Sirunian was killed in February 1980 when the UH-1 Huey she was flying hit high power lines in bad weather. She and her crew were returning to Ft. Campbell, Kentucky following a MEDEVAC mission. Cheryl was the first female Army helicopter pilot to die in an aircraft accident. The rest of the crew died too.
George Harrelson was an instructor pilot at Ft. Rucker. He died in a mid-air collision while conducting night vision goggle training. His student and the crew of the other aircraft were also killed. George and I went to the Instructor Pilots' course together in 1981.
Michael "Doc" Halliday and Mark Bernstien were also instructors at Ft. Rucker. They each died during OH-58 tactical training flights with flight school students. Doc and I had been stationed together in Germany, and we were in the same unit at Ft. Rucker when he was killed.
Pierre Desroches was an MH-47 pilot with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment at Ft. Campbell. He was killed, along with the rest of the crew, during a night training flight over Kentucky in 1996. Pierre and I went through S.E.R.E. training together at Ft. Bragg.
Steve Penrod and "Augie" Wienaug were killed during an NVG flight when their OH-58 fell from a formation. Four aircraft took off for Ft. Campbell, and only three arrived. The wreckage was located a day and a half later in a remote part of LBL. Some of us may have walked over that very spot during the LBL hunt this spring.
Benny Hardin was a flight school classmate of mine. He was killed in Gander, Newfoundland just before Christmas in 1985 along with 258 other members of the 101st Airborne Division. They were returning from a U.N. peacekeeping mission in the middle east when the chartered commercial airliner they were on crashed.
Jim Crump and Mike Steele were killed in an AH-1 Cobra crash in Korea in November 1979. Mike was also a flight school classmate of mine and a good friend. We had been roommates at flight school and were stationed together in Korea. I had just returned to the U.S. about a month before Mike died. We shared the same birthday, a year apart and one of my sons is named after Mike. He was 21 years old when he was killed.
Young American men and women are making the ultimate sacrifice every day. I live close to Ft. Campbell, and the 101st is currently deployed. It seems that every day or two another 101st soldier is killed or seriously wounded protecting us. I put this up just as a reminder to all of us that Memorial Day isn't really about furniture sales and picnics and swimming pools opening. It's a day to remember and pay tribute to those men and women, and their families, who have sacrificed so much so the rest of us can continue to live the blessed lives that we live.
My friend Mike Steele in Korea 1979
Mike's Mom, sister and some of his friends after his funeral in Bremerton WA, November 1979
Pat
#15
Predator Hunting / Family traditions
Last post by 1snafu - May 27, 2024, 06:35:30 AMOur Dad got me into hunting fox & coyotes circa; 1964. I quickly become addicted to predator hunting. Not only that, but I got to spend quality time with our dad. I took my son predator hunting a few times when he was 14. On our last hunt I could tell he had zero interest in hunting in general. I asked him on our last hunt. You aren't interested are you in hunting with me? He said, to tell you the truth. I only hunted with you. Because I felt sorry for you". I told him that's ok. I thought you might be interested in passing on the tradition. He said, he wasn't. So we never hunted together again.
He is 46 now. Todays youth are different as to their Dad's interests it seems. Seems a shame to me. How time has changed the mindset of young men today. Versus back in the old days. Where many young men wanted to be like their dad. Or at a minimum, just spend some time with dad. You know, quality time one on one.
He is 46 now. Todays youth are different as to their Dad's interests it seems. Seems a shame to me. How time has changed the mindset of young men today. Versus back in the old days. Where many young men wanted to be like their dad. Or at a minimum, just spend some time with dad. You know, quality time one on one.
#16
Firearms / Re: My favorite squirrel gun.
Last post by FinsnFur - May 26, 2024, 08:10:54 PMIf your interested in sending it up here for a bit I can test it on rabbits. My rabbits are catching on to what happens in my yard and now they are staying further from the windows.
To far for the Crosman to be accurate
To far for the Crosman to be accurate
#17
The Tailgate / Today in history 5-16
Last post by remrogers - May 26, 2024, 12:00:26 PM1924
May 26
President Coolidge signs Immigration Act of 1924
On May 26, 1924, President Calvin Coolidge signs into law the Immigration Act of 1924, the most stringent U.S. immigration policy up to that time in the nation's history.
The new law—also known as the Johnson-Reed Immigration Act—reflected the desire of Americans to isolate themselves from the world after fighting World War I in Europe, which exacerbated growing fears of the spread of communist ideas. It also reflected the pervasiveness of racial discrimination in American society at the time. Many Americans saw the enormous influx of largely unskilled, uneducated immigrants during the early 1900s as causing unfair competition for jobs and land.
Under the new law, immigration remained open to those with a college education and/or special skills, but entry was denied disproportionately to Eastern and Southern Europeans and Japanese. At the same time, the legislation allowed for more immigration from Northern European nations such as Britain, Ireland and Scandinavian countries.
A quota was set that limited immigration to two percent of any given nation's residents already in the U.S. as of 1890, a provision designed to maintain America's largely Northern European racial composition. In 1927, the "two percent rule" was eliminated and a cap of 150,000 total immigrants annually was established.
The law particularly angered Japan, which in 1907 had forged with U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt a "Gentlemen's Agreement," which included more liberal immigration quotas for Japan. By 1924, strong U.S. agricultural and labor interests—particularly from California, which had already passed its own exclusionary laws against Japanese immigrants—favored the more restrictive legislation signed by Coolidge.
The Japanese government viewed the American law as an insult and protested by declaring May 26 a national day of humiliation in Japan. The law fanned anti-American sentiment in Japan, inspiring a Japanese citizen to commit suicide outside the American embassy in Tokyo in protest.
Despite becoming known for such isolationist legislation, Coolidge also established the Statue of Liberty as a national monument in 1924.
May 26
President Coolidge signs Immigration Act of 1924
On May 26, 1924, President Calvin Coolidge signs into law the Immigration Act of 1924, the most stringent U.S. immigration policy up to that time in the nation's history.
The new law—also known as the Johnson-Reed Immigration Act—reflected the desire of Americans to isolate themselves from the world after fighting World War I in Europe, which exacerbated growing fears of the spread of communist ideas. It also reflected the pervasiveness of racial discrimination in American society at the time. Many Americans saw the enormous influx of largely unskilled, uneducated immigrants during the early 1900s as causing unfair competition for jobs and land.
Under the new law, immigration remained open to those with a college education and/or special skills, but entry was denied disproportionately to Eastern and Southern Europeans and Japanese. At the same time, the legislation allowed for more immigration from Northern European nations such as Britain, Ireland and Scandinavian countries.
A quota was set that limited immigration to two percent of any given nation's residents already in the U.S. as of 1890, a provision designed to maintain America's largely Northern European racial composition. In 1927, the "two percent rule" was eliminated and a cap of 150,000 total immigrants annually was established.
The law particularly angered Japan, which in 1907 had forged with U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt a "Gentlemen's Agreement," which included more liberal immigration quotas for Japan. By 1924, strong U.S. agricultural and labor interests—particularly from California, which had already passed its own exclusionary laws against Japanese immigrants—favored the more restrictive legislation signed by Coolidge.
The Japanese government viewed the American law as an insult and protested by declaring May 26 a national day of humiliation in Japan. The law fanned anti-American sentiment in Japan, inspiring a Japanese citizen to commit suicide outside the American embassy in Tokyo in protest.
Despite becoming known for such isolationist legislation, Coolidge also established the Statue of Liberty as a national monument in 1924.
#18
The Tailgate / Today in history 5-25
Last post by remrogers - May 25, 2024, 10:30:47 AM1787
May 25
Constitutional Convention begins
Four years after the United States won its independence from Great Britain, 55 state delegates, including George Washington, James Madison and Benjamin Franklin, convene in Philadelphia to compose a new U.S. constitution on May 25, 1787.
The Articles of Confederation, ratified several months before the British surrender at Yorktown in 1781, provided for a loose confederation of U.S. states, which were sovereign in most of their affairs. On paper, Congress—the central authority—had the power to govern foreign affairs, conduct war, and regulate currency, but in practice these powers were sharply limited because Congress was given no authority to enforce its requests to the states for money or troops. By 1786, it was apparent that the Union would soon break up if the Articles of Confederation were not amended or replaced. Five states met in Annapolis, Maryland, to discuss the issue, and all the states were invited to send delegates to a new constitutional convention to be held in Philadelphia.
On May 25, 1787, delegates representing every state except Rhode Island convened at Philadelphia's Pennsylvania State House for the Constitutional Convention. The building, which is now known as Independence Hall, had earlier seen the drafting of the Declaration of Independence and the signing of the Articles of Confederation. The assembly immediately discarded the idea of amending the Articles of Confederation and set about drawing up a new scheme of government. Revolutionary War hero George Washington, a delegate from Virginia, was elected convention president.
During three months of debate, the delegates devised a brilliant federal system characterized by an intricate system of checks and balances. The convention was divided over the issue of state representation in Congress, as more populated states sought proportional legislation, and smaller states wanted equal representation. The problem was resolved by the Connecticut Compromise, which proposed a bicameral legislature with proportional representation in the lower house (House of Representatives) and equal representation of the states in the upper house (Senate).
On September 17, 1787, the Constitution of the United States of America was signed by 38 of the 41 delegates present at the conclusion of the convention. As dictated by Article VII, the document would not become binding until it was ratified by nine of the 13 states.
Beginning on December 7, five states—Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut—ratified it in quick succession. However, other states, especially Massachusetts, opposed the document, as it failed to reserve un-delegated powers to the states and lacked constitutional protection of basic political rights, such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press. In February 1788, a compromise was reached under which Massachusetts and other states would agree to ratify the document with the assurance that amendments would be immediately proposed. The Constitution was thus narrowly ratified in Massachusetts, followed by Maryland and South Carolina. On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the document, and it was subsequently agreed that government under the U.S. Constitution would begin on March 4, 1789.
On September 25, 1789, the first Congress of the United States adopted 12 amendments to the U.S. Constitution–the Bill of Rights–and sent them to the states for ratification. Ten of these amendments were ratified in 1791. In November 1789, North Carolina became the 12th state to ratify the U.S. Constitution. Rhode Island, which opposed federal control of currency and was critical of compromise on the issue of slavery, resisted ratifying the Constitution until the U.S. government threatened to sever commercial relations with the state. On May 29, 1790, Rhode Island voted by two votes to ratify the document, and the last of the original 13 colonies joined the United States. Today the U.S. Constitution is the oldest written national constitution in operation in the world.
May 25
Constitutional Convention begins
Four years after the United States won its independence from Great Britain, 55 state delegates, including George Washington, James Madison and Benjamin Franklin, convene in Philadelphia to compose a new U.S. constitution on May 25, 1787.
The Articles of Confederation, ratified several months before the British surrender at Yorktown in 1781, provided for a loose confederation of U.S. states, which were sovereign in most of their affairs. On paper, Congress—the central authority—had the power to govern foreign affairs, conduct war, and regulate currency, but in practice these powers were sharply limited because Congress was given no authority to enforce its requests to the states for money or troops. By 1786, it was apparent that the Union would soon break up if the Articles of Confederation were not amended or replaced. Five states met in Annapolis, Maryland, to discuss the issue, and all the states were invited to send delegates to a new constitutional convention to be held in Philadelphia.
On May 25, 1787, delegates representing every state except Rhode Island convened at Philadelphia's Pennsylvania State House for the Constitutional Convention. The building, which is now known as Independence Hall, had earlier seen the drafting of the Declaration of Independence and the signing of the Articles of Confederation. The assembly immediately discarded the idea of amending the Articles of Confederation and set about drawing up a new scheme of government. Revolutionary War hero George Washington, a delegate from Virginia, was elected convention president.
During three months of debate, the delegates devised a brilliant federal system characterized by an intricate system of checks and balances. The convention was divided over the issue of state representation in Congress, as more populated states sought proportional legislation, and smaller states wanted equal representation. The problem was resolved by the Connecticut Compromise, which proposed a bicameral legislature with proportional representation in the lower house (House of Representatives) and equal representation of the states in the upper house (Senate).
On September 17, 1787, the Constitution of the United States of America was signed by 38 of the 41 delegates present at the conclusion of the convention. As dictated by Article VII, the document would not become binding until it was ratified by nine of the 13 states.
Beginning on December 7, five states—Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut—ratified it in quick succession. However, other states, especially Massachusetts, opposed the document, as it failed to reserve un-delegated powers to the states and lacked constitutional protection of basic political rights, such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press. In February 1788, a compromise was reached under which Massachusetts and other states would agree to ratify the document with the assurance that amendments would be immediately proposed. The Constitution was thus narrowly ratified in Massachusetts, followed by Maryland and South Carolina. On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the document, and it was subsequently agreed that government under the U.S. Constitution would begin on March 4, 1789.
On September 25, 1789, the first Congress of the United States adopted 12 amendments to the U.S. Constitution–the Bill of Rights–and sent them to the states for ratification. Ten of these amendments were ratified in 1791. In November 1789, North Carolina became the 12th state to ratify the U.S. Constitution. Rhode Island, which opposed federal control of currency and was critical of compromise on the issue of slavery, resisted ratifying the Constitution until the U.S. government threatened to sever commercial relations with the state. On May 29, 1790, Rhode Island voted by two votes to ratify the document, and the last of the original 13 colonies joined the United States. Today the U.S. Constitution is the oldest written national constitution in operation in the world.
#19
The Tailgate / Today in history 5-24
Last post by remrogers - May 24, 2024, 08:56:40 AM1883
May 24
Brooklyn Bridge opens
After 14 years, the Brooklyn Bridge over the East River opens in 1883, connecting the great cities of New York and Brooklyn for the first time in history. Thousands of residents of Brooklyn and Manhattan Island turned out to witness the dedication ceremony, which was presided over by President Chester A. Arthur and New York Governor Grover Cleveland. Designed by the late John A. Roebling, the Brooklyn Bridge was the largest suspension bridge ever built to that date.
John Roebling, born in Germany in 1806, was a great pioneer in the design of steel suspension bridges. He studied industrial engineering in Berlin and at the age of 25 immigrated to western Pennsylvania, where he attempted, unsuccessfully, to make his living as a farmer. He later moved to the state capital in Harrisburg, where he found work as a civil engineer. He promoted the use of wire cable and established a successful wire-cable factory.
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 major breakthrough in suspension-bridge technology: a web truss added to either side of the bridge roadway that greatly stabilized the structure. Using this model, Roebling successfully bridged the Niagara Gorge at Niagara Falls, New York, and the Ohio River at Cincinnati, Ohio. On the basis of these achievements, New York State accepted Roebling's design for a bridge connecting Brooklyn and Manhattan–with a span of 1,595 feet–and appointed him chief engineer. It was to be the world's first steel suspension bridge.
Just before construction began in 1869, Roebling was fatally injured while taking a few final compass readings across the East River. A boat smashed the toes on one of his feet, and three weeks later he died of tetanus. He was the first of more than two dozen people who would die building his bridge. His 32-year-old son, Washington A. Roebling, took over as chief engineer. Roebling had worked with his father on several bridges and had helped design the Brooklyn Bridge.
The two granite foundations of the Brooklyn Bridge were built on timber caissons, or watertight chambers, sunk to depths of 44 feet on the Brooklyn side and 78 feet on the New York side. Compressed air pressurized the caissons, allowing underwater construction. At that time, little was known of the risks of working under such conditions, and more than a hundred workers suffered from cases of compression sickness. Compression sickness, or the "bends," is caused by the appearance of nitrogen bubbles in the bloodstream that result from rapid decompression. Several died, and Washington Roebling himself became bedridden from the condition in 1872. Other workers died as a result of more conventional construction accidents, such as collapses and a fire.
Roebling continued to direct construction operations from his home with the help of his wife Emily. In fact, Emily developed such an expertise in the project and construction that she effectively assumed the role of chief engineer and spokesperson for her husband. In 1877, Washington and Emily moved into a home with a view of the bridge. Roebling's health gradually improved, but he remained partially paralyzed for the rest of his life. On May 24, 1883, Emily Roebling was given the first ride over the completed bridge, with a rooster, a symbol of victory, in her lap. Within 24 hours, an estimated 250,000 people walked across the Brooklyn Bridge, using a broad promenade above the roadway that John Roebling designed solely for the enjoyment of pedestrians.
The Brooklyn Bridge, with its unprecedented length and two stately towers, was dubbed the "eighth wonder of the world." The connection it provided between the massive population centers of Brooklyn and Manhattan changed the course of New York City forever. In 1898, the city of Brooklyn formally merged with New York City, Staten Island, and a few farm towns, forming Greater New York.
May 24
Brooklyn Bridge opens
After 14 years, the Brooklyn Bridge over the East River opens in 1883, connecting the great cities of New York and Brooklyn for the first time in history. Thousands of residents of Brooklyn and Manhattan Island turned out to witness the dedication ceremony, which was presided over by President Chester A. Arthur and New York Governor Grover Cleveland. Designed by the late John A. Roebling, the Brooklyn Bridge was the largest suspension bridge ever built to that date.
John Roebling, born in Germany in 1806, was a great pioneer in the design of steel suspension bridges. He studied industrial engineering in Berlin and at the age of 25 immigrated to western Pennsylvania, where he attempted, unsuccessfully, to make his living as a farmer. He later moved to the state capital in Harrisburg, where he found work as a civil engineer. He promoted the use of wire cable and established a successful wire-cable factory.
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 major breakthrough in suspension-bridge technology: a web truss added to either side of the bridge roadway that greatly stabilized the structure. Using this model, Roebling successfully bridged the Niagara Gorge at Niagara Falls, New York, and the Ohio River at Cincinnati, Ohio. On the basis of these achievements, New York State accepted Roebling's design for a bridge connecting Brooklyn and Manhattan–with a span of 1,595 feet–and appointed him chief engineer. It was to be the world's first steel suspension bridge.
Just before construction began in 1869, Roebling was fatally injured while taking a few final compass readings across the East River. A boat smashed the toes on one of his feet, and three weeks later he died of tetanus. He was the first of more than two dozen people who would die building his bridge. His 32-year-old son, Washington A. Roebling, took over as chief engineer. Roebling had worked with his father on several bridges and had helped design the Brooklyn Bridge.
The two granite foundations of the Brooklyn Bridge were built on timber caissons, or watertight chambers, sunk to depths of 44 feet on the Brooklyn side and 78 feet on the New York side. Compressed air pressurized the caissons, allowing underwater construction. At that time, little was known of the risks of working under such conditions, and more than a hundred workers suffered from cases of compression sickness. Compression sickness, or the "bends," is caused by the appearance of nitrogen bubbles in the bloodstream that result from rapid decompression. Several died, and Washington Roebling himself became bedridden from the condition in 1872. Other workers died as a result of more conventional construction accidents, such as collapses and a fire.
Roebling continued to direct construction operations from his home with the help of his wife Emily. In fact, Emily developed such an expertise in the project and construction that she effectively assumed the role of chief engineer and spokesperson for her husband. In 1877, Washington and Emily moved into a home with a view of the bridge. Roebling's health gradually improved, but he remained partially paralyzed for the rest of his life. On May 24, 1883, Emily Roebling was given the first ride over the completed bridge, with a rooster, a symbol of victory, in her lap. Within 24 hours, an estimated 250,000 people walked across the Brooklyn Bridge, using a broad promenade above the roadway that John Roebling designed solely for the enjoyment of pedestrians.
The Brooklyn Bridge, with its unprecedented length and two stately towers, was dubbed the "eighth wonder of the world." The connection it provided between the massive population centers of Brooklyn and Manhattan changed the course of New York City forever. In 1898, the city of Brooklyn formally merged with New York City, Staten Island, and a few farm towns, forming Greater New York.
#20