NEW YORK -- It was so singular a marvel, so ambitious a feat, that its opening drew the president and a crowd of thousands.A leading national magazine said it stood poised to become "our most durable monument."
Some 125 years later, the Brooklyn Bridge remains a symbol of engineering might and imagination, and an iconic landmark in the nation's largest city.
And it can still attract a crowd, like the one at the bridge's 125th birthday blowout Thursday night, which featured fireworks, a Navy flyover, a colorful new lighting scheme, a musical tribute by Oscar-winning composer Marvin Hamlisch, even a birthday cake in the shape of the bridge.
The 6,000-foot-long span is one of the nation's oldest suspension bridges and among its most treasured. It opened on May 24, 1883.
Historians note its role in shaping the city: It linked Manhattan with what was then a largely rural Brooklyn, spurring growth in the more rustic borough, Schweiger said.
Brooklyn's population grew by 42% between 1880 and 1890, while Manhattan's grew about 26%, census figures show.
Building the bridge took 13 years, cost $15 million and claimed several lives, including that of its celebrated designer, John Roebling
(From the Associated Press)
No comments:
Post a Comment