The Bedrock Beneath the Brooklyn Bridge

When engineer Washington Roebling began constructing the Brooklyn Bridge in 1870, he knew everything depended on what no one would ever see — the foundation. Workers descended in massive pressurized caissons, digging through mud, sand, and gravel beneath the East River. The work was grueling and dangerous. Some men suffered from decompression sickness. Roebling himself was permanently disabled by the conditions.…