The Bridge Builder Who Ignored the Critics

In 1883, when the Brooklyn Bridge finally opened after fourteen years of construction, few remembered that its chief engineer, Washington Roebling, had been bedridden for most of the project. Paralyzed by decompression sickness, he directed construction from his apartment window with a telescope, relaying instructions through his wife Emily. Critics called the bridge a folly. Newspapers predicted collapse. City officials demanded Roebling be replaced.…